Scots try the rugby rabbi

A FORMER schoolboy rugby star will fill a Glasgow ministerial gap over Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Newton Mearns Synagogue will be bringing in Rabbi Yitzchak Greenblatt, 33, formerly known as Jared Greenblatt. Born in South Africa, he grew up in England, which he represented at under-18 level before making aliyah and studying at yeshivah in Jerusalem.

During a br i e f recent visit, he took a service at the synagogue, which has been without a fulltime rabbi since Danny Bergson left three years ago.

Newton Mearns chair Gary Winston is delighted to have the rabbi back.

“Yitzchak came over from Jerusalem for what you might call an audition and he was very good. I spent quite a lot of time with him during the week he was here and found him to be an exceptionally friendly and very interesting young man. We decided at a recent committee meeting that we will have him back for Yomtov.”

However, Mr Winston added that there were no plans to bring him, or anyone else, in as a full-time rabbi. “We’re not thinking that far ahead right now.”

Greenblatt played for England at youth level