William Wolff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids William Wolff |
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| Religion | Judaism |
| Personal | |
| Born | Wilhelm Wolff 13 February 1927 Berlin, Germany |
| Died | 8 July 2020 (aged 93) London, England, United Kingdom |
| Synagogue | West London Synagogue |
William Wolff (born Wilhelm Wolff; 13 February 1927 – 8 July 2020) was a German-British journalist and rabbi. He was also known as Willy Wolff. He became famous for his work as a rabbi and for his kind personality.
Contents
Early Life and Escape
William Wolff was born in Berlin, Germany, on February 13, 1927. He was one of three children in a Jewish family. When he was six years old, his parents had to leave Germany. They fled with their children to Amsterdam to escape danger. In 1939, they moved again, this time to London, England.
Career as a Journalist
After finishing his studies, William Wolff became a journalist. He studied subjects like economics. He worked as a department head at the Daily Mirror newspaper.
First, he wrote about news happening inside Britain. Later, he focused on international news. He especially reported on Britain joining the European Economic Community, which was a group of European countries. For four years, he was in charge of company news. In the early 1970s, he also appeared on television in Germany.
Becoming a Rabbi
In 1979, Wolff decided to study to become a rabbi. A rabbi is a Jewish religious leader and teacher. He studied at Leo Baeck College in London. In July 1984, he completed his studies. He received his Semicha, which is the official permission to be a rabbi.
After becoming a rabbi, he worked in many places. These included the West London Synagogue. He also served communities in Newcastle upon Tyne (1986-1990) and Milton Keynes (1990-1993). Later, he worked in Reading and Brighton (1993-1997). His last role before a big change was in Wimbledon (1997-2002).
Work in Germany
On April 23, 2002, Rabbi Wolff took on a special role. He became the regional rabbi for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Schwerin, Germany. In this job, he looked after three Jewish communities.
In 2005, he was chosen for an important position. He became the deputy chairman of the General Rabbinical Conference in Germany. This group helps guide rabbis across the country.
Honors and Later Years
Rabbi Wolff received many honors for his work. On January 27, 2014, he was made an honorary citizen of Schwerin. This date is a special day to remember the victims of Nazism. This honor showed how much the city appreciated him.
His contract as a regional rabbi ended on March 31, 2015. However, he kept the title of regional rabbi. He wanted to continue helping the communities as a volunteer. He planned to spend most of his time in England, where he lived in Henley-on-Thames. Yuriy Kadnykov became his successor.
In April 2016, a documentary film about him was released. It was called Rabbi Wolff and was directed by Britta Wauer. It became one of the most popular German documentaries that year.
On June 12, 2017, he received another special award. He was given "Honorary Citizenship of the City of Rostock". This was to thank him for his great work. He helped the Jewish community of Rostock and encouraged different religions to talk to each other. He also worked for the good of all citizens in Rostock.
William Wolff passed away on July 8, 2020, in London. He was 93 years old. The Jewish Chronicle newspaper remembered him as a "Ray of hope' rabbi who made the world laugh."
