The prince was known for his warm connection to Judaism.
Prince Philip in his youth
Photo:
AP
Prince Philip, who died last weekend at the age of 99, was best known as the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of England, but it turns out that in Britain he was also known to have a warm connection to the Jewish people.
The prince, who was born in Greece, grew up and was educated in France, England and Germany - but ended his law studies at the request of his father with Dr. Kurt Hahn, a famous Jewish educator who was forced to flee Germany due to Judaism and opened an educational institution in Scotland. And fought the Fascists and Nazis, while his mother, Princess Alice, now buried on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, hid Jews in the family's palace in Athens, and did not turn them over despite her interrogation by the Gestapo, for which she was named Righteous Among the Nations. Prince Charles, also circumcised as a baby by a Jewish mohel.
"I did not meet Prince Philip himself," admits Rabbi Yosef Devik, chief rabbi of London Rabbi Yosef Devik and a member of the European Rabbinical Conference, "but I met his children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne. Maybe not everyone knows, but there is a good relationship. Very much between the Royal Family and the Jewish community in the UK starting from the moment the community was founded. The Royal House supports our institutions, charitable institutions, Gammahs and the communities themselves.
They give their name and support to our institutions and attend the big official events.
For example, when our congregation celebrated 250 years of building the ancient synagogue, Prince Philip came to the event, and when we celebrated 300 years, Prince Charles, who is the patron of the synagogue, honored the class with his presence.
"Similarly, before the Corona, the heads of all the congregations in England were invited to Buckingham Palace for a tribute, and when we opened our Jewish nursing home, we named it after Prince Philip."
According to the rabbi, the royal family's connection to the Jewish people is also linked to Britain's steadfast stand against the Nazis during World War II: "It should be remembered that during the war, all of Europe was under Hitler's hands, and only Britain stood against him and acted against him. Greek, did not surrender to the Nazis and saved the lives of Jews during the Holocaust. All this is part of the foundation of the royal house. It is a kingdom of grace, and they have supported and supported us very much because they see the Jews as an asset to the state and they recognize that the Jews did much for the state. ".
The claim that all male members of the male royal family undergo a proper Jewish circumcision the rabbi does not accept.
"That's what people say," he says, "but it's not something that can be tested. They were circumcised in the past, and one of the reasons for that is because they recognize themselves as connected to the kingdom of the House of David, but I don't think they still circumcise their sons today."
The Spanish community in London, headed by Rabbi Dewick, was founded over 350 years ago by Jews from Portugal and Spain who came from Amsterdam, and is the oldest active community in Britain.
What did not make an introduction to the community, the corona did: "In our community it was customary for rabbis and gabbas to wear top hats during prayer, a custom that came from Amsterdam, but now we have stopped with it, because with the face masks worn due to the corona it becomes too complicated."
While in Europe as a whole there has been an increase in anti-Semitism in recent years and in particular in the shadow of the Corona, according to Rabbi Dewick, a member of the European Rabbinical Conference, which unites 700 chief rabbis of the European Communities' president and chief rabbi in Moscow, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt There is enthusiastic talk about the vaccination campaign in Israel, even people who are not from the Jewish community. There may have been a short time when they talked about the ultra-Orthodox not keeping the guidelines properly, but the rabbis made sure everyone set an example and beware of blasphemy, and that passed. "Her success. When my son, who immigrated to Israel, came to visit on Passover, everyone was amazed that he was only 24 years old and had already received the vaccine."
"We have always prayed for the peace of the kingdom and for the peace of the queen and the prince's name was on the prayer list," concludes Rabbi Dewick, "Now, after his death, we have removed his name from the list and this is noticeable. For most of the public the prince has always been. "In the synagogue. We all feel that a significant part of the state's foundation has been lost."