Last week, South African Jews mourned the loss of their
beloved Emeritus Chief Rabbi Cyril K Harris, who passed away
after a year-long illness in the southern coastal town of
Hermanus. He was a few days short of his 69th birthday. The
levaya took place in Jerusalem on Thursday, following
a memorial service at Johannesburg International Airport the
previous day.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Rabbi Harris served as in South
Africa as Chief Rabbi of the Union of Orthodox Synagogues for
seventeen years until his retirement at the end of last
year.
Before coming to South Africa from London, he had a
distinguished career in the United Kingdom, where he was
Rabbi of three of its largest synagogues: Kenton, Edgeware
and St John's Wood.
South African Jewry is largely of Lithuanian origin and Rabbi
Harris' success in integrating quickly and easily into his
new community can be attributed at least in part to his own
Lithuanian roots, his grandparents on both sides having
immigrated to the United Kingdom in the first half of the
last century. He was a direct descendant, on his mother's
side, of the Vilna Gaon.
Energetic, charismatic and highly articulate, Rabbi Harris
wholeheartedly embraced his adopted country. During his term
of office, he devoted himself not only to religious and
Jewish communal affairs, but also to working for the greater
good of South African society. He became a national figure
during the immediate post-apartheid years, when he was at the
forefront of encouraging Jews to welcome the new multiracial
democracy and actively participate in contributing to it. He
later was a co-founder of MaAfrika Tikkun, a Jewish outreach
organization that promotes social upliftment in the
impoverished sections of the black community. His wife, Ann,
subsequently also became prominently involved in the
organization.
Commenting on Rabbi Harris' role during the transition years,
a spokesman for the Union of Orthodox Synagogues said that he
had been often labelled "the conscience of the Jewish
community." The spokesman further said that he had guided
South African Jewry "from the dark days of apartheid into a
democratic order" and had left behind "an unparalleled legacy
of spirituality, morality, justice and truth."
Rabbi Harris had a warm personal relationship with legendary
South African political leader Nelson Mandela, who referred
to him as "my Rabbi." He also impressed with his rousing
addresses on behalf of the Jewish community on important
state occasions, such as the inauguration of the first multi-
racial parliament in 1994 and at the funeral of Minister of
Housing Joe Slovo (a Lithuanian who contributed significantly
to South Africa's democratic revolution).
Although it meant sacrificing much of his popularity with the
media and government, however, he did not shrink from
forthrightly speaking out on behalf of the State of Israel
after the collapse of the Oslo peace process and consequent
vilification of Israel that ensued throughout South African
society.
Within the Jewish community, Rabbi Harris served on the
Jewish Board of Deputies, the SA Zionist Federation, the
Board of Jewish Education, the board of the SA Jewish Report,
amongst others. He was also active on the National Religious
Leaders' Forum, a collective religious voice aimed at
addressing, in particular, human rights issues.
Towards the end of his life, Rabbi Harris received a number
of prestigious honors from both the Jewish and the non-
Jewish establishment. These included the Jerusalem Prize and
the OBE (Officer of the British Empire), the latter being
conferred on him at the beginning of this year By Queen
Elizabeth II.
Rabbi Harris leaves his wife Ann, sons Rabbi Michael and
Jonathan Harris, five grandchildren, a brother Victor, and
two sisters, Leila and Marilyn.
