ר׳ יוסף צבי הרץ

ר׳ יוסף צבי הרץ (1872–1946), Joseph Herman Hertz in English, served from 1913 until his death as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Empire. Born in Rebrény, he emigrated to New York as a child and became the first rabbinical graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1894. He served congregations in Syracuse, Johannesburg and Manhattan before moving to London. His 1920–1921 Imperial tour linked distant Jewish communities across the British Empire. He defended Orthodox practice, supported Zionism, aided refugees from Nazism and helped found the Council of Christians and Jews. His Pentateuch and Haftorahs, prayer-book commentary and Book of Jewish Thoughts became enduring educational works.