ר׳ חנוך הכהן ארנטרוי

ר׳ חנוך הכהן ארנטרוי (1932–2022) was a German-born British dayan who shaped Orthodox religious courts in Britain and continental Europe. Born in Frankfurt to ר׳ ישראל ארנטרוי and Bertha Jung, he escaped Nazi Germany with his family in 1938. After British schooling he studied at Gateshead Yeshiva. In 1960 he founded Sunderland Kollel and led it until 1979, when he became communal rabbi and head of the Manchester Beth Din. Chief Rabbi ר׳ עמנואל יעקובוביץ appointed him Rosh Beth Din of London in 1984. During more than two decades he strengthened professional standards in conversion, gittin, kashrut and financial adjudication and supported the North-West London eruv. After retiring in 2007 he continued European work as head of the European Beth Din, supervised conversion systems for the Conference of European Rabbis and helped establish the renewed Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary in Berlin. He maintained close consultation with ר׳ יוסף שלום אלישיב and ר׳ שלמה זלמן אויערבך. He died in London on 24 November 2022. His legacy lies chiefly in judicial leadership and institution-building rather than a published authored sefer.