Alexander Goldberg

Alexander Barnett Goldberg (born 1974) is the Coordinating and the Jewish Chaplain to the University of Surrey, a rabbi, barrister, and human rights activist.[1]

This article is about the rabbi. For the chemical engineer and Technion President, see Alexander Goldberg (chemical engineer).
Rabbi

Alexander Goldberg
TitleCoordinating and Jewish Chaplain of the University of Surrey
Personal
Born1974 (age 46–47)
Guildford, England
ReligionJudaism
DenominationModern Orthodox Judaism
Jewish leader
Websitewww.alexgoldberg.eu
PositionDean of the College of Chaplains / Coordinating Chaplain / Rabbi
OrganisationUniversity of Surrey

Biography

His family originates from Ireland and he has written and spoken on his Irish Jewish identity.,[2][3]

Goldberg has spoken at the United Nations on religious and racial discrimination, as well as calling for the UN to take action on the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan.[4]

Goldberg was the first rabbi to be appointed Coordinating Chaplain to a European and British university in April 2019 when he became Dean of the College of Chaplains at the University of Surrey leading a team of 11 Chaplains.[5][6]

Goldberg was appointed Chief Executive of the London Jewish Forum in July 2008,[7] having been the Community Issues Director at the Board of Deputies of British Jews.[8] In June 2007, Goldberg was involved in trying to find a solution to a crisis in the orthodox Jewish community over marriage visas. The Home Office proposed to introduce measures that would raise the age limit for international marriage visas from 18 to 21, which would impact on the strictly orthodox community.[9] He was part of a delegation that met with the immigration minister in March 2008 to express their concerns over the proposal.[10]

Goldberg helped raised several millions pounds for both the University of Surrey, a Jewish school and the United Synagogue[11][12] and has been part of a team seeking to build a multifaith centre[13] at the University of Surrey.[14] The building was envisaged to be the first building in Britain to have a synagogue, mosque and chapel built separately under one roof and is designed to have facilities for six major faiths.[15] The centre obtained planning permission in November 2007 and is seeking funding for its construction.[16] The team presented their work to the queen in November 2011 where she claimed that the University ‘is leading the way’.[17] The university created a new centre that was completed in 2019. Goldberg now runs the centre as the University's Coordinating Chaplain.[18]

Goldberg was chair of the Faith Forum for London and part of the team that organised the Mayor of London's Faith Conference in 2011.[19] At the Board of Deputies he spoke out against a proposed Bill that would have seen the state imposition of mandatory quotas on voluntary aided faith schools and in support of the interfaith coalition opposing it.[20]

Goldberg was appointed Jewish Chaplain to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.[21] He chairs the Football Association's Faith in Football group[22] and attended an anti-discrimination in football summit hosted by the prime minister at Downing Street in February 2012.[23] In 2019, he initiated a project that saw a building of a Sukkah in Wembley Stadium.[24] He has served on two Department for Education Ministerial Steering Committees[25]

Goldberg was the first rabbi to visit Lebanon's second city of Tripoli in 2019 having been part of a delegation of religious leaders sponsored by the European Union.[26]

Goldberg previously contributed to The Guardian newspaper, where he defended religious courts.[27] He is a panelist on BBC One's The Big Questions.[28] He regularly contributes and cohosts the Sunday Morning Breakfast Show on BBC Surrey and BBC Sussex.[29] He is one of the regular contributor’s to BBC Radio 2’s Pause for Thought.

References
  1. Goldberg, Alexander. "BBC Religion Biographies". London: BBC.
  2. Goldberg, Alexander (5 August 2014). "Ireland and the Jews: Maurice White". The Jewish Quarterly. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  3. "Young Irish Blooms". The Irish Times. 7 January 1998. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  4. Goldberg, Alexander (30 March 2007). "Fits and starts". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  5. Frot, Mathilde. "Rabbi Alex Goldberg appointed senior chaplain at University of Surrey". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  6. "MySurrey". campus.surrey.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  7. Symons, Leon (6 June 2008). "Forum gains a chief exec". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  8. "Board Appoints New Community Issues Director". Progressive Jewish Community of East Anglia Newsletter. August 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  9. "Orthodox avert marriage crisis as Home Office makes new proposal". The Jewish Chronicle. 6 July 2007.
  10. Religious Intelligence - News - British Jews express concerns at marriage law changes
  11. "The Jewish Chronicle". thejc.com. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  12. "United Synagogue". theus.org.uk. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  13. Goldberg, Alexander (5 August 2007). "Room of our own". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  14. "Guardian Webcast". The Guardian. 6 September 2007.
  15. "Multi-faith centre plans approved". BBC News. 4 November 2007.
  16. "Green light for groundbreaking Multi-Faith Centre at the University of Surrey". University of Surrey. 2 November 2007. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  17. "Chaplain to Join Olympics". 18 January 2012.
  18. Gubbay, Lucien. "Rabbi Alex Goldberg has been appointed senior chaplain at the University of Surrey – Montefiore Endowment". Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  19. Rocker, Simon (10 February 2011). "Boris Johnson keeps faith with social links". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  20. - Jewish & Israel News Archived 3 August 2012 at Archive.today
  21. "University's Jewish Chaplain To Join Olympics". Surrey University. 18 January 2012.
  22. "Faith in Football". www.thefa.com. 27 June 2011.
  23. "Cameron discusses Racism and Football". Jewish Chronicle. 23 February 2012.
  24. Cohen, Justin. "Wembley Stadium hosts succah for the first time!". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  25. "Our Team". Faiths Forum for London.
  26. "Rabbi laments loss of Lebanon's Jewish communities, promotes religious dialogue | News , Lebanon News | THE DAILY STAR". www.dailystar.com.lb. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  27. "Alexander Goldberg: Profile". The Guardian. 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  28. "Broadcasting and Media". alexgoldberg.eu. 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  29. "Radio Today". 17 June 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
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