The Rosh Beis Din of the Federation, Dayan Yisroel Yaakov Lichtenstein, has announced his intention to retire from the organisation within the next year, thus ensuring sufficient time for a successful handover.
Dayan Lichtenstein joined the Federation as Rosh Beis Din in 1988, just a few short months after the organisation celebrated its centenary. Born and bred in Boston, New York, the Dayan learnt in yeshivos in the USA as well as in the Brisk and the Mir yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel. He and his wife, Rebbetzin Rena Lichtenstein, who is the Head of Teaching and Learning at the Side by Side school in North London, spent the first decade of their married life in Eretz Yisroel, where the Dayan spent seven years doing shimush in halocho under R’Moshe Halberstam z”tkl of the Eidah Chareidis.
After being approached by the Federation in 1987, Dayan Lichtenstein and his Rebbetzin took the decision to move their young family to London. Over the course of the ensuing three decades, he focused his dayonus on several areas: improving standards in kashrus and shechita, the Beis Din, gittin and agunos and the Chevra Kadisha.
Following the announcement of his impending retirement, Andrew Cohen, President of the Federation said: “For the past thirty years, Dayan Lichtenstein has dedicated himself tirelessly to the strengthening of the kehillah in London and further afield. The picture of Orthodox Anglo-Jewry today is very different to what it was in 1988, and this is due in no small part to the avodas hakodesh he has devoted himself to over the years. He will be sorely missed in the Federation, but we have no doubt that the positive changes he has effected will continue to benefit the kehillah for many years into the future.”
Dayan Lichtenstein commented: “It has been a privilege and an honour to serve Anglo-Jewry in my position of Rosh Beis Din of the Federation. I have enjoyed my tenure here immensely and am proud of the Federation’s achievements in which I have been involved. As I reflect on the years of hard work, the verse in Tehillim: הזורעים בדמעה
ברנה יקצרו comes to mind. I will miss my
colleagues and will remain available to support the Federation in any way I can.”