Ephraim Mirvis
4 quotes
Biography
Sir Ephraim Yitzchak Mirvis is a South African-born British Orthodox rabbi who serves as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. He served as the Chief Rabbi of Ireland between 1985 and 1992.
"Convention dictates that the Chief Rabbi stays well away from party politics — and rightly so. However, challenging racism is not a matter of politics, it goes well beyond that. Wherever there is evidence of it, including in any of our political parties, it must be swiftly rooted out. Hateful prejudice is always wrong, whoever the perpetrator, whoever the victim."
"How far is too far? How complicit in prejudice would a leader of Her Majesty’s opposition have to be to be considered unfit for office? Would associations with those who have incited hatred against Jews be enough? Would describing as “friends” those who endorse the murder of Jews be enough? It seems not."
"'Rabbi' means 'teacher,' and I see the role of chief rabbi as chief teacher."
"Ethics, politics and psychology are all far more difficult to understand now that we know the depths to which human nature can sink."