Keith Barnett - Chief Rabbinate Trust Dalia Cramer ... - Pelorous

Below are the biographies of the members of the Consulting Group for the selection of the next
Chief Rabbi.
Keith Barnett - Chief Rabbinate Trust
Keith is currently a Trustee of the Chief Rabbinate Trust having previously
served as Vice President of the United Synagogue between 2005 and 2010.
Keith played a leading role in the development of South Hampstead Synagogue
where he served for 10 years on its Board of Management and for two years as
Warden, before moving to Hampstead Garden Suburb where he is currently
Chairman. In that role, Keith oversaw the selection process of the recruitment
of a new Senior Rabbi and Youth Rabbi.
In his professional life, Keith is a Partner in a leading City law firm, Taylor Wessing LLP, where
he heads the firm's Real Estate department. He is also a member of the Prince's Regeneration
Trust and sits on the London Advisory Board of Israel Discount Bank.
Dalia Cramer - Women Representative, United Synagogue
Dalia Cramer grew up in South London but moved to Birmingham for three years
whilst studying a degree in furniture design at Birmingham Art College and then
went into publishing and advertising for three years before stopping work to have
a family. Dalia married her husband David in 1991 and lived in Palmers Green
and Southgate.
She began volunteering after having her three children. Her first role was as chair of Yavneh
nursery in Southgate for five years and then turned to organising events and fundraising for a
Jewish youth group called SPEC. After a few years she also took on the arranging of after school
child care for younger siblings at Wolfson Hillel Primary School.
Dalia currently chairs an annual Ladies Lunch event fundraising for Norwood and has also given
fundraising advice to Asthma UK. After moving to Finchley in 2005 Dalia joined Kadimah
Kinloss and was actively involved for five years. Three years ago she was asked to carry out a
review of the Association of United Synagogue Women and then stood for election to become
Chair of the rebranded US Women.
Daila is currently still in that role as well as sitting on the JLC’s women’s commission. She sits
as a women’s representative on the United Synagogue trustee body as one of four women
representatives.

Stephen Fenton - Vice President, United Synagogue
Stephen is a Vice President of the United Synagogue. He graduated as a BSc from
the LSE in 1972 and qualified as a chartered accountant in 1975 - he was made a
partner in his practice the following year.
In the past, Stephen has been the financial representative of the Bushey,
Northwood and Ilford Synagogues, and from 2002-5 stood as Chairman of the US
Audit Review committee. Stephen is also active in charity work - he was the treasurer of the
Bradley Kett Foundation, raising over £160,000 for a London hospital, and has served on various
JNF and other committees.
H.H. Dawn Freedman
• Called to the Bar 1966; Appointed District Judge 1980; Appointed Circuit Judge 1991.
Retired 2007.
• Married to Neil Shestopal, Warden and honorary Chazen of Ealing Synagogue since
1970.
• Member of the Board of Management and co-chair of the steering committee to rebuild
the Synagogue.
• Former Chair of the Jewish Marriage Council; former member of the Council of London
School of Jewish Studies; Trustee of the Jewish Law Publication Fund;Trustee of Jewish
Women`s Aid;
• Member of the Get and Agunah committee for the Chief Rabbi`s Review of Women in
the Community. Member of the Family Law Group of the Board of Deputies;
• Judge of the Chief Rabbi`s Awards.
• Former member of the Parole Board.
• Responsible, together with Judge Myrella Cohen z”l and Dayan Ehrentrau, for drafting
the pre-nuptial agreement currently offered by the O.C.R.
• As a member of the B.O.D. family law group, involved in drafting and obtaining the
passage through both Houses of Parliament of the Divorce (Religious Marriages) Act.
• Drafted the amendment to the United Synagogue bye – laws giving powers to deal with
husbands who refuse to give a Get.
• In carrying out the above roles, I have for the past 20 years worked with the Dayanim of
the London Beth Din and the Office of the Chief Rabbi and the Chief Rabbi,
himself.This, coupled with the day job has given me insight into the role of Chief Rabbi,
desirable qualities in the incumbent of the post and an ability to make judgements on
character.

