The new chief rabbi and archbishop face strikingly similar problems

From The Guardian-

There are intriguing parallels between Monday's announcement of the appointment of Ephraim Mirvis as the new chief rabbi and the recent appointment of Justin Welby as the new archbishop of Canterbury. The chief rabbinate, an institution that not all Jewish communities today and throughout history have seen as necessary, was closely modelled in Britain on the Church of England. British chief rabbis, from the 18th century onwards, sought to demonstrate the decorum and responsibility of British Jews by modelling their office on the established church.

Both Mirvis and Welby are stepping into the shoes of predecessors known for their intellectual ability. Outgoing chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks and outgoing archbishop Rowan Williams were two of the finest minds ever to hold those offices. Their successors, while certainly substantial, are not public intellectuals.

Both Mirvis and Welby are patently decent, well-liked people. They are consensual figures. While Mirvis is South African-born and has served as chief rabbi of Ireland, he is principally known in the British Jewish community for the vibrancy he has nurtured at Finchley United Synagogue, one of the flagship communities of Anglo-Jewry.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2012/dec/19/chief-rabbi-archbishop-problems