Hugo Gryn
Encyclopedia
Hugo Gabriel Gryn was a British
Reform
rabbi
who was a popular broadcaster and a leading voice in interfaith dialogue.
Hugo Gryn was born into a prosperous Jewish family in the market town of Berehovo in Carpathian Ruthenia
, which was then in Czechoslovakia
.
Gryn’s family were interned in Auschwitz in 1944. Hugo and his mother survived but his brother and father were killed. Gryn came to Britain in 1946. After training as a rabbi in America, he spent several years in Bombay, moving to London in 1965, where he served in one of the largest congregations in Europe, the West London Synagogue
, for 32 years. Gryn became a regular radio broadcaster and appeared for many years on BBC Radio 4
's "Thought for the Day" and "The Moral Maze".
In 1989, Gryn returned to Berehovo together with his daughter Naomi to make a film about his childhood. After his death, Naomi Gryn edited his autobiography, also called Chasing Shadows, which deals movingly with his experiences as a holocaust survivor.
He was married to Jacqueline, and had four children - Gaby, Naomi, Rachelle and David.
He died on 18 August 1996 and is buried at Golders Green Jewish Cemetery
. He was described as "probably the most beloved rabbi in Great Britain" by Rabbi Albert Friedlander
, who was also the author of the entry about Gryn in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Reform
Reform Judaism (United Kingdom)
Reform Judaism in the United Kingdom in one of the two forms of Progressive Judaism found in the United Kingdom, the other being Liberal Judaism. Reform Judaism is both historically earlier and more traditionalist than Liberal Judaism....
rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
who was a popular broadcaster and a leading voice in interfaith dialogue.
Hugo Gryn was born into a prosperous Jewish family in the market town of Berehovo in Carpathian Ruthenia
Carpathian Ruthenia
Carpathian Ruthenia is a region in Eastern Europe, mostly located in western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast , with smaller parts in easternmost Slovakia , Poland's Lemkovyna and Romanian Maramureş.It is...
, which was then in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
Gryn’s family were interned in Auschwitz in 1944. Hugo and his mother survived but his brother and father were killed. Gryn came to Britain in 1946. After training as a rabbi in America, he spent several years in Bombay, moving to London in 1965, where he served in one of the largest congregations in Europe, the West London Synagogue
West London Synagogue
The West London Synagogue of British Jews was established on 15 April 1840. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the United Kingdom and the oldest Reform synagogue in the UK.-History:...
, for 32 years. Gryn became a regular radio broadcaster and appeared for many years on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's "Thought for the Day" and "The Moral Maze".
In 1989, Gryn returned to Berehovo together with his daughter Naomi to make a film about his childhood. After his death, Naomi Gryn edited his autobiography, also called Chasing Shadows, which deals movingly with his experiences as a holocaust survivor.
He was married to Jacqueline, and had four children - Gaby, Naomi, Rachelle and David.
He died on 18 August 1996 and is buried at Golders Green Jewish Cemetery
Golders Green Jewish Cemetery
The Golders Green Jewish Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery in London. It is also known as Hoop Lane Jewish Cemetery. It is maintained by the West London Synagogue.-Location:...
. He was described as "probably the most beloved rabbi in Great Britain" by Rabbi Albert Friedlander
Albert Friedlander
Albert Hoschander Friedlander was a rabbi and teacher.Friedlander, born on 10 May 1927 in Berlin was the son of a textile broker, Alex Friedlander and Sali Friedlander...
, who was also the author of the entry about Gryn in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.