Rabbi Lord Sacks' Templeton Prize celebrated at King's

On 2 November the Principal and the Dean hosted a small dinner at King’s College London to celebrate the award of the 2016 Templeton Prize to Rabbi Lord Sacks FKC, one of our most distinguished alumni (see
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/newsevents/news/newsrecords/2016/03%20March/Rabbi-Sacks-Awarded-2016-Templeton-Prize-.aspx for more information about the award of the Prize).  Professor Edward Byrne and the Revd Canon Professor Richard Burridge were delighted to welcome Lord and Lady Sacks to the Council Room at the Strand campus for the evening, where they were joined by Biblical Studies staff from the Department of Theology & Religious Studies, current students, and other friends and colleagues.

The Dean outlined Rabbi Sacks’ long involvement with King’s, from his PhD studies in the late 1970s/early 1980s, through his involvement in teaching before and during his time as Chief Rabbi, to his more recent contributions as Professor (now Emeritus Professor) of Law, Ethics & the Bible.  In response, Rabbi Sacks warmly expressed how much the relationship with King’s continues to mean to him, and how valuable he regards King’s position as a university institution where spirituality and the exploration of faith is encouraged and nurtured. 

Professor Byrne commented that “It was a particular delight to host Rabbi Lord Sacks back at King’s.  The 2016 Templeton Prize is a wonderful recognition of the respect and esteem in which he is held in contemporary British society and around the world.  I am very grateful for the tribute he paid to the importance of his relationship with King’s, and the central role of spirituality at the heart of King’s.”

Photos (credit Rabbi Gavin Broder):

1. Rabbi Gavin Broder (Rabbi to the London universities), Professor Edward Byrne (President & Principal, King’s College London), Rabbi Lord Sacks, and the Revd Canon Professor Richard Burridge (Dean, King’s College London).
2. Rashi Benarroch (2^nd year Chemistry student), Prof Burridge, Rabbi Broder, Lady Sacks, Rabbi Lord Sacks, Ezra Citron (2^nd year Maths student, Jewish Society Co-President), Ben Hunt (KCLSU President), and Joelle Reid (2^nd year Political Economy student, Jewish Society Co-President).