Rabbi-and-Kohen Avraham Yitzchak Kook Was Also an Honorary ‘DOCTOR’ and ‘SIR’!

It is fascinating to note two universal citations not usually recorded by his biographers – the Universität Bern in the Swiss capital awarded Rav Kook an honorary doctorate in recognition of his scholarship, and King George V bestowed the British Royal CBE order of chivalry* – he was officially notified June 11, 1922 by Sir Herbert Samuel in Jerusalem and originally supposed to receive it officially by the King when he passed through London in November 1924**. These reports seems to be credible , although to say “Rav Dr. Kook” would be totally incongruous in today’s Mercaz Harav, and thus not surprising that such a distinction would be obscured.

* The award of the CBE, “Commander British Empire”, is the third level of the British Empire order of chivalry. This order of the British Empire was instituted on June 4, 1917 by King George V (reigned 1910-1936). King George wished to honor thousands of people who served in non-combatant capacities during the World War. The friendship in Jerusalem of British High Commissioner Herbert Samuel and Rav Kook could explain the circumstances of this award. It will be noted later that Samuel is the personage who directed Harry Fischel to build a residence for the Chief Rabbi.

**This was on his way back from America via England. See Bernard Homa, A Fortress in Anglo-Jewry, The Story of the Machzike Hadath, London, 1953, pg. 88. Homa reports that he received “a cable from Sir Herbert Samuel, then High Commissioner for Palestine, addressed to Rabbi Kook at the Machzike Hadath asking him to be prepared to be received officially by the King, perhaps to receive personally from His Majesty the award of the C.B.E. that had already been bestowed upon him.” On Homa and Rav Kook’s career in his congregation in London see below.