Rabbi Jeffrey Newman is pulled away by police after being arrested for protesting against climate change in the middle of the street with Extinction Rebellion. Image by Guardian/YouTube

By Aiden Pink October 14, 2019

A 77-year-old rabbi protesting in London on Monday was arrested and dragged away from the protest by police.

Rabbi Jeffrey Newman was among dozens of Jewish protesters demonstrating in the streets outside the house of the Lord Mayor of London, the Jewish News reported. The group, affiliated with the Extinction Rebellion movement, was protesting what they see as governmental and corporate responsibility for climate change and their failure to properly address it.

Newman, who was wearing a kippah and tallit and holding a lulav and etrog – ceremonial plants used to commemorate the current Jewish holiday of Sukkot – was arrested by police for sitting in the middle of the road. After refusing to move, he was dragged away into a police van.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

“It’s not okay!”

This is the moment Rabbi Jeffrey Newman was arrested and carried away for taking action with #ExtinctionRebellion outside the Bank of England pic.twitter.com/eMbkSDrbxl

— Damien Gayle (@damiengayle) October 14, 2019

Newman led a Shacharit morning prayer service, and protesters sang Jewish songs and held signs stating “Conservation is a mitzvah,” according to local reports.

Newman, the emeritus rabbi of Finchley Reform Synagogue, told the Jewish News that his and Extinction Rebellion’s actions were reflecting Jewish values. “The highest principle is the saving of life, pikuach nefesh,” he said.

Newman told the Evening Standard that his temple wasn’t connected to his actions. “I haven’t tried to involve the synagogue, because if you are asking for permission, you might not get it,” he said. “”I think it’s much more important to do what I’m doing, and they can approve or not approve at a later date.”

But it appears Newman’s fears were unfounded – a post praising Newman was shared on Finchley Reform’s Facebook page.

Aiden Pink is the deputy news editor of the Forward. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @aidenpink

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount