Queen Elizabeth II concluded her 70-year reign on Sept. 8, 2022, with her passing at the age of 96.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
The Queen has been succeeded by her son Charles, Prince of Wales, who is married to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid took to Twitter to express condolences, calling the Queen “an extraordinary figure, a unique leader who symbolized devotion and love for her homeland.”
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog called the Queen’s death “the end of an era.”
“On behalf of the people of Israel, I mourn her passing and participate in the heavy mourning of the grieving British people and the British League of Nations, who lost the mother of the nation. She was a historical figure — lived the history, created history and left a glorious and inspiring legacy,” he wrote on Twitter, extending his condolences to King Charles and the royal family.
“During her long and significant tenure, the world changed dramatically, and in the face of this change she was a symbol of stable and responsible leadership, and a beacon of morality, humanity and patriotism,” he added. “In her life and in her service to her people, she reflected the spirit of deep-rooted tradition, integrity and mission.”
Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom Ephraim Mirvis released a video message on Twitter praising the queen, saying she “embodied the most noble values of British society.”
“Throughout her extraordinary reign, she conducted herself with grace, dignity and humility and was a global role model for distinguished leadership and selfless devotion to society. In an ever-changing world, she was a rock of stability and a champion of timeless values,” he added. “Every week in synagogue we have prayed for her welfare, wellbeing and wisdom, and she never let us down.”
He applauded her “warm relationship” with the Jewish community, adding that she had a particular commitment to “interfaith relations and Holocaust memorial.”
“I recall how, on one occasion, she showed me and my wife items of Jewish interest and value in her private collection in Windsor Castle, including a Torah scroll rescued from Czechoslovakia during the Holocaust. Her affection for the Jewish people ran deep, and her respect for our values was palpable,” he said.
The Conference of European Rabbis released a statement saying, “Together, Chief Rabbi Mirvis and the U.K. and the U.K. Jewish community, the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), its President Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt and the chairman of its Standing Committee Dayan Menachem Gelley join in mourning the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II. Her dignified, devoted leadership will endure as an exemplary model for all. May her family find comfort.”
Michael Goldstein, president of the United Synagogue, the largest synagogue body in Europe, called the Queen “a constant for generations of United Synagogue members, the wider Jewish community and the nation at large.”
“Since 1952, when Her Majesty the Queen ascended to the throne, there have been more than a dozen versions of the Prayer for the Royal Family to reflect changes to the royal family: marriages and, sadly, deaths,” he said. “The one constant in the prayer throughout the last 70 years has been ‘Our Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth.’”
“With a heavy heart, we shall now be issuing a new prayer to our communities as we join together to pray that God blesses our new King and puts a spirit and wisdom into his heart and into the heart,” he added.
“During her 70-year reign, Jewish communities in Great Britain, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and across the Commonwealth have flourished and grown in peace and security,” the World Jewish Congress tweeted.
The Jewish Agency for Israel, Stand With Us, the European Jewish Congress and the American Jewish Committee also expressed their condolences.
The Queen began her reign in 1953 at the age of 25, succeeding her father, King George VI. She was married to Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, for 73 years until his passing in April 2021. She ruled during key world events including the Cold War, the decolonization of Africa, Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, among many others.
