Adrian Jesner

Jesner with Israeli ambassador Mark Regev in Bournemouth, 2018. Source

Adrian Jesner in the Magazine of Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation, 2011. Source

Jesner and his wife Pamela Jesner, 2008. [The Jewish Chronicle, March 14 2008, page 47 Source]

Jesner at an event in Bournemouth celebrating 70 years of Israel’s existence, 2018. Source According to an account of the event: 'Yesterday evening we had a wonderful dinner to get the celebrations underway. The Menorah Suite was packed with 160 guests and the guests of honour, the Mayor and Mayoress of Bournemouth Mr & Mrs Lawrence Williams, Conor Burns MP and Elad Ratson, a diplomat from the Israeli Embassy in London. Brian Bradley was our MC for the night. Cllr Williams, Mr Ratson and Mr Burns spoke in that order and we were treated to some wonderful speeches. Mr Ratson summarised the achievements of Israel over the past 70 years and touched upon the growing and strengthening relations between the UK and Israel. Israel is now one of the biggest trading partners of the UK and this is expected to further grow after Brexit. He then took questions from the floor regarding the Israel-Iran conflict and the threat from cyberspace. As regards the first point he pointed out that we are heading towards a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran and then Israel has the strength and the means to deal with this threat and emerge victorious. As regards the second question he pointed out that Israel is one of the most tech savvy nations on the planet and is mobilizing its brainpower to deal with the Cyberspace threats. The last speaker of the night was Conor Burns MP who has been a staunch supporter to Israel. He had to apply for special permission from the Parliament to attend our event and we were delighted to have him. He spoke extremely well and left no one in any doubt that neither he or the present government will tolerate anti-Semitism or indeed anti-Zionism. He read a letter from the Prime Minister addressed to the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation which lifted all our spirits. We will be hanging this letter in the entrance of our Shul so that everyone can read it. Senior Trustee Geoffrey Feld gave the vote to thanks to all the speakers and to those involved in organising the event. Geoffrey spoke very well and wishes the UK government every success in dealing with the issue of anti-Semitism. After the speeches Rabbi Jesner led the benching followed by the UK National Anthem and the Hatikva.^[1]

Jesner’s feature in the Jewish Chronicle after being appointed Rabbi of Netherlee and Clakston Hebrew Congregation, changing from Garnethill Synagogue, Mar 16, 1990. [Source: The Jewish Chronicle, page 10

Jesner at a Council of Christians and Jews talk, 2022. Source

Jesner in the Magazine of Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation, 2011. Source

Jesner (centre) and Rev Barry Sklan (left) being presented a Megillah by Vicky Cohen, 2013.[Source: The Jewish Chronicle, page 7: Mar 08, 2013]

Rabbi Adrian Jesner (Born Pollok, Glasgow, 1951) studied at Israeli yeshivot and also has a degree from the Israel Torah Research Institute. In addition he is a qualified car mechanic. Rabbi Jesner served the Glasgow Jewish community for more than two decades. He was part-time rabbi at Queens Park Synagogue (1979-1982), at Crosshill Synagogue until its closure in 1986, and then Garnethill Synagogue (1987-1990). In 1990 he took up the position of minister at Netherlee and Clarkston Hebrew Congregation and in 2002 he briefly became joint minister on the amalgamation with his former synagogue at Queens Park. Rabbi Jesner was Chaplain to H.M. Prisons in Scotland for 25 years, a Vice-President of the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow and a trustee of the Glasgow Jewish Community Trust. Moving south of the border, he subsequently served as minister of the Reading Hebrew Congregation (2003-2008) and the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation. ^[2]

During the Yom Kippur War, 1973, he served in the IDF as a motor vehicle engineer.^[3] He was one of the signatories of a petition from rabbis expressing support to the Israel for rejecting the Reagan peace plan in the 80s.^[4]

The Jesner family

Jeremy Rosen wrote that the Jesner family is ‘the pillar of Orthodoxy in Glasgow, Scotland, since 1968. They, as a successful business family, took responsibility for Jewish life in Glasgow, supporting its rabbis and its yeshiva. The family has always been passionately committed to Judaism and Zionism.’^[5] Adrian is the son of Louis Jesner and the nephew of Isaac Jesner one of the key actors in the creationm of the Zionist movement in Glasgow.

He is the second cousin of Yoni Jesner, killed in a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.^[6]

Family

'The seven children, namely David, Philip and Jeffrey, the sons of George Jesner, Rosemary and Joseph, the daughter and son of Isaac Jesner, and Rebecca and Adrian, the daughter and son of Louis Jesner.'^[7]

Isaac Jesner | David Jesner | Jeffrey Jesner | Elie Jesner | Joseph Jesner (born 1943, Pollok, Glasgow) | Yonatan Jesner (born 1983, Eastwood and Mearns) | Avi Jesner
Jesbrow Foundation | Yoni Jesner Foundation | Jesner Charitable Trust | Glasgow Jewish Community Trust

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesner_v._Arab_Bank,_PLC

Notes

Jesner blessing the launch of a new billion dollar Royal Carribbean cruise ship, 2015. [Source: The Jewish Chronicle, page 5: Apr 24, 2015]

Jesner (right), Rabbi Jenny Goldfreid Amswych (Centre) and Jonathan Kaye, 2012.[Source: The Jewish Chronicle, page 6: Feb 17, 2012]

Jesner (right) with Chabad minister Rabbi Yossie Alperowitz (left) at Frank Harvey’s (centre) presentation of his bench, 2011.[Source: The Jewish Chronicle, page 6: Jan 14, 2011]

Jesner (left) and Bishop of Winchester Michael Scott-Joynt at the Bournemouth CCJ meeting, 2010. [Source: The Jewish Chronicle, 09: Oct 08, 2010]

Jesner and Neil Amswych at a playgroup, speaking to children about the High Holy Days, 2010. [Source: The Jewish Chronicle, page 6: Oct 01, 2010]

Lawrence Williams, Anne Filer, Neil Amswych and Jesner at a tree planting ceremony at Hannah Levy House, 2009. [Source: The Jewish Chronicle, page 9: Feb 20, 2009

Jesner reciting Kaddish at the Birkenau concentration camp, during an organised trip to Poland for Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation members, 2008. [Source: The Jewish Chronicle, page 45: Jun 27, 2008]