Letter to Sukkat Shalom and Neve Shalom about my Sabbatical
Dear Friends,
By now most of you will have heard that I’m going on sabbatical leave for the first half of 2025. The sabbatical is primarily from my main employment, as senior lecturer at Leo Baeck College. I have been working there continuously for 33 years, whether as a visiting fellow, full-time lecturer, casual lecturer or (currently) part-time senior lecturer, but this is the first time I have had a sabbatical. I have also been working for Sukkat Shalom, for 19 years, and for Neve Shalom, for ten years, and both communities have kindly agreed to allow me sabbatical leave as well. I will also take time off from my unpaid role as Rosh Beit Din of Liberal Judaism.
As well as having a break from the unremitting routine of teaching, preaching and travelling up and down the UK, I plan to spend my time doing research on the life and works of the great Jewish opera composer Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791–1864). Born into a wealthy Berlin Jewish family (early patrons of Reform Judaism), he became a pioneer of the genre of grand opéra, the vast, lavish, state-sponsored, five-act opera-and-ballet spectaculars that dominated the Paris and international opera scene in the middle decades of the 19th century. The enormous fame he enjoyed in his lifetime was later eclipsed, partly by a change in operatic fashion, but mainly due to the vicious antisemitic abuse heaped on him by Wagner, which is why many of you might not even have heard his name.
Since I became deeply interested in Meyerbeer, during my convalescence from heart surgery in 2022, I have conceived a theory about Jewish themes hidden beneath the surface of his Parisian operas, especially Les Huguenots (1836), Le Prophète (1849) and L’Africaine (1865). These include Enlightenment and Emancipation, religious persecution, intermarriage, conversion (to Christianity) and resistance to conversion, all issues of vital importance to Jews in Meyerbeer’s time and social circle. This has barely been discussed before, so I hope now to back up my theory with research and put it all into writing.
I will be at home for much of the time, but will probably visit Berlin, where the Meyerbeer archives are. I also plan to spend some time – more than just a brief holiday – in my native Australia, and I would love to go to Israel as well.
Although I will be on leave from regular rabbinic duties, I can be contacted and will respond in any emergency situations – but I hope the need for that won’t arise! I will miss seeing people and being part of the communities’ life, but I know that our lay leaders, service takers and members will do a wonderful job keeping things going. There will be a chance to benefit from some rabbinic visits and new voices. God willing, I will be back, re-energised, in July.
With warm wishes to all, for a happy Chanukkah and a safe, healthy, prosperous 2025.
Rabbi Mark