Paul Gross - Chief Rabbinate Trust
Born in 1965 in Johannesburg South Africa. Paul graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce
degree and post-graduate LLB degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1988 and was
admitted as an Attorney of the Supreme Court in South Africa in 1993 following the completion
of articles at the firm of Wertheim Becker Attorneys.
Paul and Vicky married in Johannesburg in 1991 at Victory Park Synagogue and relocated to
Leeds, UK in 1994 to pursue business interests. They have two sons, Daniel and Jonathan born
in 1995 and 1997 respectively.
He is employed as a Director of Chef Works Europe Limited and as Corporate Attorney for Chef
Works International and its various subsidiary companies.
As far as Leeds Jewish Communal involvement is concerned, Paul has been involved in a range
of areas over a number of years. These include:
1. Etz Chaim Synagogue: Served as a Council member from 1997 to date and as Vice
President from 2000 to 2005, President from 2005 to 2010 and then again as Vice
President from 2010 to date.
2. Brodetsky Primary School: Served as a School Governor from 1999 to date, including a
three year spell as Vice Chair of Governors from 2004 to 2007.
3. CST: Served as a Volunteer from approximately 1998 to date and as a Member of Leeds
Management Committee of Leeds CST from March 2009 to date.
4. Leeds Jewish Orthodox Cemeteries (Management) Association: One of the Founder
members since the inception of the LJOC in 2005, formed to administer the cemeteries of
the three main Orthodox Shuls in Leeds. Served as Chairman in 2007 to 2008 and is the
current Chairman in 2011.
5. UJIA: Joined Leeds Fundraising Committee in 2010 and has delivered the annual Kol
Nidre Appeal at Etz Chaim Synagogue from 2005 to date.
6. Leeds Jewish Welfare Board: served as a Member of the Variety Show Fundraising
Committee from 2002 to date.
7. Leeds Jewish Education Authority: served as a Council Member and Honorary Secretary
from approximately 2001 to 2004.
Philip Hertz:
Communal:
Stanmore and Canons Park United Synagogue
• Chairman – May 2011 – present day
• Vice Chair/Acting Chairman – 2010
• Synagogue Legal Representative - 2009
• Stanmore US Council Representative – 2001 – present day
• Member of Stanmore Synagogue Board of Management since 1999

Other:
• Honorary Shabbat Shammas (Main Shul)
• Shabbat Security Team leader
• Children's Service leader
• Overflow service Warden (Yomim Norayim)
• Member of Stanmore and Canons Park United Synagogue – 1993 – present day
• Community Security Trust officer/Member of Hendon United Synagogue – 1980 – 1993
Academic/Professional:
• University College, London – LL.B (Hons) (1st Class)
• Downing College, Cambridge – LL.M (1st Class)
• Qualified as a Solicitor - 1993
Clifford Chance LLP
• Trainee – 1991- 1993
• Associate – 1993 – 2002
• Partner 2002 – present day
Personal:
Philip is 44 years old. He is married to Michelle with four children, Shoshi, Amy, Natasha and Benjamin.
Simon Hochhauser – Past President, United Synagogue
Between 2005 and 2011, Simon Hochhauser was the elected President of The United
Synagogue, the UK’s largest synagogal body comprising over 65 individual
communities, educational establishments and communal institutions, with in excess of
40,000 members. He was a Trustee of The Chief Rabbinate Trust, which is
responsible for the activities of the Office of the UK’s Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks. He
chaired the first consultation phase of the process for the appointment of the new Chief
Rabbi scheduled for September 2013.
Simon was active in the growth of South Hampstead Synagogue in the 1980’s and 1990’s. He was an
elected a Vice President of the United Synagogue between 1999 and 2005, and was President of the
London Board for Shechita between 2003 and 2005.
Simon was educated at Haberdashers’ Aske’s School, Gateshead Yeshivah and Imperial College
(University of London) where he obtained a B.Sc. degree (1975) and a Ph.D. in Mathematical Physics in
1979. He performed post-doctoral research in applied optics and laser physics at the prestigious
Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel between 1979 and 1981.
In the early 1980’s, Simon worked as a senior associate in the M&A department of Lehman Brothers in
New York, before being invited by the present Lord Rothschild to set up a technology-based venture
capital fund in 1983. The St. James’s Venture Capital Fund (subsidiary of RIT Capital Partners plc)
maintained a portfolio of investments in the UK and the US.

