Senior Progressive rabbi sworn in as Mayor of Barnet

A leading Progressive rabbi has become the 61st mayor of Barnet.

Councillor Danny Rich, 64, former senior rabbi and chief executive of Liberal Judaism, was sworn in on Tuesday evening at Hendon Town Hall.

A councillor for the past seven years, Rabbi Rich takes over from Councillor Tony Vourou. Rabbi Rich’s wife, Laura Lassman, is the new mayoress.

Rabbi Rich told the JC that his chosen three charities were the Jewish Deaf Association, Unitas Youth Zone and Homestart, for young families, all of which “support people whose voices aren’t often heard”.

Saying he saw his new role as “a public service”, Rabbi Rich had his first taste of voluntary work as a young boy when he would help his grandmother run the shop at Nightingale House care home – part of Nightingale Hammerson –  in Clapham, south-west London.

Growing up as a member of South London Liberal Synagogue, he said that “whatever you had or didn’t have, we learnt that we were more fortunate than others, and our job was to be active and create a better society. I firmly believe that the decency of our society is primarily because people do public service.”

After being ordained as a rabbi at Leo Baeck College, Rabbi Rich served as rabbi at Kingston Liberal Synagogue for some two decades, and between 2005 and 2020, he was senior rabbi and chief executive of Liberal Judaism.

Nowadays, he splits his rabbinical duties between Southgate Progressive Synagogue and Stevenage Liberal Shul. He is also a magistrate, and a hospital chaplain at Kingston Hospital, a role he has held for 30 years.

The father of four children, four stepchildren and eight grandchildren said he was “honoured and delighted” to have been elected as mayor, adding: “When I was approached to stand for Barnet Council, I agreed because I saw an opportunity to assist local residents in receiving services, to support voluntary group efforts and to enhance the borough we live in.

“These remain my objectives as your mayor, and it is my fervent hope to meet as many of you as I can.”

The new deputy mayor is Councillor Edith Ngozi David and her husband, Flint David, is the deputy mayor’s escort.

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