At this exceptionally sad time for Britain, the Commonwealth and the world, our community joins with the rest of the country in grieving for the late Her Majesty the Queen. We pray that Almighty God will give comfort and solace to His Majesty King Charles and the entire Royal Family.
We are filled with gratitude to Her Majesty, who, for 70 remarkable years, was an exemplary figurehead for our country and champion of the finest values of our society.
An extraordinary role model, the Queen gave us hope during challenging times and set a wonderful example of service, duty, selflessness and of respecting all people with sensitivity and dignity.
We express our gratitude for the extraordinary manner in which the Queen touched our hearts. Many Jewish organisations and charities recall with fondness the Queen’s genuine friendship towards Jews and Judaism. She reached out to our community with interest and warmth, amplifying our shared ideals and values.
Through her patronage of the Council of Christians and Jews, the Queen recognised the crucial importance of dialogue and reconciliation. Her patronage of Norwood was a powerful reflection of her appreciation of Jewish charitable endeavours, while her patronage of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust highlighted her commitment to Holocaust memorial.
I was privileged to witness first-hand her concern for the Jewish people and her empathy for our traumatic past when, in 2015, I accompanied her on a visit she and Prince Philip paid to Bergen-Belsen, which was her first visit to a concentration camp.
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The Queen meeting Orthodox Jews in Manchester
Above all, we offer our heartfelt thanks for her selfless, unfailing sense of duty and the exemplary and inspirational service she gave. The Queen taught the world that true leadership is service and true service is leadership.
In the blessing that we make upon seeing a monarch, we declare: “Blessed are You Hashem… who has given of His honour to flesh and blood.” The King of Kings certainly gave of His honour to Her Majesty the Queen, and she in turn related to every single person with honour, warmth and dignity.
As we mourn her loss, her legacy to the world is more evident than it has ever been — that there can be no greater honour on earth than the service of others.
As the torch of that honour is now passed to His Majesty King Charles III, the Jewish communities of Great Britain and the Commonwealth can be confident that the King will not only inherit his mother’s throne but also her commitment to timeless traditional values and her passion for the service of others.
May the memory of Her Majesty the Queen be an eternal blessing for us all.
God save the King.