In 1992, Simon created Video Networks, the company behind the pioneering HomeChoice broadband
video on demand and interactive television service. He raised in excess of £120 million in equity and
shareholder loan finance for the company. The Company was sold in 2006 to The Tiscali Group and
subsequently became Talk Talk TV, part of the Carphone Warehouse Group.
In 2005, Simon created Statevine Ltd, now Niu-Solutions Group (‘Niu’), to exploit the growing
convergence of telecommunications and IT service applications for medium sized UK enterprises
(typically 100 - 5,000 employees). As Executive Chairman, he was instrumental in a number of key
acquisitions for the Group. Simon is now a non-executive Director of Niu which employs approximately
100 and has revenues of approximately £40m.
Simon recently created a new company, Assuract Ltd (t/a Access 21), to exploit further opportunities in
the converged worlds of hosted (‘cloud based’) telecommunications and IT services for UK companies
with approximately 10-100 employees.
He is a violinist and chorister, and enjoys classical music, travel and hiking.
Russell Kett - Vice President, United Synagogue
Russell Kett is a Vice President of the United Synagogue, having been elected in
July 2011. He lives in Canons Park, Edgware and has been a member of Belmont
Synagogue since 1984, and previously of Pinner. He is a past Warden of Belmont
and was a member of its Board of Management for many years, introducing the
shul to strategic planning even before the Kalms report was produced.
Russell is a former governor of JFS School and served as chairman of governors from 2003 to
2009. He is an advisory board member of the Jewish Volunteering Network and a trustee of the
British Friends of Reuth, which raises funds for the Reuth rehabilitation hospital in Tel Aviv. A
keen singer, Russell is a member and past chairman of the Shabbaton Choir, and also sings with
the Belmont shul choir (under the baton of the United Synagogue’s moonlighting Chief
Executive, Jeremy Jacobs).
After hotel school and having worked for a leading international hotel company, he became a
hotel consultant in 1977, spending ten and seven years respectively with the specialist hotel
consultancy divisions of accountants Stoy Hayward (now BDO) and Deloitte, before joining his
current firm, HVS, in 1995 where he is managing director of the London office and serves on the
firm’s global board.

Naomi Landy - Women Representative, United Synagogue
Naomi was elected as a Women’s Representative to the US Trustees in July 2011.
She served on the Board of Management of Hendon Synagogue for fifteen years.
From 2004 – 2010 she was Vice Chair, which included a period as Acting Chair.
Naomi has been involved in the recruitment of the two Associate Rabbis
appointed to Hendon.
Naomi is a qualified solicitor, having studied Law at LSE and obtaining a Masters degree in Law
from UCL. The Home Office appointed her to act as both an Appropriate Adult and a Lay
Visitor in police stations in the borough of Barnet. Since 2000 Naomi has worked as the
Admissions Officer and Administrator of North West London Jewish Day School. She is also a
Governor of the school, a member of the Leadership Team and has been involved in the
recruitment of the Head Teacher, Deputy Head and many staff.
In her spare time Naomi sits on Admission Appeals Panels for schools in the boroughs of Barnet
and Brent and also for Jewish Voluntary Aided schools.
Naomi is married to David, son of the late Rabbi Maurice Landy and they have three children.
Anna, a solicitor, Rebecca, who is finishing a Ph.D in Statistics and Josh who works in sports
broadcasting.
Irene Leeman - Chief Rabbinate Trust and Women Representative, United
Synagogue
Irene has been a US Trustees Women’s Representative since 2010. She grew up in the
Mill Hill Community. After marrying Sidney and spending a couple of years in Israel,
and in Golders Green, they moved to Kenton in 1975. They have two married children,
Aviva who lives in London with husband Lee Lewis and baby Dexter, while Daniel, who
is a rabbi, lives in Israel with his wife Esther Rochel and their four children.
In Kenton, Irene became active in communal work. As a member of Arad Wizo, she has organised the
annual local Jewish Women’s Week campaign since 1982. She was one of the first women members of
the Board of Management and served for many years. She was a Lady Executive Officer 1996-2000, and
was Kenton’s first Vice-Chair 2003-6. She was involved in the selection processes for appointing two of
Kenton’s rabbis. Her main interest and love is Adult Education and she currently chairs a collaborative
committee working across four local synagogues. She has experience with editing synagogue
publications and with organising events. Irene represents Kenton Synagogue on US Council and in the
past has been on the Board of Deputies, once representing Kenton and once representing AUSW.
She joined the Association of United Synagogue Women [AUSW] in the early 90s and was Treasurer,
Vice-Chair and then Chairman from 2005-8. That organisation re-launched itself in 2009 as US Women,
and Irene is Co-Chair. With the US Women Executive team she is involved directly with women’s issues,
helping women to engage fully, and seeking opportunities for their leadership within the US and is
working hard for a more inclusive community.
Irene is currently on the Bradfield Educational Leadership Programme at LSJS.

