LONDON (JNS) – Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom Ephraim Mirvis will be an overnight guest of the royal family in May so that he will be able to attend King Charles’s coronation that will take place on Shabbat.
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Mirvis and his wife Valerie will stay at Clarence House on Friday, May 5, 2023, in order to attend the coronation scheduled for the following day, reports The Telegraph. Mirvis and his wife are unable to travel to the ceremony by car, according to Jewish law.
The Mirvis family will celebrate Shabbat in the local Jewish community Friday night and then walk less than a mile from Clarence House to Westminster Abbey on Saturday.
The royal coronation of King Edward VII in 1902 also took place on Shabbat. The Chief Rabbi of Britain at the time, Hermann Adler, stayed at a nearby synagogue to be able to attend after leading shacharit (morning prayer service), according to the Jewish Chronicle.
Last month, the palace accommodated Mirvis and moved forward a meeting between the king and faith leaders to ensure he would be able to return to his synagogue for Shabbat.
Following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, Mirvis released a video message on Twitter saying she “embodied the most noble values of British society.”
He applauded the late queen’s “warm relationship” with the Jewish community, adding that she had a particular commitment to “interfaith relations and Holocaust memorial.”
The commentators here have no clue about Halacha. Rabbi Mirvis is certainly in the category of a “shtadlan B’chotzer Hamelech”. Nowadays world leaders know about Orthodox rabbis abserving shabbos and keeping kosher and respect that. But in the old days, when national leaders did not know or respect that, the “shtadlan B’chotzer Hamelech” could even eat pork and shave with a razor in order to intervene with the government to save Jews from problems. Going into Westminster Abby is what he must do to fulfill his role as “shtadlan B’chotzer Hamelech”.
Westminster Abbey is a CHURCH.
Oh My
My My!!
Can the chief Rabbi make his own decisions, or best that he consult with VIN responders prior to accepting any invitation in the future.
I’m sure you all reflected with common sense prior to sharing your views and with that consideration in mind can only imagine with a strong sense of curiosity where the next generation will be learning their sense from!!
By Jewish funerals R”L L”A, there is often a room outside the funeral home where the proceedings are broadcasted (even two-way) so that Kohanim can participate without becoming tamei laMeis.
The Chief Rabbi’s office should at least request something like this, for this and future events, if it is indeed so important to the King that the Chief Rabbi be there.
This would save him and others from violating the severe prohibition of entering a church and of setting an example for other Jews who may not be aware of the same and then may follow the Chief Rabbi’s example.
How come all the Ryan Turell complainers are silent here on Rabbi’s public Shabbos appearance at venue where he will be paying respect to a King who isn’t the spouse of the Shabbos Queen?
Bballer quietly playing his game without official position of proactively representing any group of Jews vs Rabbi very prominently and publicly playing his relationship game (that if anything is offending Shabbos’ honor)
Who cares about this king joke. Its like my kids are making this week a mock wedding. King Charles is a mock King. Has the same power as his dead
mother has now.
One big Chillul Hashem!