This is the Forward’s coverage of the United Kingdom and British Jews.
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Fast Forward Ephraim Mirvis, Britain’s New Chief Rabbi, Will Attend Limmud
Great Britain’s new chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, announced on Monday that he would be attending Limmud, Britain’s largest and oldest festival of Jewish learning and culture. Rabbi Mirvis’ announcement may have been expected, but it is still significant for the future of Britain’s rapidly fracturing Jewish community. Mirvis’ predecessor, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, had been an…
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Fast Forward Zanzibar Suspects Quizzed in Acid Attacks
Fifteen people, including suspected Islamist militants and individuals linked to an acid attack on a clergyman and two Jewish teenagers from Britain, have been arrested in Tanzania’s semi-autonomous Zanzibar islands, a senior police officer said. The Indian Ocean islands are growing headache for the Tanzanian government as they struggle with religious tensions and deep social…
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Fast Forward British Soccer Fans Could Face Criminal Charges For Using ‘Yid’ As Insult
The governing body of English soccer announced that fans could face criminal charges for using the term “yid.” In a statement issued Wednesday, the English Football Association’s general secretary, Alex Horne, wrote that the association believes the term “is likely to be considered offensive by the reasonable observer and considers the term to be inappropriate…
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Opinion Back to School Reflects British Success Story
In London’s school uniform shops, the experienced sales clerks know what Jewish parents will order before they open their mouths. The shops carry the clothing with embroidered crests for numerous schools, but today, you can normally guess from the parents which school their children go to, and therefore which uniform they want. The frum-ness level…
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Fast Forward British Jewish Teenager Recounts Horror of Zanzibar Acid Attack
A Jewish teenager from London has recounted last month’s terrifying acid attack that “seared her flesh,” disfiguring her and her friend on the African island of Zanzibar. Speaking out for the first time, Kirstie Trup, 18, told the Sunday Times that she and volunteer pal Katie Gee had no hint of danger when two men…
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Fast Forward Ephraim Mirvis Takes Reins as British Chief Rabbi
Britain’s new chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, who has vowed to remain traditional by barring women rabbis and same-sex marriage, was sworn in on Sunday to face the challenge of uniting the nation’s polarised Jewish community. About 1,400 guests, including Britain’s heir apparent Prince Charles, attended a ceremony at a north London synagogue as Mirvis replaced…
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Opinion End of Jonathan Sacks Era
Two countries; two chief rabbinates. But the institutions could hardly be more different. I have spent part of this summer observing the Chief Rabbi elections in Israel, and part in the U.K., hearing the opinions of British Jews about the end of the Jonathan Sacks era, with their Chief Rabbi (or strictly speaking the Chief…
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Fast Forward Jonathan Sacks Says Good-Bye as Chief Rabbi
On Friday morning, people listening to BBC Radio 4’s popular Today program heard a familiar voice addressing them on “The Thought for the Day” slot. It was Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks making his final appearance. This afternoon, Rabbi Sacks will formally step down from the post he has filled for the last twenty-two years…
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