Irene has spent her career as an NHS dentist in both clinical and advisory capacities. She worked mainly
with patients who have special needs. She has an MSc in Dental Public Health and does some
postgraduate teaching. Now semi-retired, and with her continued passion for NHS health services, she is
an elected governor for a London NHS Foundation Trust.
Dr Claire Lemer
Dr Claire Lemer works both as a Paediatric Registrar in North London and as Operations Manager for
Ophthalmology, in an adjacent hospital. Claire has written and edited a number of healthcare related
books and papers. She developed an interest in Management as a result of spending two and a half years
at the Department of Health and WHO working for the Chief Medical Officer. During this time Claire
developed her interest in quality improvement and patient safety and set up a leadership scheme for young
doctors “The CMO’s Clinical Advisor Scheme”. In 2004-5 Claire was a Commonwealth Fund/Health
Foundation Harkness Fellow in Health Policy, based in Boston at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where
she researched the effects of communication in paediatric medication safety. Claire has an MD, from
University of London, an MPH from Harvard and has recently completed an MBA from Oxford.
Claire has been involved with the US for a number of years. She is currently a Board member of HGSS
and is the Treasurer of US Women.
Malcolm Joseph Livingstone - Chief Rabbinate Trust
Malcolm studied at Strathclyde University from October 1964 until September 1967 and
graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and Business Studies.
He married Myra in 1968 and has been blessed with three sons and one daughter. The
Barmitzvah of their eldest grandson will take place on Shabbat 10 th December 2011.
Employed in a family property investment company since graduating, Malcolm is now semi
retired.
For over 40 years he has been active in community organisations and before that as a youth he
was active in FZY including a stint as a volunteer with an FZY group in the summer of 1967
following the six day war. As a family they lived in Israel in 1970.
Malcolm was Chairman of the Parents Association at Calderwood Lodge, the local Jewish day
school. He was Treasurer and then Chairman of the Glasgow Board of Jewish Education and
involved over the period 1974 to 2001.
Between 1987 and 1991 he was Chairman of the Giffnock and Newlands Hebrew Congregation.
He is still on the Executive Committee of the Shul holding the position of Hon Life President.
Malcolm has also been Chairman of the Scottish Council of Synagogues and represents the
Kashrut Commission on the Council.
Currently he is also the Chairman of the Glasgow and West of Scotland Kashrut Commission
and a Trustee and Treasurer of the Glasgow Rabbinical College. Since 2000 he has been the
Chairman of the Glasgow Jewish Community Trust.

