Guests at the 2024 Sacks Conversation in Jerusalem were given a rare glimpse into the personal archives of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, including correspondence with the UK’s King Charles and a deeply personal letter to the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
The event, held at the National Library as part of the Rabbi Sacks Global Day of Learning on Thursday, marked four years since his passing.
Among the displayed documents was a letter from Charles, then prince of Wales, written in response to a note of congratulations from Sacks upon the announcement of his engagement to Camilla Parker Bowles.
The letter began with a few formal lines on headed notepaper, followed by nearly a page in Charles’s handwriting, starting with “Dear chief rabbi.” The letter’s warmth and handwritten elements reflected the personal regard between the two figures.
Another highlight was a letter Sacks sent to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, in 1990, seeking guidance on whether to accept the role of chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth.
The typed letter posed the question, “Should I take the position?” In a poignant response, Schneerson returned the letter with a simple proofreading mark that inverted the question into a statement: “I should take the position.”
Preserving a legacy of influence
These letters, now preserved in the National Library, are part of a broader collection donated earlier this year. The archives include handwritten notes, speeches, and correspondence with global leaders, offering a unique perspective on Sacks’s far-reaching influence as a religious leader and moral thinker.
The event, themed “The People of the Book,” highlighted Sacks’s enduring commitment to dialogue and learning, drawing participants from 150 communities across five continents. The discussion featured US Ambassador to Israel Jacob J. Lew and Jerusalem-born educator Rachel Sharansky Danziger, who reflected on Sacks’s teachings and their relevance today.
The letters on display, particularly the exchanges with Charles and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, offered a personal lens into pivotal moments of Sacks’s life and career. They underscored his role as a bridge-builder between diverse worlds, connecting royalty, religious leaders, and the broader global community.