Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020) was a prominent British Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author who served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. Born into a Lithuanian Jewish immigrant family in London, he became one of the most influential Jewish leaders of his generation, known for his eloquent writings and speeches that bridged Jewish thought with contemporary global issues. Sacks was knighted in 2005 for services to the community and elevated to the peerage as Baron Sacks of Aldgate in 2009, allowing him to sit in the House of Lords where he contributed to debates on faith, ethics, and social policy. His tenure as Chief Rabbi was marked by efforts to revitalize British Jewry, promote interfaith dialogue, and address challenges like secularism and antisemitism.

Educated at Cambridge and Oxford, Sacks combined rigorous academic training in philosophy with rabbinic ordination, authoring over 30 books including 'The Dignity of Difference' (2002), which won the Grawemeyer Award for Religion, and 'Not in God's Name' (2015), exploring violence and religion. He held professorships at Yeshiva University and King's College London, and after retiring as Chief Rabbi, continued as a global speaker and commentator until his death from cancer. Sacks was praised for his intellectual depth and moral clarity but occasionally criticized for his conservative stances on issues like homosexuality within Orthodox Judaism. His legacy endures through the Jonathan Sacks Foundation, which promotes his teachings on covenantal ethics and human dignity.