The Chief Rabbi, Dr Gavin Broder, is to leave Ireland shortly for a position as chaplain to the London universities.
Dr Broder, who was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1963, was installed as Chief Rabbi in February 1997. His father, Irwin, is also a rabbi, as was his father-in-law. He studied at London University. His mother-in-law was born and brought up on Dublin's Lombard Street.
Speaking of his tenure in Ireland, Dr Broder said it was "hard to put into words how wonderful it has been. One of the beauties of a smaller community is the warmth, which is also reflected from the larger community. There is such a richness over here generally, with a terrific interest in the Irish-Jewish community, particularly from the US." The Jewish community in Ireland now numbers about 1,000, with most living in Dublin. The decline, from more than 5,000 in the 1940s, has been attributed primarily to the emigration of younger Jews.
"Mostly it has come from young people growing up and just wanting to gain the experience of a wider Jewish community," he said. "I don't think they want to go. They just have to . . . They will come back. I believe that trend is changing."
Dr Broder succeeded Dr Aphraim Mirvis, who held the position from 1984 to 1992.
