The United Synagogue

Cut Down in His Prime: A Gifted Young Rabbi With All To Live For

PRESS COVERAGE

London, 12th October, 2007

CUT DOWN IN HIS PRIME: A GIFTED YOUNG RABBI WITH ALL TO LIVE FOR

A 30-year-old rabbi, widely seen as one of the most gifted of his generation, died at the weekend.

Father-of-three Rabbi Shmuli Kass had been fighting cancer for more than a year.

His death on Sunday morning was described by Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks as a “devastating tragedy for Anglo-Jewry”.

The former Hasmonean Grammar School pupil, who joined Shenley United Synagogue in 2004, had been diagnosed last autumn with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and had received intensive treatment.

He had shown signs of recovery over the summer, but a secondary tumour spread to his liver.

Rabbi Kass had attended various yeshivot in Jerusalem where he received his rabbinical qualifications.

He was closely involved with various organisations, including the outreach group Aish HaTorah, and JFS, where he was co-ordinator of sixth-form Jewish studies.

Colleagues recalled him as having “enormous personal integrity” and being one of the United Synagogue’s “most gifted young rabbonim”.

Hundreds attended his funeral at Cheshunt’s Adath Yisroel cemetery on Monday.

Earlier, a huge crowd had gone to his home to hear a series of eulogies. The chairman of Shenley Synagogue, William Susman, said the congregation was “deeply shocked, and struggling to understand why a man with so much wisdom, who dedicated himself to encouraging others to embark on the journey of Judaism, has been taken”.

He added: “As well as being our leader, both he and Batsheva were great friends to us all and have been responsible for many members of the community making Judaism a real life experience.

“He has made us the vibrant and all-encompassing community that we are today and we owe it to him to continue his work.”

Synagogue warden Charles Sigler said: “When he came to us, he was a new rabbi, we were a new community. He loved us for the potential he saw in us; we loved him for helping us become stronger in our faith and helping to grow as individuals and as a community. His personality, his wisdom and his goodness will always be an inspiration to us.”

The funeral service was led by Rabbi Mark Kampf, head of Jewish studies at JFS.

Rabbi Naftali Schiff, executive director of Aish UK, for which Rabbi Kass was a leader for several fellowship programmes, said: “Shmuli was a person of enormous personal integrity.

“He would always go the extra mile for his students and understood the balance between relating to young people in a fun and laid-back way, while knowing the importance of sharing a sense of seriousness about priorities in life with them. Shmuli always spoke his truth quietly and clearly with strength and with confidence and with unswerving commitment to the values of Torah and Yiddishkeit that he held so dearly.”

JFS Headteacher Dame Ruth Robins said Rabbi Kass had been “an innovative, caring and charismatic teacher” with “a great presence both in stature and personality.

“He was an outstanding professional who brought vision, purpose and clarity to his position. He had an impact on the lives of many hundreds of students and was extremely dedicated to each one as an individual. Even in his final weeks, Shmuli’s focus was towards his students, using what energies he had to provide encouragement and guidance to those in his charge. ”

Among the mourners were senior rabbis, dayanim and other leaders of all the various Orthodox groups.

In addition to the Chief Rabbi and Lady Sacks, US trustees were represented by vice-president Geoff Hartnell and chief executive Rabbi Saul Zneimer, as well as divisional directors David Kaplan and Leonie Lewis.

The Chief Rabbi said Rabbi Kass “was among our finest young rabbis and educators”, paying tribute to his “kindness and accessibility, his shining idealism, and his non-judgmental approach to everyone with whom he came into contact.

“He changed lives. He was one of those rare individuals who made people better by the force of his example and the patent sincerity of his ideals.”

United Synagogue president Simon Hochhauser described Rabbi Kass as “undoubtedly one of the most gifted young rabbonim within the United Synagogue family, and his passing is keenly felt by all of those who knew him.”

Rabbi Kass is survived by his wife, Batsheva, and children Yisroel, five, Chani, four, and Yochevet, 20 months, his parents David and Margaret, and three sisters, Miriam Kampf, Zehava Bloom and Shulamit Sandler, all of whom are married to rabbis.

-END-


Article Credit, Jewish Chronicle, www.thejc.com

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