Ephraim Mirvis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ephraim Mirvis |
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Mirvis in 2015
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| Religion | Judaism |
| Denomination | Orthodox |
| Alma mater | University of South Africa |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | British |
| Born | Ephraim Yitzchak Mirvis 7 September 1956 Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Spouse | Valerie Kaplan Mirvis |
| Children | 5 |
| Senior posting | |
| Title | Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth |
| Predecessor | Jonathan, Lord Sacks |
| Position | Chief Rabbi |
| Organisation | United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth |
| Began | 1 September 2013 |
| Residence | London, England |
| Semicha | Machon Ariel, Jerusalem |
Sir Ephraim Yitzchak Mirvis (born September 7, 1956) is an important Orthodox rabbi from Britain. He is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. This means he is the main religious leader for many Jewish communities in the United Kingdom and other countries in the Commonwealth. Before this, he was the Chief Rabbi of Ireland from 1985 to 1992.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ephraim Mirvis was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1956. His father, Lionel Mirvis, was also a rabbi. His father spoke out against apartheid, a system of racial segregation in South Africa. He even visited political prisoners on Robben Island. His mother, Freida, was the head of a college that trained black preschool teachers.
Mirvis went to Herzlia High School in Cape Town. In 1973, when he was a teenager, he moved to Israel. There, he studied at several religious schools called yeshivas. He also earned a university degree in education and classical Hebrew from the University of South Africa.
Mirvis is also trained in Jewish cantorial music, which is the music sung during prayer services. He is a big fan of the Tottenham Hotspur football club.
Career as a Rabbi
First Rabbinical Roles
In 1982, Mirvis became the rabbi of a synagogue in Dublin, Ireland. Three years later, in 1985, he was appointed the Chief Rabbi of Ireland. He held this important position until 1992.
After his time in Ireland, he moved to London to become the rabbi of the Western Marble Arch Synagogue. In 1996, he moved to the Finchley United Synagogue. There, he started a popular learning program for adults called the Kinloss Learning Centre.
Becoming Chief Rabbi
In December 2012, it was announced that Ephraim Mirvis would become the next Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. He officially started the job on September 1, 2013.
His appointment was celebrated by many Jewish groups. The Jewish Leadership Council in the UK said the choice was "immensely popular." Leaders from other Jewish movements, like Reform Judaism, also welcomed him and looked forward to working with him.
Working with Other Faiths
Rabbi Mirvis believes it is important for people of different religions to work together.
Friendship with Christians
While in Ireland, Mirvis was the president of the Irish Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ). In the UK, he has met with leaders of the Church of England. In 2016, he and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, started a program called ‘In Good Faith’. This program brings Christian and Jewish leaders together to work on community projects.
Building Bridges with Muslims
Rabbi Mirvis was the first rabbi from the United Synagogue to invite an imam (a Muslim leader) to speak at his synagogue. He also led a group from his synagogue to visit a local mosque. They started a project where Jewish and Muslim community members do public service together on Christmas Day.
Important Views and Actions
Rabbi Mirvis has been involved in many important issues throughout his career.
Support for Israel
Mirvis has always been a strong supporter of Israel. In 1999, he led a group of British rabbis on a trip to Israel to show their support. During the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, he defended Israel's right to protect its citizens from rocket attacks. He also pointed out that some people were using the conflict as an excuse to express anti-Jewish feelings.
Women's Role in Judaism
Rabbi Mirvis has worked to create more opportunities for women in Orthodox Judaism. In 2012, he appointed the first Orthodox female adviser on Jewish law in Britain. He also supports prayer groups for Orthodox women.
In 2016, he started the Ma’ayan Programme. This is a course that trains women to become educators and advisers on Jewish law in their communities. While he supports these new roles, he also follows the traditional Orthodox view that women cannot be rabbis.
Support for LGBT+ Youth
In 2018, Rabbi Mirvis released a guide for Orthodox Jewish schools on how to support LGBT+ students. This was the first guide of its kind in the world. The guide stated that all students, including LGBT+ youth, must be treated with kindness and respect. It called for a "zero-tolerance" policy on bullying.
He wrote, "Young LGBT+ people in the Jewish community often express feelings of deep isolation, loneliness and a sense that they can never be themselves." He wanted to make sure they felt safe and accepted.
Speaking on British Politics
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In 2019, Rabbi Mirvis took the unusual step of speaking out during a British election. He wrote in The Times newspaper that he was worried about the Labour Party and its leader at the time, Jeremy Corbyn. He said that many British Jews were anxious about how the party was dealing with anti-Jewish racism. He felt the issue was so important that he had to speak up.
The Archbishop of Canterbury supported Rabbi Mirvis's concerns. A Labour Party spokesperson responded that their leader was against all forms of racism.
Achievements and Honours
Rabbi Mirvis has received many awards for his work.
- In 1990, he won the Jerusalem Prize for Education.
- In 2023, he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) for his services to the Jewish community, interfaith relations, and education. This is why he is called Sir Ephraim Mirvis.
- In 2024, the Jerusalem Post newspaper named him one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.
Family Life
Rabbi Mirvis is married to Valerie Kaplan Mirvis, who was born in Zimbabwe. They have four sons and nineteen grandchildren. Their eldest child, a daughter named Liora, sadly died from cancer in 2011.
His wife, Valerie, is an author and has worked as a social worker protecting children. His family is very involved in Jewish life. For example, his nephew's wife, Shira Marili Mirvis, is the first woman to be a spiritual leader of an Orthodox synagogue in Israel.
