Rock star rebbetzins learn from Gibraltar trip with Valerie Mirvis
FORTY REBBETZINS from London, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Hong Kong spent two days in Gibraltar on a leadership trip fronted by Valerie Mirvis, wife of Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.
Thevisitwaspartof MrsMirvis’sInvesting in Rebbetzins series, developed with the Chief Rabbi’s Centre for Rabbinic Excellence. The itinerary included a session on interfaith work and a leadership panel chaired by Mrs Mirvis and featuring Mrs Justice Ramagge Prescott, the first woman appointed to the Bench of the Gibraltar Supreme Court.
Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo addressed the group at the Nefusot Yehuda Synagogue and 140 women from the Jewish community hosted the rebbetzins at a sellout banquet addressed by Samantha Sac- Helah Nadler (Bowdon) and Alli Sturgess (St Albans) ramento, Minister for Tourism, Social Services, Equality and Housing. Eleven rebbetzins gave shiurim to fellow participants, 80 women from the Gibraltar community and pupils from the Gibraltar Jews’ High School and the Talmud Torah Primary School. Mrs Mirvis said afterwards that the trip “was designed to teach leadership skills in a fun, innovative and impactful way and to equip and inspire our rebbetzins to initiate new projects in their communities. Gibraltar is a model of interfaith co-existence. And with its vibrant Jewish community and outstanding leaders, it was the perfect place for our trip.” IlanaEpsteinof Cockfosters and North Southgate Synagogue said that “Valerie’s thought-provoking talk on managing change had more than one rebbetzin texting her husband with ideas I’m sure will be coming to a neighbourhood near you.”