Pinchas Eliezer "Pini" Dunner (born September 25, 1970) is a British Orthodox rabbi based in California.
Early life
Dunner was born in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
UK. His father,
Aba Dunner (1937-2011), was a prominent Jewish community activist, renowned for his work on behalf of European Jewry. His grandfather, Rabbi
Josef Hirsch Dunner
Rabbi Josef Hirsch Dunner (4 January 1913 – 1 April 2007), aka "Harav Yosef Tzvi Halevi Dunner", was a distinguished hareidi rabbi from Germany, who spent most of his life in London, England. He served as Chief Rabbi of East Prussia before Wo ...
(1913-2007), was the last Chief Rabbi of
East Prussia
East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and later presiding Rabbi of the
Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations
The Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations is an umbrella organisation of Haredi Jewish communities in London, and has an estimated membership of over 6,000. It was founded in 1926, with the stated mission "to protect traditional Judaism", and ha ...
in London, where he led the strictly orthodox community for over 50 years.
Dunner spent his early years in the North London neighborhood of
Stamford Hill
Stamford Hill is an area in Inner London, England, about 5.5 miles north-east of Charing Cross. The neighbourhood is a sub-district of Hackney, the major component of the London Borough of Hackney, and is known for its Hasidic community, the l ...
. In 1976 his family moved to
Golders Green
Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in England. A smaller suburban linear settlement, near a farm and public grazing area green of medieval origins, dates to the early 19th century. Its bulk forms a late 19th century and ea ...
, a suburb in North West London with a large Jewish community.
After high school Dunner attended rabbinical seminaries in
Gateshead Talmudical College
Gateshead Talmudical College ( he, ישיבת בית יוסף גייטסהעד), popularly known as Gateshead Yeshiva, is located in the Bensham area of Gateshead in North East England. It is the largest yeshiva in Europe and considered to be one ...
,
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, and Yeshiva Mercaz Hatorah in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. In 1992 he was ordained as a rabbi by
Beth Medrash Govoha
Beth Medrash Govoha ( he, בית מדרש גבוה, Sephardi pronunciation: ''Beth Midrash Gavoha''. lit: "High House of Learning"; also known as Lakewood Yeshiva or BMG) is a Haredi Judaism, Haredi Jewish Misnagdim, Lithuanian ''yeshiva'' in Lake ...
, the largest Orthodox postgraduate rabbinical seminary in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. That same year Dunner was accepted into the Jewish History honors program at
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
. He graduated in 1996.
Personal life
Dunner is married to Sabine, née Ackerman, and they have six children. He is known for his extensive collection of Jewish controversy-related items, including books, periodicals, and manuscripts. He also began a series of online lectures about his collection at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Career
In the winter of 1991 Dunner moved to Moscow where he served as the assistant rabbi at
Moscow Choral Synagogue
The Moscow Choral Synagogue (russian: Московская Хopaльнaя Cинaгoга, ; he, בית כנסת הכוראלי של מוסקבה) is one of the main synagogues in Russia and in the former Soviet Union. It is located in central ...
.
In 1996 Dunner took over the failing daily Jewish radio program broadcast by Spectrum Radio, a multi-ethnic radio station based in
Battersea
Battersea is a large district in south London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and extends along the south bank of the River Thames. It includes the Battersea Park.
History
Batter ...
, London. Under his direction, the two-hour daily radio show became known for interviews with leading British and Israeli politicians, as well as for detailed news reports from Israel and the Jewish world.
In 1998 Dunner was invited by a group of philanthropists to set up and lead a trailblazing synagogue, called the
Saatchi Synagogue, in
Maida Vale
Maida Vale ( ) is an affluent residential district consisting of the northern part of Paddington in West London, west of St John's Wood and south of Kilburn. It is also the name of its main road, on the continuous Edgware Road. Maida Vale is p ...
, West London. “The Saatchi”, as it became known, quickly became a magnet for single postgraduate professional Jews wishing to meet each other in a friendly, non-coercive environment, although the unorthodox nature of its promotion techniques and social events resulted in criticism from the conservative British Jewish establishment.
In 2002, Dunner appeared on the popular BBC television motoring series
Top Gear
Top Gear may refer to:
* "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission
Television
* ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme
* ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the or ...