Shimmy Lopian - Chief Rabbinate Trust
Shimmy Lopian has been chairman of the Manchester and District Council of Synagogues for
over ten years. The main object of the Council is to foster good relations between synagogues
and to coordinate efforts to strengthen the religious life of the community.
He is the founding Chairman of the Manchester Eruv Committee. A substantial amount of work
has been put into establishing an Eruv in Manchester and to date, planning permission has been
granted by two out of the three local councils. It is hoped that approval by the third local council
will be granted by the end of 2011.
Shimmy has been a partner for over thirty years in the accountancy practice of Lopian Gross
Barnett in Manchester. He is married and has four children and seven grandchildren.
Stephen Lubinsky – Treasurer, United Synagogue
Stephen is a Treasurer and Trustee of the United Synagogue having been elected
in July 2011. He has served extensively for the Board of Management and as
Honorary Officer at Borehamwood & Elstree Synagogue. Board Member 1996 –
2001, Vice Chairman 2001 - 2005, Financial Representative 2005 – 2007. Stephen
was a member of the Audit Review Committee of the US from 2007 – 2011.
Stephen has a Hons Degree in Business Studies specialising in Accounting. He is experienced in
the development and implementation of process improvement and change to allow organisations
to improve quality, add value, improve operational effeciency and deliver to stakeholders.
Stephen is married and has three teenage children.
Brian Markeson – Chief Rabbinate Trust and Treasurer, United Synagogue
Brian was elected as a Treasurer and Trustee of the United Synagogue in July
2011. Educated at Hasmonean High School, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
and University of Illinois he qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1974 and as
Certified Public Accountant in 1982. He is employed in Private Equity.
He was a member of the Audit Review Committee from 2005 until 2011 and was recently
appointed as Chair of the Burial Society. He has also served on the Investment Committee since
2009 and also worked on the recent revision of the US by-laws. Brian has served on Watford
Synagogue’s Board of Management for 18 out of the last 26 years.
Brian is Chairman of the British Friends of Yad Vashem and is actively involved in other UK
charities. He is married to Vivienne and have four grown up children and three grandchildren.

Jonathan Miller - Chief Rabbinate Trust and Vice President, United Synagogue
Jonathan Miller was on the executive at Hendon Synagogue for six years,
most recently serving as Chairman of the community for three years. He
previously served on the board of management and as financial
representative of St John's Wood Synagogue for many years. Jonathan has
been a governor of Hasmonean Primary School for many years and recently
retired as chairman of the governing body.
Jonathan is a chartered accountant who works for a group of property companies and is married
with five children.
Stephen Pack – President of Chief Rabbinate Trust and United Synagogue
Stephen is the President of the United Synagogue, having been elected in July
2011.
Family: Stephen grew up in Cockfosters in North London where his parents were
founding members of the Shul. In 1973, he married Cheryl Klyne who lived in
Hampstead Garden Suburb. They met at Manchester University where they both
spent four years. They moved to Hadley Wood in 1977 where they still reside. The couple have
two adult children – Susannah Jacobs who lives in Muswell Hill with her husband Yoni and two
children – Mazhira and Arye, and Anthony who lives in West Hampstead.
Communal life: Stephen has been a Trustee of the United Synagogue for nine years, six as a
Treasurer and three as Vice President. During that time he had been Chairman of the
Remuneration Committee and was closely involved with the Religious Affairs Group, US
Schools, Peir, new communities and many matters involving individual Rabbis and shuls.
He represents the US on the JLC committee dealing with Jewish Education and is also a Trustee
of the Chief Rabbinate Trust where he is responsible for the financial side of the Charity.
As Life President of the Hadley Wood Jewish Community together with Cheryl, they have been
responsible for nurturing the community from its early days when it met in the Pack household to
it current state where it is expanding rapidly. Stephen regularly leads the davenning and was
appointed an Elder of the Community in 2010. Stephen was Chairman of the Cockfosters shul
for several years and prior to that was its Financial Representative. Outside of the Jewish sphere,
he was President of the Hadley Wood Association for over ten years.
Professional life: Stephen has a Masters Degree in Business Finance from Manchester
University and Manchester Business School and a Bachelors degree in Economics and
Accounting. He joined Price Waterhouse (now PwC), qualified as a Chartered Accountant and
became a partner in 1984. He initially specialised in audit and was responsible for two of the
firm’s largest FTSE 100 clients. He was appointed director in charge of operations for the audit
practice and London office. Some years later Stephen helped to establish a new global business
process outsourcing division and following the sale of that business moved into management
consulting. In that role he led many transformation programmes for large clients helping them to
achieve their strategic objectives. Stephen was appointed Head of Risk and Quality for the UK

