Josef "Joe" Lobenstein MBE (April 1927 – 28 June 2015) was a spokesman for the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations and a former Conservative politician in London.
Lobenstein managed an electrical wholesale business.
Political career
editLobenstein entered local politics in 1962 as a member of the former Metropolitan Borough of Stoke Newington. In 1968 he became a councillor for the London Borough of Hackney. Mr. Lobenstein served in many capacities, as an alderman from 1971 to 1974 and as chair of the Planning and Highways Committee from 1970 to 1971.
Lobenstein, served as a Councillor in Hackney for more than thirty years. For many years, he was the only non-Labour party councillor in Hackney.[1] He was the Mayor of Hackney Borough Council four times in a row.
He was the leader of the Conservative group of Councillors until 1997.[2]
Jewish Community Leader
editLobenstein was the president of the Adath Yisroel Synagogue.[3] In 2012 Joe Lobenstein was appointed as President of the Stamford Hill Shomrim, a Jewish volunteer Neighbourhood Patrol Group. He was formerly the vice-president of the Orthodox Hebrew Congregation[4] and chairman of their external affairs committee.[5]
Awards
editIn 1980, Lobenstein was awarded an MBE honour for his outstanding political and social activities in the London Borough of Hackney. In 1997, he was awarded Freedom of the Borough in honour of his eminent service to the Council and the borough.
Personal life
editIn 1939, Lobenstein, along with his family, fled from Hanover to escape the Nazis. He and his wife Bella had eight children. Lobenstein died in London at the age of 88 on 28 June 2015.[6][7]
References
edit- ^ Councillor Lobenstein elected Mayor of Hackney for third time in a row Archived 2006-07-27 at the Wayback Machine, Hackney Borough Council, 13/5/99
- ^ Mayor elected for the second time Archived 2006-07-27 at the Wayback Machine, Hackney Borough Council
- ^ "Tributes pour in following death of Joe Lobenstein MBE aged 88". Hackney Citizen. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- ^ Terror in London: Blacks, Asians and Jews on attack alert[permanent dead link], The Independent, May 2, 1999 by Hilary Clarke and Rezayk Laskar
- ^ Krieger, Candice (18 January 2008). "Outrage over mixed-sex hospital wards". The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Alt URL
- ^ "Joe Lobenstein, Hackney councillor - obituary". The Telegraph. 9 July 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ^ "Joe Lobenstein MBE: Diane Abbott leads tributes to Orthodox Jewish community stalwart, dead at 88". The Evening Standard. 28 June 2015.