(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/121106-rabbi-rosenblatt.photoblog600.jpg)David Karp / AP, fileAlthough the official selection committee for a new chief rabbi remains mum, the Jewish press has put Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt, the leader of a thriving congregation in the Bronx on the most recent short list. Rosenblatt denies that he is a contender for the position.By Rachel Elbaum, NBC NewsLONDON - Time consuming, costly and agonizingly difficult: No matter what the scale -- from the American presidency (http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/06/14976592-victorious-obama-more-determined-in-face-of-challenges?lite) to a local youth organization -- choosing a new leader is never easy. Throw in a dose of religion, and the process only gets more complicated.
Britain’s Jewish community is currently in the midst of a once-in-a-generation process to select a new chief rabbi. The candidates are numerous, the process secretive and the role wide-ranging.
Whoever follows has big shoes to fill. In a country that has become increasingly secular, the current chief rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks (http://www.chiefrabbi.org/), is an internationally recognized spiritual figure. His influence reaches far beyond the boundaries of the rather small community of several hundred thousand Jews he represents. In his time as chief over the past 21 years, he has earned a reputation as a national treasure due in part to his frequent contributions to U.K. newspapers and radio programs.
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