firm (which by then was the largest professional services firm in the UK) and led a team of 180
professionals dealing with all aspects of risk, quality and compliance for PwC.
Retiring from the firm last year, within a few months Stephen was headhunted by another major
firm to assist them with their risk and quality organisation and has just completed a consulting
assignment for them.
Doreen Samuels - Women Representative, United Synagogue
Doreen was elected as a Women’s Representative in July 2011. Doreen’s first
husband was Jonathan Fine, z”l, a well-known and much admired lay leader. They
had three daughters, Miriam, Sarah and Ruth, and now have three adorable
grandchildren who take up any ‘spare’ time.
Now married to Jeffrey Samuels they, together with Doreen’s mother, brother and
his family, and sister and her family, all live in Pinner.
Having originally qualified and worked for several years as a pharmacist, her later career has
been in education and latterly, in Jewish Studies. She has a PGCE from the Institute of Education
as well as an MA in Hebrew and Jewish Studies from Jews College. Doreen was a class teacher,
Head of Juniors, and then Head of Department of Jewish Studies and Deputy Head at Sinai, and
still works as a teacher-trainer and schools and curriculum advisor.
Doreen writes extensively on Jewish topics and was co – author of the Chief Rabbi’s Children’s
Siddur. Communally, Doreen has served on the Board of Management of Pinner Synagogue, and
was one of the first women representatives at the US Council.
She runs and participates in many educational programmes for families, adults, Bat Mitzvah girls
and children at Pinner, as well as in the wider community, and is a graduate of the Susi Bradfield
Educators’ Fellowship. She has recently ‘retired’ as Chair of Governors of Moriah Jewish Day
School, but is still actively involved in fundraising for the school.
Doreen was a founder member of the Stanmore Women’s Tefillah Service, the original London
Women’s Rosh Chodesh Group and the Jewish Women’s Network. She was co-Chair of the very
successful Harrow Day Limmud in March 2011, and is already working towards the next one, in
March 2013.
She is currently involved in many initiatives and discussions around challenges and opportunities
for women, and is keen to work with all in the United Synagogue to find viable, halachically
acceptable responses to enhance women’s full participation in the organisation.

Peter Sheldon – Chief Rabbinate Trust and Past President, United Synagogue
Peter Sheldon is a qualified chartered accountant and has held senior positions in
a wide range of listed and private companies from retail to high-tech; clothing
manufacturing to banking and healthcare to publishing. He has served as nonexecutive
chairman of BATM Advanced Communications, an Israeli technology
company listed on the London Stock Exchange for 12 years.
His long involvement in the voluntary sector includes 12 years as chairman of
Kerem Schools and six years as President of the United Synagogue. He is currently chairman of
the Chief Rabbinate Trust, a Trustee and Treasurer of the Jerusalem Foundation (UK); a
founding Trustee of Morasha Jewish Primary School among other charities and Deputy at the
Board of Deputies. He recently retired as a JP after 25 years service.
He was made an OBE in the 2010 New Years Honours for his services to the Jewish
Community.
Saul Taylor
Professional: Vice President – The Bank of New York Mellon – Equity Trading Division 2006-
Communal: US investment committee 2011-
• Co Founder - US Chesed Bursary Fund 2010-
• Trustee/Investment committee – Jewish Aged and Needy Pension Society 2008-
• Teacher – Stanmore Synagogue Tribe Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program (SMILE) 2002-
• Director of Education (Chinuch Worker) – Bnei Akiva UK 2004/05
• President – City University Jewish Society 2001/02
Education:
• MSc, Project Management – Manchester University 2004/05
• BSc (hons), Management and Systems Science – Cass Business School 2001/2004
• Yeshivat Hakotel – Year course program – 2000/01
• Had an article published Jan 2011 in the Jerusalem Post regarding the achievements of Chief
Rabbi Sacks.
• Played an integral part in the development of Tribe programs in Stanmore with Rabbi Andrew
Shaw since 2001. This has included stepping in as Youth Director whilst the position has been
temporarily vacant.

