Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the 11th Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth since 2013, has had a storied career, having held educational and community leadership positions in Israel, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Among his many roles, Rabbi Mirvis served as Chief Rabbi of Ireland from 1984 to 1992 and as senior rabbi at London’s Finchley United Synagogue, also known as Kinloss, from 1996 until he succeeded Rabbi Jonathan Sacks as chief rabbi in 2013.

Mizrachi Canada, in partnership with Shaarei Shomayim Congregation in Toronto and Congregation Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem in Montreal, presented a series of lectures in Toronto and Montreal from Oct. 31 to Nov. 5 by Rabbi Mirvis, who spoke about “A Jewish response to our new divided world.”

Answering questions via email in advance of his visit to Canada, Rabbi Mirvis addressed some of the challenges facing modern Jews.

What is the purpose of your visit to Toronto and Montreal? What can people expect from your speaking engagements? What message do you hope to leave our community?

I’m delighted to be visiting Canada, which has one of the largest and most successful Jewish communities in the world and is one of the jewels in the crown of Her Majesty’s Commonwealth. I am particularly looking forward to joining the wonderful communities in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, which are well known for their passion for Yiddishkeit and love for Israel. My aim as always, will be to leave Canada having formed and cultivated many more friendships and of course to hopefully enthuse and inspire as many people as possible.

In the three years you’ve held the position as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, is there anything you’ve learned from this role in particular? What is different about this role compared to the other esteemed positions you’ve held throughout your career?

There is an enormous amount of respect for the office of the chief rabbi, which is a great credit to the 10 individuals who held the office before me. That has given me an opportunity and a platform to serve Klal Yisrael in a way that few people are able to do. It’s a unique privilege and also a tremendous responsibility, which I relish.

How have things changed, if at all, since Rabbi Sacks held the post? Did he give you any advice about what to expect when you took over the reins?

Sadly, many of the key challenges that we face remain just as stark as they ever were. I speak often about “the three As:” anti-Semitism, assimilation and apathy.

READ: JEWS NEED ALLIES TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM: RABBI SACKS

But we have so many exciting opportunities at our fingertips as well. There are more young people in Jewish education than ever before right around the world, and there are more learning programs, more opportunities to engage in social responsibility, etc. Today, our children are being raised in a society which is perhaps more hostile to the idea of faith and Godliness than ever before, so their responsibility to make a positive impact on the world weighs more heavily on their shoulders.

I read that in 2012, you appointed the first female Orthodox halachic adviser in Britain and that you encourage women to be involved in synagogue life. How do you feel about Orthodox women who have been ordained and call themselves rabbis?

We have a responsibility to ensure that young Jewish women of today can immerse themselves in the beauty and spirituality of the Jewish experience and of course, inspiring role models is a key part of that.

There is no concept of female rabbis in Orthodox Judaism, but we do have remarkable female educators and community leaders and we need to do more to ensure that they are given the platform to inspire more people to be just like them.

I recently launched Maayan, a dedicated qualification in the United Kingdom to train some of the most talented young women in our community so that they are ready to take on community roles.

You commented recently about the UNESCO vote that said Jews don’t have a connection to the Temple Mount. What do you think are the implications of this?

I do not expect that the vote will have any implication whatsoever – we don’t need UNECSO to validate our eternal relationship with Har Habayit [the Temple Mount].

READ: ISRAEL SUSPENDS TIES WITH UNESCO OVER JERUSALEM VOTE

What do you think are some of the biggest challenges facing Jewish people in Israel and abroad? Do Jews in the United Kingdom have challenges that differ from those in North America? 

Of “the three As” mentioned above, I think apathy poses perhaps the greatest threat to Jewish communities across the world. We live in a time of unprecedented success and opportunity, but it has never been more important for us to protect our heritage.

This interview has been edited and condensed for style and clarity.