Leading rabbis have warned that Jews must not retreat from the great moral debates of the age, as Western societies grapple with rising extremism.
Speaking before more than 120 people at a Jewish Ethics Project dinner hosted by Ner Yisrael, one of Europe’s largest Modern Orthodox communities in northwest London, Rabbi Eliezer Zobin of Ner Yisrael as well as a rabbinic judge (dayan) of the London Beth Din, and Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein, head of school (rosh yeshiva) of Yeshivat Har Etzion, addressed some of the most pressing questions facing Jewish communities in Britain, Israel and the Diaspora.
The discussion was moderated by Rabbi Michael Pollak.
After touching on U.K.-related issues, such as the Assisted Dying Bill, the discussion turned to interfaith relations and the legacy of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.
Addressing his grandfather’s well-known caution toward interfaith dialogue, Lichtenstein argued that while faith communities must remain faithful to their own religious convictions, they nevertheless share important moral concerns. “The major divide today is often not between one faith and another, as it was in medieval times,” he said, “but between those who believe in a transcendent moral reality and those who do not.”
Zobin remarked that recent events had fundamentally altered the nature of his rabbinic work. Reflecting on meetings with senior Muslim and Christian religious leaders in London, he said: “We’re not dealing with interfaith or theology. Together, we’re dealing with survival. As like-minded faith leaders, we are trying to rebuild a basic sense of shared humanity. When I entered the rabbinate, I never imagined I would find myself having these conversations, but now they are needed. The challenge today is maintaining the ability of communities across the United Kingdom to speak a common moral language.”
Zobin further warned that “many teenagers are being drawn into a negative and materialistic worldview that is soul-destroying,” he said. “Anything we can do to restore a sense of spirituality, shared values and transcendence in Britain and across the Western world is vital.”
Questions also focused on campus antisemitism and anti-Israel hostility.
While recognizing the seriousness of current trends, Zobin cautioned against both alarmism and simplistic solutions.
“The narrative that Britain is now simply an antisemitic society is not, in my view, correct,” he said. “There are trends that are worrying and problematic, and we must address them. But we also need a calm assessment of the reality in which we live.”
He also warned the Jewish community against embracing populist allies uncritically, arguing that extremism ultimately seeks to destroy trust between communities. “The terrorists want moderates on both sides to despair,” he said. “If we allow that to happen, we hand victory to the extremists.”
The discussion also turned to Israel-Diaspora relations, with Lichtenstein urging Jews abroad not to disengage from Israel because of political or religious disagreements.
“Continue learning, continue listening, continue participating in the conversation,” he said, arguing that even profound disagreements should not weaken the bonds between Jews in Israel and abroad.
On artificial intelligence, Lichtenstein cautioned against rushing to issue definitive religious declarations before the technology and its impact are properly understood.
Throughout the evening, both rabbis argued that Judaism must engage confidently with the great moral questions of the age. Zobin emphasized that “Judaism ultimately calls upon us to recognize the dignity of every human being, how each individual is to be cherished; for that, we need more spirituality in society.”
