UK’s first openly gay rabbi was a regular on BBC Radio 4 slot for nearly 30 years and was known for chuckling at his own jokes

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Lionel Blue, the gay liberal rabbi who endeared himself to listeners of the Today programme’s Thought for the Day by frequently chuckling at his own jokes, has died aged 86.

Blue, who was awarded an OBE for his services to broadcasting, was a regular on the BBC Radio 4 slot for nearly 30 years. In recent decades, he had two heart bypasses, two bouts of cancer and Parkinson’s disease.



Announcing his death on Facebook, representatives of the liberal London synagogue, Beit Klal Yisrael, wrote: “Lionel was a wonderful and inspirational man, who spoke with such wisdom and humour and whose words reached out far beyond the Jewish community.



“He was a friend and mentor to many and his courage in coming out as gay in the 1970s paved the way for many other Jews, including many rabbis. We will not see his like again. May his memory be for a blessing.”



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Rabbi Jonathan Romain, the minister of Maidenhead synagogue and a writer and broadcaster, said: “For several decades Lionel Blue became the indispensable Monday morning wake-up call for millions in Britain, mixing religious insights with honesty and humour.



“He never pretended that life was easy, or that religion solved everything; instead, he shared his own failings and foibles, and showed how to get through the rest of the day.



“Through the popularity of his broadcasts and books, he made rabbis more human, Judaism more understandable, and faith in general more user-friendly.



“It was a tribute to the way he bridged religious differences that it was often quipped that Rabbi Blue would have been a wonderful choice as the next archbishop of Canterbury.



“Without doubt, Lionel Blue was God’s best PR man in Britain.”



Rabbi Charley Baginsky, Liberal Judaism’s director of strategy and a student of Blue’s, described him as a “pioneering rabbi, teacher and mentor”.

She added: “He entertained the nation for decades with media appearances. On a personal level, Lionel was the archetypal rabbi’s rabbi – always there for us as individuals, helping us understand our own personal and spiritual journeys.

“And he leaves a legacy like few others. As the first British rabbi publicly to come out as gay, in the 1970s, Lionel paved the way for many others, including clergy of all faiths. His courage and pioneering spirit have created a more equal Judaism, and a more equal world.”

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Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, senior rabbi to Reform Judaism, said: “Rabbi Lionel, as a teacher, writer and much-loved national broadcaster, transformed how Britain viewed Jews, Judaism and, most importantly, ourselves. May his memory be a blessing.”

Born in London’s East End, the son of a Russian tailor, Blue studied history at Oxford, where his realisation about his sexuality led to a suicide attempt. He was ordained in 1960, and became the first rabbi to come out publicly.



He met Jim, his partner for more than 30 years, through a personal ad in the Gay Times.



Blue’s homilies on Thought for the Day nearly always ended with a humorous story to illustrate his point, accompanied by chuckles and often affectionate banter with the programme’s presenters.

