Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

The meaning of Sukkot and the Sukkah

A selection of articles and videos of interest from the Rabbi Sacks archive on the holiday of Sukkot:

Rabbi Sacks on the meaning of the Sukkah

The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on the Sukkot holiday: 'You can experience eternity in a moment - all you have to do is celebrate.'

A nation of storytellers

To know who we are is, in large part, to understand the story or stories of which we are a part.

Leaders learn

Biblical kings had prophets to guide them, but they continued to learn. That is the mark of a statesman rather than a politician.

Defining reality

We are a small nation. We are smaller than many of our neighbouring nations. But we are different.

To lead is to listen - Eikev 5781

In Judaism we do not see God; we hear God. To listen to God is to be open to God.and that is what Moses is saying throughout Devarim.

The fewest of all peoples

We may be the fewest of all peoples, but when we heed God’s call, we have the ability,to mend and transform the world.

Conflict Resolution: Matot-Masei 5781

The negotiation between Moses and the 2 tribes in our parsha follows closely the principles arrived at by the Harvard Negotiation Project,

The Three Weeks and Tisha B'Av

Questions, stories and points for discussion on the saddest period of the Jewish Year.

Miriam, Moses’ friend

Some say that the loss of a sibling is harder to bear than the loss of a parent - Moses has to deal with that bereavement in this parasha.

Servant leadership

What was wrong with Korach and his fellow agitators? He wanted power. HIs followers each had their reasons to feel resentful toward Moses.

Jerusalem, the beating heart of Judaism

In 2017,Rabbi Sacks spoke about the impact the Six Day War had on him as a young student at university..

Sprints and Marathons: Acharei Mot–Kedoshim 5781

The good news is: there once was a Moses. Because of him, the people survived. The bad news is: what happens when there is no Moses?

Rabbi Sacks on the Holocaust

From the writings of Rabbi Sacks: questions, stories and points for family discussion and a prayer composed by Rabbi Sacks for Yom HaShoah.

Leadership: The courage of identity crises

Leaders must have the strength to know what they cannot be if they are to have the courage to be truly their best selves.

Covenant and Conversation:

Celebrate!

Genesis began with an act of Divine creation. Exodus ends with an act of human creation!. G-d and we are partners!

Ki Tissa: How leaders fail

There is an apocryphal quote attributed to several politicians: “Of course I follow the party. After all, I am their leader.”

For Purim: G-d's hidden call

You don’t have to change the world to change the world, but we must always ask ourselves, what does Hashem want of me in this place, now?

The home we build together -Terumah 5781

The building of the Tabernacle was the first great project the Israelites undertook together. It symbolised the challenge of the future.

Vision and details - Mishpatim 5781

Torah means “law.” But it also means “teaching, instruction, guidance,” or more generally, “direction”.

A naton of leaders

Doing the math in Jethro's suggestion to Moses, we realize that 1 in every 8 adult male was expected to undertake a form of leadership role.

The office of Rabbi Sacks

International Holocaust Memorial Day and Tu Bi'Shvat

Online resources for International Holocaust Memorial Day and Tu Bi'Shvat, from the archive of Rabbi Sacks zt"l.

The far horizon

Moes did not speak about liberty at the Exodus, he spoke about the distant future and the duty of parents to educate their children.

Overcoming setbacks

There are heights you cannot climb without first having fallen. Moses shows us the need to try and try again.

Women as leaders

Beneath the surface of the parasha is a counter-narrative of six extraordinary women without whom there would not have been a Moses.

Tony Blair: Rabbi Sacks reminded me importance of faith

Conference of European Rabbis holds memorial event honoring Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. 'The things he gave me will stay with me till I die.'

Moving forwards

Any leader elected to anything, anyone more loved or gifted than others, will face envy and false accusations. Joseph did not waver.. Op-ed.

The unexpected leader

Predictions are impossible in the affairs of living, breathing human beings and in this parasha, we see Judah rise to leadership - and why.

Miketz: Three approaches to dreams

Joseph had three gifts that many have in isolation but few in combination.

Watch: Rabbi Sacks' daughter lights candles in his memory

Gila Sacks, daughter of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, joins Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer virtually for Hanukkah candle lighting.

Vayeshev: The power of praise-Hanukkah: Ceremony and Celebration

There is a delicate balance between the neglect that leads to lack of confidence and excessive praise or favouritism..

