Hackney leaders have paid tribute to the contribution of religious and political figurehead Joe Lobenstein, who died on Sunday, aged 88.
Having arrived in London as a refugee from Nazism, Mr Lobenstein served for 36 years as a councillor - first as a Liberal, then as a Tory - and was elected Hackney Mayor four times in a row. An MBE for his contribution to Hackney, he was also vice-president of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations and was made president of neighbourhood patrol Shomrim in 2012. Well over 400 people attended his funeral on Monday.
Stamford Hill personality Rabbi Abraham Pinter worked with Mr Lobenstein for more than 40 years. He said he was "a tremendous representative of the Charedi community to the outside world.
"I will remember his honesty and integrity and his belief that one could maintain a traditional way of life and still be British. He was very supportive of minority groups when it wasn't an expected thing from a Conservative."
Current Hackney Mayor Jules Pipe said Mr Lobenstein "gave a great deal to the borough and his community". Local MP Diane Abbott recalled him as a Charedi community "stalwart".
He gave a great deal to the borough and his community
Mr Lobenstein was also a regular contributor to the Jewish Tribune, where columnist Alex Strom said he was "quite controversial in his own way and quite single-minded.
"He carried his responsibilities with seriousness. One of the first things he achieved in Hackney was getting the dustbins emptied the day before Pesach. It caused some to label him 'Dustbin Joe' but it was innovative at the time."
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