HARRIS, CYRIL KITCHENER

HARRIS, CYRIL KITCHENER (1936– ), chief rabbi of the Union of Orthodox Synagogues, South Africa, 1988–2004. Born in Glasgow, Harris served as a rabbi in London (1958–87) before moving to South Africa. During his U.K. period, he also served as senior Jewish chaplain to Her Majesty's Forces (1966–71), as national director of the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation (1972–75), as chairman of the Rabbinical Association of the United Synagogue (1978–82) and as joint chairman of Mizrachi, Great Britain (1984–85). As South African chief rabbi, he was prominently involved in speaking out against the country's then racial policies and, with the commencement of the process of political reform, was at the forefront of Jewish leaders encouraging the Jewish community to identify with the new democratic dispensation. He was the co-founder of MaAfrika Tikkun, the Jewish community's initiative in respect of uplifting the disadvantaged in South Africa. Awards received included the Distinguished Leadership Award of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (1997), the Commonwealth Jewish Council Award (2000, awarded jointly with his wife, Ann), the Jerusalem Prize for Communal Leadership (2002), and the International Keren Hayesod IUA & UCF Honorary Award (2004). Publications include The Jewish Obligation to the Non-Jew (1996) and For Heaven's Sake: The Chief Rabbi's Diary (autobiography, 2000). (David Saks (2nd ed.)