, coming fifth in the first-ever "Fastest Faith" competition.
In 2004, Dunner left Saatchi Synagogue and joined his family’s real estate business.
In 2019, Dunner authored a book, "Mavericks, Mystics and False Messiahs," which was nominated as a finalist for the
National Jewish Book Award
The Jewish Book Council (Hebrew: ), founded in 1944, is an organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature.[Yeshiva University High Schools of Los Angeles
The Yeshiva University High School of Los Angeles (abbreviated YULA, pronounced ) is a college-preparatory, Modern Orthodox Jewish high school founded in 1979 by Rabbi Marvin Hier. It has no affiliation with Yeshiva University in New York City.
...]
(YULA). Dunner moved with his family to the
Pico-Robertson Pico-Robertson is a relatively densely-populated neighborhood in the Westside of Los Angeles, California, flanked on the north, northeast, and west by Beverly Hills, on the east by Carthay and Mid-City, on the south by Mid-City, Beverlywood and ...
district of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, where his home became a magnet for teenagers and young adults eager to enhance their Jewish experience.
In March 2013, the
American Israel Public Affairs Committee
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC ) is a lobbying group that advocates pro-Israel policies to the legislative and executive branches of the United States. One of several pro-Israel lobbying organizations in the United Stat ...
(AIPAC) recognized the pro-Israel activism of Rabbi Dunner, presenting him with the ‘Ally of the Year’ award for being "a shining example of what a campus professional can mean to an entire school." In their press release, AIPAC stated: "
abbi Dunner'sprofound contribution to the creation of an environment on campus where students are excited to be involved in pro-Israel political activism has led activists at YULA to be some of the most productive in the country."
After two years at YULA, Dunner was appointed senior rabbi at
Young Israel of North Beverly Hills
Young may refer to:
* Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents
* Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood
Music
* The Young, an American roc ...
, also known as Beverly Hills Synagogue,
a
modern Orthodox
Modern may refer to:
History
*Modern history
** Early Modern period
** Late Modern period
*** 18th century
*** 19th century
*** 20th century
** Contemporary history
* Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century
Philosoph ...
Jewish community in the heart of
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...
, where he and his family now reside.
On June 12, 2019, Dunner was presented with the
Algemeiner
The ''Algemeiner Journal'', known informally as ''The Algemeiner'', is a newspaper based in New York City that covers American and international Jewish and Israel-related news.
History
In 1972, Gershon Jacobson founded the Yiddish-language ...
Honoree Award at the inaugural West Coast Algemeiner Gala.
On June 17, 2021, Dunner was presented with the YINBH Hechaver Award for exemplary leadership of his community during the COVID-19 pandemic, at the annual Beverly Hills Synagogue Gala Banquet.
On June 8, 2022, Dunner, along with
Dennis Prager
Dennis Mark Prager (; born August 2, 1948) is an American conservative radio talk show host and writer. He is the host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show ''The Dennis Prager Show''. In 2009, he co-founded PragerU, which creates five-m ...
, an American talk-show host, debated at the
Saban Theatre
The Saban Theatre ( ) is a historic theatre in Beverly Hills, California, formerly known as the Fox Wilshire Theater. It is an Art Deco structure at the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Hamilton Drive designed by architect S. Charles Lee ...
, Beverly Hills, about the inherence of good moral character and goodness in humans.
Agunot
In 1999, Dunner launched a public campaign against the phenomenon of Jewish husbands refusing to give their wives a Jewish document of divorce, known as a "Get", thereby preventing them from remarrying within the Jewish community, a status referred to as "
Agunah
An ''agunah'' ( he, עגונה, plural: agunot (); literally "anchored" or "chained") is a Jewish woman who is stuck in her religious marriage as determined by ''halakha'' (Jewish law). The classic case of this is a man who has left on a journey ...
".
Publications
As Author
* Mavericks, Mystics & False Messiahs: Episodes from the Margins of Jewish History (Koren, 2018)
* Hearts & Minds: An Original Look at Each Parsha in the Torah (Otzrot, 2021)
References
External links
Beverly Hills Synagogue WebsiteOfficial website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunner, Pini
1970 births
Agunot
British Jews
Living people
People from Stamford Hill
British emigrants to the United States
American people of British-Jewish descent
American people of German-Jewish descent