Religious Leadership

Rabbi Daniel Epstein was the Senior Rabbi at The Western Marble Arch Synagogue in London’s West End, a role he has held since March 2021, alongside his wife, Ilana. Originally from London, Rabbi Epstein married Ilana Spitz (from New York), and after living in Israel for a time, he began his career in public relations, later founding his own successful PR firm.
 
In 2012, Rabbi Epstein received his semicha, and in 2014, he and his family returned to London, where he became the Senior Rabbi of Cockfosters & North Southgate Synagogue, leading a vibrant community of 1,200 members. Rabbi Epstein is also involved in adult education programs covering Torah, political thought, and social issues, and is a passionate advocate for raising awareness about mental health challenges within the Jewish community. Since 2016, he has served as the Rabbinic governor of JFS School, Europe's largest Jewish high school.
 
In 2023, Rabbi Epstein and Ilana were honoured as members of the inaugural cohort of Sacks Scholars, a prestigious group of international leaders dedicated to perpetuating the teachings of Rabbi Sacks z”l.
 
Rabbi Epstein studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel, where he learned under the guidance of Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein z”l and Rabbi Yehudah Amital z”l. He later received semicha from Rabbi Aharon Ziegler of Kollel Agudat Achim/Orayta, followed by advanced Rabbinic studies at the Straus-Amiel post-ordination Rabbinics School under Rabbi Shlomo Riskin. In addition to his rabbinic training, Rabbi Epstein holds a BSc (Hons) ARCS in Chemistry and Management Science from Imperial College London.
 
Ilana was educated at Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women, where she studied Art History and Judaic Studies. She has had a distinguished career in Jewish education, most recently serving as the Director of Educational Projects and Chief Learning Officer at Jewish Futures. She is currently an independent educational consultant with clients such as the Conference of European Rabbi’s, The Rabbi Sacks Legacy Trust, and the Holocaust Educational Trust.  In addition to her educational work, Ilana is a qualified French patisserie chef and a passionate educator of Jewish history and lifestyle, often using food and culinary history as a unique lens through which to explore Jewish life.