Julia Neuberger, Baroness Neuberger
Encyclopedia
Julia Babette Sarah Neuberger, Baroness Neuberger, DBE
(born 27 February 1950 as Julia Schwab) is a rabbi
, social reformer and member of the House of Lords
, where she takes the Liberal Democrat whip, although she will be resigning from the party and joining the Crossbenches from September 2011, once she becomes the full-time Senior Rabbi to the West London Synagogue
.
and Newnham College, Cambridge
. She obtained her Rabbinic Diploma at Leo Baeck College
, London
, where she taught from 1977 to 1997. She was Chancellor of the University of Ulster
from 1994-2000.
Her father Walter Schwab was born in the UK, the son of German Jewish immigrants who came before the First World War. Her mother Liesel Schwab was a refugee from Nazi Germany, arriving aged 22 in 1937. The Schwab Trust was set up in their name, to help support and educate young refugees and asylum seekers.
's second female rabbi after Jackie Tabick
, and the first to have her own synagogue
.
She was rabbi of the South London Liberal Synagogue from 1977 to 1989 and is President of West Central Liberal Synagogue. She has been president of the Liberal Judaism
movement since January 2007. On 1 February 2011, the West London Synagogue
(a Movement for Reform Judaism
synagogue) announced that she had been appointed as Senior Rabbi of the synagogue.
from 1992 to 1997, and Chief Executive of the King's Fund
from 1997 to 2004. Who's who lists a large number of voluntary and philanthropic roles she has undertaken.
Her book, The Moral State We're In, a study of morality and public policy in modern Britain (ISBN 0-00-718167-1), was published in 2005. The title is an allusion to Will Hutton
's 1997 book, The State We're In.
of 2003. In June 2004 she was created a life peer
as Baroness Neuberger, of Primrose Hill in the London Borough of Camden
.
On 29 June 2007, Baroness Neuberger was appointed by the in-coming Prime Minister
Gordon Brown
as the government's champion of volunteering.
and the brother of Prof. Michael Neuberger
, Prof. James Neuberger
and Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Master of the Rolls.
as sectarian at the opening of Loughview Integrated Primary School. The Irish News claimed that she had criticised Catholic schools as sectarian, leading to criticism from the Director of the Catholic Council for Maintained Schools. However, she said that the report from the Irish News had given a misleading impression and that she was quoted out of context:
Rabbi Julia Neuberger
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 27 February 1950 as Julia Schwab) is a rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
, social reformer and member of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, where she takes the Liberal Democrat whip, although she will be resigning from the party and joining the Crossbenches from September 2011, once she becomes the full-time Senior Rabbi to the West London Synagogue
West London Synagogue
The West London Synagogue of British Jews was established on 15 April 1840. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the United Kingdom and the oldest Reform synagogue in the UK.-History:...
.
Early life and education
Julia Neuberger was born on 27 February 1950, the daughter of Walter and Liesel (Alice) Schwab. She was educated at South Hampstead High SchoolSouth Hampstead High School
South Hampstead High School is an all-girls independent day school situated in Hampstead, north-west London. The school was founded and is still supported by The Girls' Day School Trust . The school operates over two sites, the Senior school and Junior school which are run as a single unit with...
and Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College is a women-only constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1871 by Henry Sidgwick, and was the second Cambridge college to admit women after Girton College...
. She obtained her Rabbinic Diploma at Leo Baeck College
Leo Baeck College
Leo Baeck College is a rabbinical college and centre for Jewish education located in north London. As well as being the smallest academic college in England, it is also the largest Jewish Progressive University and Rabbinic College in Europe....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where she taught from 1977 to 1997. She was Chancellor of the University of Ulster
University of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
from 1994-2000.
Her father Walter Schwab was born in the UK, the son of German Jewish immigrants who came before the First World War. Her mother Liesel Schwab was a refugee from Nazi Germany, arriving aged 22 in 1937. The Schwab Trust was set up in their name, to help support and educate young refugees and asylum seekers.
Religious roles
Neuberger was BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's second female rabbi after Jackie Tabick
Jackie Tabick
Jacqueline "Jackie" Tabick is the Rabbi at North West Surrey Synagogue, a constituent of the Movement for Reform Judaism. She was the first female rabbi in Britain.-Early life and training:...
, and the first to have her own synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
.
She was rabbi of the South London Liberal Synagogue from 1977 to 1989 and is President of West Central Liberal Synagogue. She has been president of the Liberal Judaism
Liberal Judaism
Liberal Judaism , is one of the two forms of Progressive Judaism found in the United Kingdom, the other being Reform Judaism. Liberal Judaism, which developed at the beginning of the twentieth century is less conservative than UK Reform Judaism...
movement since January 2007. On 1 February 2011, the West London Synagogue
West London Synagogue
The West London Synagogue of British Jews was established on 15 April 1840. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the United Kingdom and the oldest Reform synagogue in the UK.-History:...