Russell Tenzer – Treasurer, United Synagogue
Russell was elected as a Treasurer and Trustee of the US in 2008, and re-elected
in 2011. He was the Financial Representative of Stanmore and Canons Park
Synagogue from 2000 to 2005. Russell was a member of the Audit Revenue
Committee of the US from 2002 - 2005.
Russell was a trustee of Norwood from 1991 to 2009 and its treasurer from 1996
to 2009. He was a member of the steering committee that merged Norwood and Ravenswood in
1999. Russell was a trustee of JCOSS, representing Norwood’s interests, from 2007 to 2009.
After qualifying as a chartered accountant Russell worked for Peat Marwick (now known as
KPMG) and then N M Rothschild. In 1983 he was a founding partner of Hazlems Fenton where
he is still in practice.
Lira Winston - Chief Rabbinate Trust
Lira grew up in Hendon and studied History at LSE and then Sussex University. She has worked
in publishing and history research for a number of years.
Since 1991, Lira has worked professionally in the Jewish community. She was the Director of
the Sinclair Charitable Trust, involved in the establishment of Jewish Continuity and then moved
to UJIA. She continued to co-ordinate the UJIA Ashdown Fellowship Programme, which
provides leadership training for professionals working in Jewish education.
In January 2008, Lira became Project Manager for the Jewish Leadership Council’s Commission
on Jewish Schools, which published its report ‘The Future of Jewish Schools’ in July 2008.
She co-ordinated the process of the implementation of the recommendations in the report and in
September this year published the report back to the community, ‘The Future of Jewish Schools:
Three Years On’.
As well as being a Trustee of the Chief Rabbinate Trust, Lira is a Trustee of the London School
of Jewish Studies and the Samuel Sebba Charitable Trust.
In addition Lira is a member of the Advisory Board of JVN and on the Management Committee
of Sage Nursing Home.
Married to Robert, the couple belong to Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue and the Central
Square Minyan. They have three children, married and living in London, and three
grandchildren.

Professor Anthony Warrens
My main reason for seeking nomination to both the Consultative and Working Groups in this process is to
ensure that the issues relevant to the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS), of which I am Chair, are
taken into full consideration. Currently as LSJS and previously as Jews’ College, this organisation has
worked hand-in-glove with the Chief Rabbi of the day to participate in the maintenance of the intellectual
and academic life of the central orthodox community. The Chief Rabbi is ex officio President of LSJS
and, as such, it is important that the new incumbent is enthusiastic that this is as an important part of his
role and that the outlook of each is consonant.
LSJS has grown enormously over the past decade and we have very ambitious plans to help in the
academic and educational development of the community at all levels: we have recently functionally
taken over from the United Synagogue the responsibility for the training of Jewish school teachers, we
have extensive adult education programmes, both at our own campus and in collaboration with many
United Synagogue shuls, and we deliver a range of undergraduate and post-graduate degree options in
Jewish subjects that are not available elsewhere.
LSJS wishes to be a central part of the process of selecting the next Chief Rabbi to maintain the close
relationship between the two institutions and also to make a statement that underscores its position as a
central player in British central orthodoxy.
The principal contribution I would bring to the process is as Chair of LSJS. However, I am also a Trustee
of the UJIA, where I chaired the UK Programme Committee for a number of years, and a Governor of
Immanuel College, where I chair the Academic Standards Committee. I have been a member of the
Boards of Management of two United Synagogue shuls: Hampstead and Finchley. I have also recently
been working with the current Chief Rabbi and the Beth Din on developing the UK halachic position on
organ donation.
Professionally, I am Dean for Education and Professor of Renal and Transplantation Medicine at Barts
and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry. I am a Consultant Physician at the Royal London
Hospital. I have recently been elected as the next President of my professional body, the British
Transplantation Society, and hold a number of positions on governmental and professional bodies. In
these roles, I have had extensive experience in the selection and appointment of very senior individuals. I
hope all of this would bring “added value” to my contribution on the Consultative and Working Groups.
Dayan Menachem Gelley and Rabbi Boruch Davis are the Rabbinic Advisors to the group.
In addition support will be provided by Tony Vardy (Governance), Delia Goldring (HR)
and Jeremy Jacobs (Group Secretary).