For those in the evangelical Christian community, I would venture to guess Queen Elizabeth II, whose passing on September 8 touched nearly every corner of the globe, her station was met with a certain amount of respect, some frustration, and a lot of misunderstanding.
Queen Elizabeth was the head of the Anglican Church. This role is attached to her position as Sovereign of the UK. Her personal faith was demonstrated in her holiday speeches, her reflections on prayer, and her personal conduct. I am sure many would venture to accuse her of little or no faith because of actions or declarations she didn’t take or make—or even the actions of some of her family members.
But I am not here to judge, and I do not know the unique set of obligations, burdens, duties, strain, stress, and triumph she endured when she became successor to the throne at age 11 and queen of the largest earthly empire by age 26.
I have been combing through some of her speeches, famous quotes, radio addresses, and printed statements. I certainly see a strong faith, the Christian faith, evident.
So, what does that have to do with our Red Alerts and the fight against antisemitism, and further, anti-Zionism?
The Queen was a great friend to the Jewish population in England. Her grandson, Prince William was the first Royal in to make an official visit to Israel in 2018 (not without controversy). The now King Charles III also made an official visit to Israel in 2020 representing Britain at the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem. (Charles had visited Israel unofficially twice before when he attended the funerals of former Israeli prime ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres.) During those visits he also visited the grave of Princess Alice, his paternal Grandmother.
The Queen’s reason for not ever having been to Israel, and that is one of the few places on earth she had not traveled, are likely complex and riddled with efforts of diplomacy and some say pressure by the Foreign Affairs office. Right or wrong, the so-called unofficial boycott of Israel by the Queen is a bit of an over statement in my estimation. And I am eager to see if the momentum that both William and Charles started will mean a more open policy by the Crown in dealing with the modern nation of Israel.
Those more political strings aside, the Queen was a friend to the Jewish people.
Her husband, Prince Philip, was the son of Princess Alice. An extraordinary woman, who was deaf and crafty, using her position and her abilities (or lack thereof) to shelter and rescue many Jews out of Europe during The Holocaust. As mentioned, she is buried in Jerusalem and is recognized as one of The Righteous among the Nations. Prince Philip had traveled to Israel several times in unofficial visits to visit his mother’s grave.
The late Queen was a dear friend of the Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the late Chief Rabbi of the UK. As was King Charles, who spoke at Rabbi Sack’s funeral.
Like his mother was, the new King is a long-time friend of the UK’s Jewish community and reportedly forged a bond with the former Chief Rabbi of Britain, Lord Jonathan Sacks. Upon Sacks’ death in 2020, Charles gave a heartfelt eulogy in which he described Lord Sacks as “a light unto the nations,” adding, “he was a trusted guide, an inspired teacher and a true and steadfast friend. I shall miss him more than words can say.”
In an article by Honest Reporting just this week, readers were clued in on the history between the royal family, the Jewish community, and Israel.
A quick review of Queen Elizabeth’s interaction with the Jewish community in Europe and a fleeting look into her compassion of Holocaust survivors can be found in this JNS.org article
To draw attention to just a few highlights:
Shortly after the news was announced, Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis released a video where he expressed condolences from the Jewish community throughout the Commonwealth.
“I recall how on one occasion, she showed me and my wife items of Jewish interest and value in her private collection in Windsor Castle, including a Torah scroll rescued from Czechoslovakia during the Holocaust,” he said. “Her affection for the Jewish people ran deep, and her respect for our values was palpable.”
To view the entire message from Rabbi Mirvis, check this link.
The Queen’s interest in supporting Holocaust survivors also extended into her charitable work, becoming the founder and patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) in 2005, four years after attending the first Holocaust Memorial Day in 2001. The trust is a government-established and funded charity to promote and support Holocaust Memorial Day.
The late Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote about the Queen’s attendance at the 60th-anniversary commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz in 2005, where she met with Holocaust survivors. While usually at the end of her appearances she is ushered away by her staff to adhere to her schedule, Elizabeth refused to leave. She remained, speaking individually to the large group of people. One of her attendants told Sacks that they had never seen her stay so long after a scheduled departure.
“She gave each survivor—it was a large group—her focused, unhurried attention. She stood with each until they had finished telling their personal story. It was an act of kindness that almost had me in tears. One after another, the survivors came to me in a kind of trance, saying: ‘Sixty years ago I did not know if I would be alive tomorrow, and here I am today talking to the queen.’ It brought a kind of blessed closure into deeply lacerated lives.”
-Rabbi Sacks
The queen also invited Holocaust survivors to her garden parties and bestowed them with honors such as the British Empire Medal (BEM), Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and the Order of the British Empire (OBE), which means that the queen greatly values their impact.
I am not advocating for or against the Royal family, the often-sensationalized news stories generated from their existence or activities, or the controversy that a constitutional monarch exists at all in a Western, Democratic nation. I am hopeful, even confident, that the good work Queen Elizabeth started in the castles and gardens of the England, and that her son and grandson took a step further in moving past the borders of the commonwealth to reach a hand into Israel, will continue. Fighting antisemitism requires all the help we can get—in the highest of places and the most ordinary—the palaces grounds of the British Crown, within the walls of our modest homes and offices, and in the courtyards of our schools and communities.
Be praying for this new era.
Shavua Tov. Have a great week.
