King Charles Crowned Britain’s Monarch; Rabbi Spends Shabbos at Palace

VINnews

In a ceremony marked by the pomp and ceremony which typify British pageantry, King Charles III was formally crowned King of England earlier today at Westminster Abbey. England declared several celebratory measures for the occasion, including a bank holiday, a special medal for the military and emergency personnel participating, and the publication of educational materials for schoolchildren to help them appreciate the significance of the event.

British Chief Rabbi Efraim Mirvis and Israeli President Issac Herzog, came to pay their respects to the King. Shortly before the beginning of Shabbat, Herzog tweeted that “Michal and I are proud to be representing Israel at the coronation ceremony for King Charles III in London, alongside world leaders from across the globe and local Jewish community representatives.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night congratulated King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla on the coronation.

“Together with all of Israel’s citizens, my wife Sara and I send our warm blessings to King Charles III and to Queen Camilla, on their historic coronation,” Netanyahu tweeted. “May it be G-d’s will that this event mark another strengthening of the deep connection between our two nations.”

Both Herzog and Rabbi Mirvis benefited from a number of special accommodations that allowed them to participate in the proceedings without violating the Shabbat, despite the coronation taking place on a Saturday.

Rabbi Mirvis tweeted his thanks to the royal family for their understanding, at the same time providing a sweeping historical perspective of the proceedings.

“On 3 September 1189, Richard I was crowned King in Westminster Abbey. Jews were barred from attending, but in a spirit of heartfelt goodwill, some Jewish leaders arrived bearing gifts for the new king. They were informed that Jews were not welcome, whereupon Richard’s courtiers stripped and flogged them, and then flung them out of court.”

“A rumour spread that the King had given an order for all Jews to be attacked. While some Jews escaped, arsonists set fire to many Jewish homes, some Jews were forcibly converted, while others were given sanctuary in the Tower of London. Some thirty innocent Jews were senselessly murdered on the day of the Coronation, including Rabbi Jacob of Orléans, the most senior Rabbi in England at that time.”

“These tragic events stand in sharp contrast to our experience as Jews in 21st Century Britain,” Rabbi Mirvis wrote. “His Majesty King Charles III has made it clear that he wants representatives of the Jewish community and other minority faith communities to be present for the coronation service. In addition, he has established an unprecedented opportunity, following the service itself, for faith leaders to be incorporated into the formal proceedings. I will be privileged, together with four other senior faith leaders, to greet the King with words of tribute and blessing. At every stage, the Palace has been sensitive to the requirements of halacha (Jewish Law) when considering how best to include us. With this in mind, in accordance with the laws of Shabbat, I will not be using a microphone.”

“This is in addition to the King and Queen’s gracious invitation to host Valerie and me at St James’ Palace over Shabbat, when we will cherish the extraordinary opportunity to light Shabbat candles, make kiddush, eat our specially catered Shabbat meals, sing zemirot (traditional Shabbat hymns) and chant Havdalah (the prayer marking the end of Shabbat) within regal surroundings.”

“We are blessed to have a Monarch who holds a deep, personal conviction that there is great strength in the diversity of our country and who cherishes his warm relationship with British Jews. In the Book of Ecclesiastes, we are taught that: ‘there is a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to cry and a time to dance with joy’. Nearly a thousand years ago, the Coronation of a Monarch was a time to weep for the Jewish community, but today, thank G-d, it is a time for great celebration.”

“As we enter this Carolean era, may our country be blessed to know many more moments of such celebration, and may G-d save the King!” Rabbi Mirvis concluded.