Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis arrived at his second Limmud with a message that Jews should take pride in their religion.
Rabbi Mirvis, the first UK chief rabbi to attend the cross-communal event last year, told a large audience that Judaism could be preserved by Jews helping others in a spirit of tikkun olam — healing the world.
He said: “When you dream only about yourself, you’re on the way down. When you exist in this world to help other people achieve their dreams, the way Joseph helped Egypt’s pharaoh by interpreting his dreams, then you’re on the way up.
“We must engage with our fellow Jews, reaching out to them with love and to the outside world with tikkun olam. That is the only way of preserving our Jewish values.”
The Chief Rabbi emphasised the need for Jews to show pride in their religion. He said: “The lulav is a symbol of Jewish pride, because you can’t hide it. It represents times when we stand up and declare: ‘This is who we are’. We must take pride in our Jewish identity. We have morals which so many other faiths and cultures have copied.
“I’m a strong advocate for engaging with the world, fusing Torah study and Torah values with modernity and world leaders. We should have confidence in what we’re about, to integrate into society, bringing our values to society to enhance it.”
Apathy was one of the greatest challenges to the future of Judaism, he believed. “There are people who are nominally Jewish but not part of anything at all. We must bring enthusiasm back into our communities,” he said.
“Don’t force Torah learning down people’s throats. Like feeding a baby, you must find a way to teach them with compassion, not force. We need to bring passion and enthusiasm back into our lives.
Rabbi Mirvis also stressed that it was “crucial” to invest in Jewish education. He added: “Limmud offers all of us a great chance to grow and develop, and that’s why I’m here.”
During his visit to the conference, Rabbi Mirvis spoke for an hour with young adults and dined with students on Monday. On Tuesday he met Limmud executive director Shelley Marsh and conference co-chairman Jonathan Robinson.
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