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Rabbi Sacks served as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013.
The personal archives of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks have found a permanent home at the National Library of Israel.
Attendees at the 2024 Sacks Conversation in Jerusalem were granted a unique look into Rabbi Sacks’ personal archives, which included correspondence with King Charles and an intimate letter to the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
A touching exchange between Rabbi Sacks and then-Prince Charles was showcased, documenting their correspondence around the royal engagement to Camilla Parker Bowles.
The gathering, hosted at the National Library this past Thursday as part of the Rabbi Sacks Global Day of Learning, commemorated the fourth anniversary of his passing.
Rabbi Sacks served as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013.
Educated at Cambridge and Oxford, his intellectual journey included studying at Yeshiva Etz Chaim and later receiving rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva Etz Chaim in London.
He held professorships at several institutions including King’s College London and New York University.
He was known for his ability to engage with complex contemporary issues through a Jewish lens while making these ideas accessible to both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences.
His writings and speeches addressed modern challenges like secularism, multiculturalism, and technology while grounding responses in traditional Jewish thought.
In 2005, Rabbi Sacks was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the British community and interfaith relations, and in 2009 was made a Life Peer.
He received numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the Templeton Prize in 2016 for his efforts to promote religious understanding.
During the event, Lady Elaine Sacks emphasized the enduring relevance of her late husband’s teachings.
“My dear husband expressed great enthusiasm for the new National Library of Israel, which he had described as ‘the Home of the Book for the People of the Book.’ It is fitting that his personal archive will be housed there, continuing his legacy of sharing knowledge and wisdom with the world.”
Over the course of his illustrious career, Rabbi Sacks authored over 25 books, including “The Dignity of Difference,” “Not in God’s Name,” and “Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times.”
His weekly Torah commentaries reached a global audience, and he was a frequent voice in British media on moral and ethical issues.
May his memory be a blessing.
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