(a Movement for Reform Judaism
Movement for Reform Judaism
Movement for Reform Judaism is the main organizational body of the Jewish Reform community in Great Britain....
synagogue) announced that she had been appointed as Senior Rabbi of the synagogue.
Voluntary activity
She was also Chair of Camden and Islington Community Health Services NHS TrustNHS Trust
A National Health Service trust provides services on behalf of the National Health Service in England and NHS Wales.The trusts are not trusts in the legal sense but are in effect public sector corporations. Each trust is headed by a board consisting of executive and non-executive directors, and is...
from 1992 to 1997, and Chief Executive of the King's Fund
King's Fund
The King's Fund is a charitable foundation in England. Founded as the Prince of Wales Hospital Fund for London in 1897, the fund changed its name in 1902 to King Edward's Hospital Fund after the accession to the throne of King Edward VII...
from 1997 to 2004. Who's who lists a large number of voluntary and philanthropic roles she has undertaken.
Her book, The Moral State We're In, a study of morality and public policy in modern Britain (ISBN 0-00-718167-1), was published in 2005. The title is an allusion to Will Hutton
Will Hutton
William Nicolas Hutton is an English writer, weekly columnist and former editor-in-chief for The Observer. He is currently Principal of Hertford College, Oxford and Chair of the Big Innovation Centre , an initiative from The Work Foundation , having been Chief Executive of The Work Foundation from...
's 1997 book, The State We're In.
Parliamentary roles
Neuberger was appointed a DBE in the New Year HonoursNew Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
of 2003. In June 2004 she was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baroness Neuberger, of Primrose Hill in the London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
.
On 29 June 2007, Baroness Neuberger was appointed by the in-coming Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
as the government's champion of volunteering.
Personal life and family relationships
Neuberger is married to Prof. Anthony Neuberger. They have two adult children, a son and a daughter. Her husband is the son of Prof. Albert NeubergerAlbert Neuberger
Albert Neuberger CBE FRS FRCP was Professor of Chemical Pathology, St Mary's Hospital, University of London, 1955–1973, and later Emeritus Professor.-Education in Germany:...
and the brother of Prof. Michael Neuberger
Michael Neuberger
Michael Samuel Neuberger FRS is a British biochemist and immunologist.-Education:He was educated at Westminster School, and then read Natural Sciences at Trinity College, Cambridge as a scholar where he obtained a Master of Arts; he then obtained a PhD at Imperial College, London.-Career:He has...
, Prof. James Neuberger
James Neuberger
James Max Neuberger is a consultant physician, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, part of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, and professor of medicine at the University of Birmingham...
and Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Master of the Rolls.
Controversy over Northern Ireland schools
In 1997 she criticised education in Northern IrelandEducation in Northern Ireland
Education in Northern Ireland differs slightly from systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom, though it is more similar to that used in England and Wales than it is to Scotland. A child's age on 1 July determines the point of entry into the relevant stage of education unlike England and Wales...
as sectarian at the opening of Loughview Integrated Primary School. The Irish News claimed that she had criticised Catholic schools as sectarian, leading to criticism from the Director of the Catholic Council for Maintained Schools. However, she said that the report from the Irish News had given a misleading impression and that she was quoted out of context:
Titles and honours
- Miss Julia Schwab (1950–marriage)
- Mrs Julia Neuberger (marriage–2003)
Rabbi Julia Neuberger
- Rabbi Dame Julia Neuberger DBE (2003–2004)
- Rabbi The Rt Hon The Baroness Neuberger DBE (2004–)
Publications
- The Story of Judaism (for children), 1986, 2nd edn 1988.
- Days of Decision (Edited four in series), 1987.
- Caring for Dying Patients of Different Faiths, 1987, 3rd edn 2004 (edited, with John A. White).
- A Necessary End, 1991.
- Whatever’s Happening to Women?, 1991.
- Ethics and Healthcare: the role of Research Ethics Committees in the UK, 1992.
- The Things That Matter (anthology of women’s spiritual poetry, Edited by JN), 1993.
- On Being Jewish, 1995.
- Dying Well: a guide to enabling a better death, 1999, 2nd edn 2004.
- Hidden Assets: values and decision-making in the NHS today, (ed with Bill New), 2002.
- The Moral State We’re In, 2005.
- Report on Volunteering, March 2008.
External links
- Baroness Neuberger profile at the site of Liberal Democrats
- 2004 Interview by Joan Bakewell for Belief (BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
) - Video interview with Baroness Neuberger on PMLiVE.com