Haim Korsia. Photo: Twitter.

Haim Korsia

Chief rabbi of France

Haim Korsia, the former Jewish chaplain of the French army who was elected Chief Rabi last year, comes to the position at a time when France’s Jews are more vulnerable than at any other time since the Second World War.  A pluralist in matters of religion, Rabbi Korsia stated in a 2014 interview that “The durability of Judaism in France lies in being open to all tendencies.” Admitting that French Jews find themselves in a “time of despair,” he regards his immediate task as restoring confidence in both his office and the ability of the French Republic to deliver a secure future for its Jews. At the same time, he has warned that if the French authorities fail to deliver, “the efforts of the chief rabbi to convince French Jews not to leave the country will be in vain.”