Passing of Rabbi Aba Dunner

Rabbi Aba Dunner

This past week, Aba Dunner, Executive Director of the Conference of European  Rabbis, succumbed to cancer. He was 74.

http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/51831/pillar-european-jewry-aba-dunner-mourned

In his final months, Rabbi Dunner had expressed his concern over the Olive Tree Initiative. He was so concerned about it that last January, he wrote a public letter to the Orange County Jewish Federation  asking them to reconsider Federation funding and support for this UC-Irvine-based project.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2011/01/european-rabbis-weigh-in-on-olive-tree.html

In  response, Rabbi Dunner was inundated with letters, e-mails and phone calls from OTI supporters. In late January,  he received a correspondence from the embattled Federation  asking for a March meeting in London, where Dunner was based. The Federation informed Dunner that it would be sending a group to London to discuss the OTI  with the rabbi. Dunner wrote back informing the Federation that he (Dunner) would be out of town and not available.

All of which raises the question of what business does the Orange County Jewish Federation have in sending a group of  their leaders to London to argue on behalf of the Olive Tree Initiative-and what funding would be used to finance such travel. But, of course, I digress.

I am sorry to hear of the passing of Rabbi Dunner. His wisdom will surely be missed.