Prince Charles calls Rabbi Sacks ‘a light unto this nation’

The Prince of Wales lauds former UK Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks at 'shloshim' event marking 30 days since Rabbi Sack's passing.

Vayishlach: Be thyself

The story of Jacob wrestling with an unnamed adversary and his new name Israel is essential to understanding what it means to be a Jew.

Our mentor, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z"l, an American perspective

Three major Orthodox forces in America, the OU, RCA and YU join in a filmed tribute to Rabbi Sacks.

LIght in dark times

The ability to survive and to recover is part of what it takes to be a leader. Covenant & Conversation for Vayetse.

Communication matters

Isaac never intended to give the blessing of the covenant to Esau. He intended to give each child the blessing that suited them.

Rabbi Sacks' Torah series to continue - even after his passing

Office of the late UK Chief Rabbi says a full year's-worth of essays prepared before Rabbi Sacks passed away from cancer.

12 lessons I learned from Rabbi Sacks

":I am saddened, my brother Jonathan, you were so very pleasant to me." (Samuel II, Chapter 1)  Learning life lessons by example. Op-ed.

Two public figures left us: One inspirational, one despicable

The contrast is between those who choose life and those who inflict death those who promote love and those who incite hatred. Op-ed.

Beginning the Journey (Chayei Sarah 5781)

Rabbi Sacks z’’l prepared a full year of Covenant & Conversation for 5781, based on his book Lessons in Leadership.

Daughter of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: He loved us so

Gila Sacks eulogizes her father. 'Today came too soon and I'm not ready.'

Rain that becomes a forest: Elegy for Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

In a week the shiva will end but the hole in our hearts will not heal. In memoriam and in gratitude for a great man of our times.

Watch: Rabbi Jonathan Sacks laid to rest in London

Rabbis and relatives pay their final respects at funeral service for former chief rabbi of Britain, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.

Rabbi Sacks: Why bad things happen to good people

In a heartbreaking video circulating the web, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks presents a touching answer to a timeless question

EU's anti-Semitism czar eulogizes Rabbi Sacks as a 'mensch'

Europe's coordinator for combating anti-Semitism eulogizes Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, calling him a 'bridge builder between cultures'.

Rabbi Sacks to EU: Mutating Virus of Antisemitism

On September 2016, Rabbi Sacks delivered a keynote address to the EU and said that "The hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews"

Jewish world mourns two Torah 'giants' of our generation

Chief Rabbi of the UK, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Halachic authority Rabbi Dovid Feinstein pass away over the weekend.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks to be laid to rest today

Former Chief Rabbi of the UK, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, to be laid to rest Sunday, as Britain's second coronavirus lockdown continues

Eulogizing Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks is not enough

Imagine being asked what you are doing with your commitment to Judaism. What will you answer?

UJA-Federation of NY mourns passing of former UK Chief Rabbi

"The world has lost one of the great Jewish leaders of our time."

President of Israel mourns passing of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

President: 'Rabbi Sacks bravely faced difficult questions and always found the right words to illuminate the Torah and explain its paths.'

World Bnei Akiva mourns Rabbi Sacks passing

World Bnei Akiva: 'Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks was one of the most important thinkers in the Jewish world.'

Former UK Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks passes away

Former UK Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Henry Sacks, British Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author has passed away.

Covenant and Conversation:

The courage not to conform

One reason Jews have been, out of all proportion to their numbers, leaders in many spheres of endeavour, is a willingness to be different.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks diagnosed with cancer, undergoing treatment

Former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom "remains positive and upbeat, looking forward to returning to his work as soon as possible".

Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah in a nutshell - Family Edition

A new family-oriented holiday series, Ceremony and Celebration, full of resources to engage your family in meaningful Yom Tov interaction.

The arc of the moral universe

Covenant & Conversation for Haazinu 5781.

First of three Elul drashas: Faith and Insecurity

Hear some of the key themes of Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur as they relate to the ongoing challenge of the coronavirus pandemic.

Be silent and listen

The lockdown meant that we could listen to the poetry and passion of the prayers. And prayer is about listening, not just speaking.

Rabbi Sacks: US Jews making a 'big, big mistake' in politics

Former Chief Rabbi of the UK warns Jews against 'blurring the line' between politics and Judaism. 'This is a very big thing.'