Henry Grunwald, at The Blogs

Jul 1, 2022, 12:29 PM

Dear Marina was the definition of an Eshet Chayil – a woman of worth

Marina Smith, her husband Eddie, and their sons, Stephen and James, founded Beth Shalom, the National Holocaust Centre and Museum, in 1995. It is the only Holocaust Centre anywhere in the world founded by a Christian family. I’ve known Marina for many years, first as...

Apr 15, 2021, 12:06 PM

Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbour

A young Uyghur boy in Istanbul (Photo: WJR)

Last July satellite imagery emerged showing what was believed to be Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang kneeling, blindfolded, as they waited to be led onto trains. The resonance of this footage with our history shook the Jewish community. It was impossible to ignore. Our collective memory...

Nov 18, 2020, 3:19 PM

I’ll miss his genius talks and our Shabbat walks

Rabbi Lord Sacks with Henry Grunwald and Her Majesty the Queen (Jewish News)

In the hot summer of 2006 Western Marble Arch synagogue held a wonderful choral Shabbaton as part of the celebrations to mark the 350th anniversary of the re-admission of Jews to England. Rabbi Lord Sacks z’l, then Chief Rabbi, and I, then President of the...

Mar 22, 2017, 7:09 PM

Sir Mick split opinion, but he took the JLC to new heights

The confirmation from Sir Mick Davis this week that he is stepping down as chair of the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) marks the end of an era. I was Mick’s predecessor as the JLC’s first chair and have watched as he has raised its profile and...

About Me

Henry Grunwald is a founder and first Chairman of the Jewish Leadership Council, a former president of the Board of Deputies, and is a criminal barrister.