Chief Rabbi lauded internationally for his political stand

ANT KATZ

They were all awardees at the fourth annual Algemeiner Jewish 100 Gala, unveiled at a star-studded event attended by over 600 guests in New York earlier this month.

Algemeiner’s now ubiquitous list of “Top 100 People Positively Influencing Jewish Life” is published annually and this year listed five awards in the “Religious” category.

This was the third showing in four years for Goldstein, He was included in the inaugural list in 2014 and again in 2016. These had been for the global influence of his projects such as The Shabbos Project. His inclusion this year was for his political stand in South Africa.

“The chief rabbi of South Africa since 2005, Warren Goldstein walks a delicate line in a country still struggling with the legacy of apartheid,” wrote Algemeiner. “On the one hand, Jews are accepted as part of SA culture; on the other, the ruling ANC party still remains often hostile to Israel and Zionism.”

Rabbi Goldstein had distinguished himself by calling on all in South Africa to join in protests against President (Jacob) Zuma in 2017, they said, adding that Zuma is “accused of corruption”.

The chief rabbi is known for his communal initiatives, including the Shabbos Project which has become an annual event in which Jews of all backgrounds from across the world observe one Sabbath together, wrote the Algemeiner.

“This year Goldstein took a stand against the president of the country, calling for his resignation and taking a lead in national protest marches against President Jacob Zuma. ‘Say no to corruption and state capture’, said Goldstein after an April interfaith meeting with four of the ANC’s Top-Six office bearers.

“‘Let us make our voices heard through the length and breadth of this country to say that we do not want a country of injustice and corruption. Let us be free from the tyranny of corruption, let us be free to create the country of our dreams.’”

Among the other religious leaders on the top 100 list is Cape Town-born Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis of the UK and the Commonwealth, who has been “an outspoken advocate of Jewish unity”, since 2013 said his citation.

The other three are Mirvis’ predecessor, Lord Jonathan Sacks; Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, known as the  rabbi-in-chief of the US Republican Party and Rabbi David Stav, the chairman of Tzohar. 

Other high-profile attendees at the event included James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal; National Security Council member Victoria Coates; Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein; legal scholar Alan Dershowitz; World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder; Refet Kaplan of Fox News; artist Ron Agam; actor Paul Sorvino and former US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro.

Rabbi Goldstein has been the recipient of a number of international accolades. Last October, he was on Jerusalem Post’s “50 Most Influential Jews” list. They said that, as “The Good Shabbos Rabbi”, he had hugely influenced global Jewry.

He came in 21st – ahead of the likes of Natan Sharansky (24) and President Reuven Rivlin (29). According to the Jerusalem Post: “What began as a local ‘unity initiative’, bringing together SA Jews from across the religious and geographical spectrums to celebrate and keep Shabbat together, became a full-blown global grassroots movement.”