One of the new generation of Masorti leaders in the UK, Rina Wolfson was a major creative force within Jewish education. In the hundreds of tributes that have been paid to her since her death, the phrases “truly remarkable” and “one off” keep recurring. She occupied a unique space within the world of Anglo-Jewry and undoubtedly would have continued to influence many more individuals and communities with her particular approach to teaching and contemporary Jewish life had she not died prematurely aged just 48. As Masorti Chief Executive Matt Plen summed it up: she was “this amazing woman, with tremendous talents — a wonderful Jewish educator”.
Rina made an impact at many different levels. Her innovative “Siddur Satnav” programme gave access to prayer to many people who would otherwise have been excluded from synagogue life. She was also a major contributor to the Jewish Educators’ Network, supporting teachers across different types of educational settings in teaching Jewish texts and values in a more meaningful way. A former colleague described her as “so passionate about trying to shake people up about their Jewish connection” and she communicated that passion to thousands.
Rina was born in Liverpool, the third of four children of Rosalind and Bernard Wolfson, who themselves held many communal leadership roles in the Liverpool Jewish Community. She was educated at King David School in Liverpool, was an active participant in Bnei Akiva, and went on to read Oriental Studies at Selwyn College, Cambridge — the first girl in her family to go to university — graduating with a Double First. Her performance was so outstanding that she received the Bender Prize, which had been awarded only once in the preceding 50 years.
Rina moved from Cambridge to London and became a leader, first at Kol Nefesh Masorti in Edgware and then at New North London Synagogue in Finchley. Having taught herself to leyn, she did so regularly, and perfectly. She also became a teacher, preparing countless young people for their bar and batmitzvah as well as teaching GCSE and adult students. They describe her as “dynamic” and “inspirational”, as she applied her creative talents to treating each student as an individual, taking them on a Jewish journey that was often the start of a lifelong commitment to learning.
Rina also volunteered at Limmud, where she is remembered as an enthusiastic learner and teacher, helping to author the organisation’s chavruta programme on creativity, which combined her love for art with that of Torah and learning. She subsequently worked in communications and marketing for the Masorti movement, where, on an informal basis, she shared her love for religious practice and learning with others.
As she grew in confidence, Rina developed a unique voice, which she shared through her writing as showcased in the Jewish Chronicle. She applied her intelligence and dry wit to a range of subjects, including responsibility for the Secret ShulGoer series in which she visited and rated different Saturday morning services from 2017 to 2020. Sarah Ebner, who commissioned her, describes the pieces as funny, incisive, feminist, clever, “a must-read”. What more could a features editor or an audience that spans all of Anglo-Jewry look for?
Over the course of its run, Secret ShulGoer became one of the JC’s most popular features, although even many close friends did not learn the identity of the author until her funeral.
The series represented an original critique of Anglo-Jewry’s key institutions and was typical of what made Rina’s contribution unique. As one of those paying tribute to her at her funeral service said: “It’s rare to find someone who can write funny and serious equally well.
“ Rina combined the two; she had a gift for writing prose that resonated with self-knowledge and emotional truth, and which stayed in the memory because of it.”
Alongside all this, Rina embarked on a doctoral programme looking at Biblical Art as Visual Commentary, and responded to her diagnosis of Stage Four pancreatic cancer 18 months ago by starting a blog characterised by her customary “irreverent wit” and caustic humour. Nobody Needs Another Cancer Diary touched many thousands of people.
Rina died at home on Kol Nidre night, surrounded by her family. Her funeral and shiva were crowded with many of those whom she impacted during her short life, with connections stretching the length and breadth of UK Jewish groups and institutions.
She is survived by her husband, Paul Harris; their children, BZ Gilinsky, Ava and Grace; her parents, Rosalind and Bernard Wolfson; and siblings, Lord David Wolfson, Jonathan Wolfson and Hannah Cohn.
Rina Wolfson: born 16 October, 1972. Died 15 September, 2021
