Rudi Leavor

Rudi Leavor, BEM (born 31 May 1926, Berlin, Germany) is a Jewish community leader in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Leavor, along with his parents and sister, left Nazi Germany for Bradford in 1937, when he was 11, all were refugees. He attended Bradford Grammar School, and later Leeds University where he trained to become a dentist. He later had a successful dental practise based in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire.[1][2]

Other German Jewish Refugees came to Bradford in 1939 as part of a Kindertransport scheme based at the Carlton Hostel in Manningham.

Rudi Leavor became President and Chairman of the Bradford Reform Synagogue in 1975 and represents the Bradford Jewish community at civic events in Bradford and further afield.[3][4] At the age of 86, with the financial assistance of the local Muslim community, he was involved in restoration work on the Grade 11 listed Bradford Reform Synagogue.[5]

Jani Rashid joined the Synagogue council in January 2015; the council is involved with the administration and operation of the Synagogue. This appointment is thought to be the first for a Muslim. Leavor, Rashid and Zulfi Karim representing the Bradford Council of Mosques work to strengthen social bonds between the Jewish, Muslim and other communities and faiths in the City of Bradford.[6][7]

In 2017 Rudi Leavor was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queens Birthday's Honours List, for his work with the local Jewish Community and in interfaith and community relations.[8]

References
  1. "Bradford synagogue saved by city's Muslims | UK news | The Guardian". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  2. "Rudi Leavor | Making Their Mark: Bradford Jewish". bradfordjewish.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  3. "VIDEO: Candles lit to remember Holocaust victims and survivors (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)". thetelegraphandargus.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  4. "Halifax Minster will see the chairman of the Bradford Synagogue light a candle for special Holocaust service | The Diocese of Leeds". westyorkshiredales.anglican.org. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  5. "Bradford Muslims Rally To Save Synagogue From Closure". huffingtonpost.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  6. "Interfaith boost as Bradford Synagogue recruits Muslim | The Jewish Chronicle". thejc.com. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  7. "City's synagogue council appoints first Muslim member as 'strikingly close' relations between two faiths deepen further (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)". m.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  8. http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/15353763.Bradfordians_honoured_in_centenary_Queen__39_s_birthday_honours_list/
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