BOTEACH, SHMUEL

BOTEACH, SHMUEL ("Schmuley"; 1966– ), British-American rabbi. Born in Miami, Florida, and educated in the United States, Israel, and elsewhere, Boteach was sent by the Lubavitcher Rebbe to Oxford as the first residential rabbi there for some decades. At Oxford he became well known for establishing the L'Chaim Society, which grew into one of the largest bodies at England's oldest university. It was devoted to sparking debate on religious issues, often by bringing high-profile speakers (including such unlikely guests as Mikhail Gorbachev and Boy George, the pop singer) to Oxford. Boteach became a familiar figure on British radio and television. He is perhaps even better known for having written widely, from an Orthodox perspective, on controversial topics, especially sex, such as Kosher Sex (1998) and Kosher Adultery (2002), and gave a four-part radio series entitled A Jewish Guide to Sexuality. In 1999 he won the London Times' Preacher of the Year contest. More recently he lived in New Jersey. (William D. Rubinstein (2nd ed.)