Mark Winer - Biography

Rabbi Mark L. Winer is the former senior Rabbi at the West London Synagogue, the Movement for Reform Judaism's flagship synagogue. He retired September 23rd 2010. He was granted the emeritus position of senior scholar for three years.

Rabbi Winer was born in Utah and raised in Texas. He graduated from Harvard Magna Cum Laude and earned a PhD at Yale in Sociology, Comparative Religion, Contemporary Jewry and Race and Ethnic Relations. Rabbi Winer served as a congregational Rabbi for over thirty years in the USA.

Prior to becoming Senior Rabbi at West London Synagogue of British Jews in 1998,<ref ></ref> he was the President of the National Council of Synagogues (USA), as well as heading the Foundation to Advance Interfaith Trust and Harmony (USA). He has been involved in several international events, including resolving the issues that led to the Treaty between Israel and the Vatican. He was also a key negotiator for the release of Ethiopian Jews and the resolution to the dispute over the Carmelite convent at Auschwitz.

He is Chairman of the International Interfaith Task Force for the World Union for Progressive Judaism. He has twice been designated as Chaplain to the Lord Mayor of Westminster, in 2000-2001 for Councillor Michael Brahams, and in 2008-2009 for Councillor Louise Hyams.