Rabbi Dr Benjamin Elton has been Chief Minister of The Great Synagogue since 2015. Born in Manchester, England, Rabbi Elton earned an MA in History at Queens’ College, Cambridge and a PhD in Jewish History at Birkbeck, University of London. For seven years he worked in the Ministry of Justice in London and then studied for four years at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT) in New York. There, he was editor of its journal, a member of its Advanced Kollel and winner of the prize for excellence in Talmudic study.
As part of his pastoral training Rabbi Elton undertook residencies as a hospital chaplain and leading a grief support group. He received Semicha from YCT in June 2015, and also has Semicha from Rabbi Chaim Rapoport of London. In addition to his 2014 book, Britain’s Chief Rabbis and the Religious Character of Anglo-Jewry, 1880–1970, he has authored several articles on Anglo-Jewish and Australian Jewish religious history and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society of London.
He is the Vice President of the Rabbinical Association of Australasia, sits on the Executive of the Rabbinical Council of New South Wales and is an Honorary Associate at the University of Sydney, Jewish Chaplain to the Returned Services League (NSW Branch) and Orthodox Rabbinic Consultant to the both the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. He is a former President of the New South Wales Council of Christians and Jews. Rabbi Elton is married to Hinda Young are they are proud parents of Elizabeth (Lizzie) Solomon (Salo) and David.
Doctor Benjamin Elton