Kesher Talk

Jews in odd places: Britain: The United Kingdom's chief rabbi , Jonathan Sacks, has been named the UK’s most powerful religious leader in a new survey published by GQ, a top men’s magazine.

Sacks is ranked 75th in the annual power list, released in December. He is the only spiritual leader to make it into the top 100.

After 11 years in the job, the survey’s authors branded the chief “one of Britain’s very brightest thinkers” and predicted his profile will continue to rise “as peace in the middle east remains elusive”. But although he may have a hotline to God, according to the annual poll Sacks does not have the clout of some other British Jews.

Highest placed was Tory leader Michael Howard, a new entry at number 7, while retail magnate Philip Green came in at number 10.

[Note: Rabbi Sacks got lambasted at Hannukah by a former supporter. Writing in London’s Jewish Chronicle, Sir Stanley Kalms accused Jonathan Sacks of having a “diffident personality,” showing “low-key leadership” and of panicking when confronted by crisis.]

posted by William @ 1/15/2004 08:58:00 AM