Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Dies at 72: A Wise, Beloved, Revered ‘Light Unto the Nations’ Who Will Be Greatly Missed

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (z”l) passed away on Nov. 7, 2020 at age 72, following a short battle with cancer. He had beaten the disease twice before, and was diagnosed with his final, fatal bout in October 2020. From 1991 to 2013, Rabbi Sacks was Chief Rabbi of the Orthodox U.K. organization United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. A world-renowned philosopher, theologian, and political activist, Rabbi Sacks was also a prolific writer (25 books) and public speaker on Jewish and general topics. He was made a member of the House of Lords in 2009.
 
Quote: “Throughout his rabbinic career, Rabbi Sacks faced public challenges on many occasions that undermined his ability to navigate the complexities of his job. Any lesser man would have given up and thrown in the towel. But that wasn’t Rabbi Sacks — he was made of stronger stuff. He drew from an inner strength, discovered what changes he needed to make to correct the situation, and he went ahead and made those changes. He rebuilt bridges that had been burnt, and went through the hard slog of making sure that all those changes were done and dusted.”
— Rabbi Pini Dunner in The Algemeiner
 
Sources: Wikipedia, The Algemeiner
 
Learn more about Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on Wikipedia. >>
 
Following Rabbi Sacks’ passing, he was eulogized by many people in many places. Below are links to three of the hespedim (eulogies) — including one by Gila Sacks, Rabbi Sacks’ daughter.
 
Watch “Hesped by Gila Sacks” [6:04] >>
 
Watch “Hesped by Rabbi Lionel Rosenfeld” [8:10]. >>
 
Watch “Eulogy for Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks — by Rabbi Pini Dunner” [24:11] >>
 
Photo: OnBeing.org