David Rosen (rabbi) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Rosen
Religion	Judaism
Alma mater	Yeshivat Har Etzion
Personal
Nationality	British Israeli
Born	David Shlomo Rosen 1951 (age 73–74) Newbury, Berkshire, England
Spouse	Sharon Rothstein ​ (m. 1973)​
Children	3
Parents	Kopul Rosen (father)
Senior posting
Predecessor	Isaac Cohen
Successor	Ephraim Mirvis
Position	Chief Rabbi
Synagogue	Ireland
Began	1979
Ended	1985
Residence	Jerusalem

David Shlomo Rosen (born in 1951) is an English-Israeli rabbi. He is known for his important work in bringing different religions together. He was the Chief Rabbi of Ireland from 1979 to 1985. After that, he moved to Israel permanently in 1985.

Currently, he is a Special Advisor to the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi. This is a new place where Jews, Christians, and Muslims can learn about each other. From 2005 to 2009, he led a group called the International Jewish Committee for Inter-religious Consultations (IJCIC). This group represents Jewish people around the world in their discussions with other religions.

Before his time as Chief Rabbi of Ireland, he was a senior rabbi in South Africa. He worked at the largest Orthodox Jewish community in Cape Town. He also served as a judge on the Cape Beth Din, which is a Jewish religious court. He is also part of an organization in Brussels called CEJI. This group works to make Europe a place where everyone is respected and diversity is celebrated.

Early Life and Important Work

David Rosen was born in Newbury, England. His father was Rabbi Kopul Rosen, who started a Jewish boarding school called Carmel College. David Rosen became an Orthodox rabbi in Israel at Yeshivat Har Etzion.

In 1973, he moved to South Africa. He became a student advisor for Jewish organizations there. In 1975, at just 24 years old, he became the rabbi of the biggest Jewish community in Cape Town. He was the youngest practicing rabbi in South Africa at that time.

Standing Up Against Apartheid

During his time in South Africa, the country had a system called apartheid. This was a very unfair system that separated people based on their race. It took away basic human rights from many people. Rabbi Rosen strongly believed that Judaism did not support apartheid. He often spoke out against it in his sermons.

He refused to attend an event honoring the Prime Minister, John Vorster, because of his support for apartheid. This made the government unhappy. Rabbi Rosen even received threats and had his phone tapped by the police. However, most of his community and other Jewish leaders supported him.

He helped start the Cape Inter-Faith Forum. This group brought together people from different religions, like Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It was one of the first groups of its kind in the world. He also worked with other religious leaders to help people who were homeless.

Because of his strong views against apartheid, the government did not renew his work permit. He had to leave South Africa after five years.

Moving to Ireland and Israel

Soon after leaving South Africa, he became the Chief Rabbi of Ireland in 1979. He served in this role until 1985, when he moved to Israel. He now lives in Jerusalem. He also works with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel on how to talk with other religions. In 2006, he co-wrote a book called The Christian and the Pharisee.

Rabbi Rosen is a leader in many international groups that promote peace between religions. He is an international president of Religions for Peace. He is also the only Jewish person on the board of the KAICIID Dialogue Centre. This center was started by the King of Saudi Arabia, along with Austria, Spain, and the Vatican. He is also an honorary president of the International Council of Christians and Jews.

In 2015, he took part in an important discussion with Orthodox Christian leaders. He asked them to make a statement about the Jewish people. He believed this would help stop old prejudices against Jews.

Awards and Special Honours

Rabbi Rosen has received many awards for his work in bringing people together:

• In 2005, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. This is a very high honor from the Vatican. He was the first Israeli and the first Orthodox rabbi to receive it.
• In the same year, he won the Mount Zion Award for helping different religions understand each other.
• In 2006, he received the Raphael Lemkin Human Rights Award. This was for starting an organization called Rabbis for Human Rights.
• In 2010, Queen Elizabeth II made him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This is a special honor from the British government.
• In 2012, he received an interfaith award from Search for Common Ground.
• In 2016, the Archbishop of Canterbury gave him the Hubert Walter Award. This was for his dedication to improving relationships between Jewish and Catholic faiths.

His Ideas and Beliefs

Against Apartheid

Rabbi Rosen strongly believed that apartheid was wrong. He said that any system that takes away basic human rights goes against religious faith. He explained that all people are created in God's image, as taught in the Book of Genesis. This means everyone has dignity and freedom.

Views on Israel

Rabbi Rosen believes that one of Israel's greatest achievements is its democratic system. He notes that this system has stayed strong despite conflicts in the region. He also feels that Israel helps Jewish life grow and thrive. However, he also thinks there is a need for Jewish religious traditions to connect more with modern ideas.

He supports allowing civil marriage in Israel. He believes that forcing people to have a religious ceremony when they don't feel connected to it can push them away from tradition. He thinks that ending the Chief Rabbinate's control over Jewish marriage would allow couples more choices.

Importance of Jerusalem

Rabbi Rosen says that Jerusalem is very important to Jewish religious life and hopes. He calls it "the house of our life." He also highlights that Jerusalem is significant to all three major religions that believe in Abraham: Jews, Christians, and Muslims. He believes that when people truly respect each other's connections to Jerusalem, the city can truly become a place of peace.

Personal Life

Rabbi Rosen is married to Sharon Rothstein. She also works to bring people together through her job in Jerusalem. They have three daughters and six grandchildren.

Vegetarianism

Rabbi Rosen is the honorary president of the International Jewish Vegetarian and Ecology Society. He is a strong critic of factory farming. He believes that the way animals are treated in factory farms makes eating their meat unacceptable under Jewish law (called Halacha). He also argues that producing meat wastes natural resources and harms the environment. He feels this is a strong Jewish moral reason to consider a vegan diet. He has written a lot about topics that involve different religions.

See also

• History of the Jews in Ireland
• Jewish vegetarianism