Julia Neuberger

Julia Neuberger

Chair, Commission on the Future of Volunteering in England

Baroness Julia Neuberger is an ordained rabbi and member of Britian's House of Lords. The "On Faith" panelist also is a trustee of the British Council, Jewish Care, and the Booker Prize Foundation, as well as founding trustee of the Walter and Liesel Schwab Charitable Trust. She has served as Chairman of Camden & Islington Community Health Services NHS Trust and Chief Executive of the King's Fund—a major independent health charity. Currently she chairs the Commission on the Future of Volunteering in England . In the House of Lords, she is a Liberal Democrat member and in early 2006 she was Bloomberg Professor at Harvard University Divinity School . Neuberger writes, speaks, makes trouble, and has published several books, of which the latest is The Moral State We're In (2006). She is working on a book about old age, and thinking about a new book on death and dying, as well as one as a counterblast to Richard Dawkins on why religion is so important in the rather godless United Kingdom. Close.

Julia Neuberger

Chair, Commission on the Future of Volunteering in England

Baroness Julia Neuberger is an ordained rabbi and member of Britian's House of Lords. The "On Faith" panelist also is a trustee of the British Council, Jewish Care, and the Booker Prize Foundation, as well as founding trustee of the Walter and Liesel Schwab Charitable Trust. more »

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Still So Much to Do

If you feel, as I do, that God has set you here to improve the lives of those who are disadvantaged, you can never be satisfied.

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All Comments (3)

Soja John Thaikattil, Sydney, Australia:

Dear Baroness Neuberger

It is wonderful that you bloom where you are planted by God by doing the very best you can and you do it with a consciousness of God's unique purpose in your life. Your life is an inspiration to me, as is the life of all who serve God to the best of their ability.

Even while it appears off topic, I wish to bring to your notice an issue that has to do with helping the disadvantaged in the UK: Since you speak about health in the House of Lords and you are writing a book about old age, I thought I might request you to consider being a voice to advocate co-fortification with vitamin B12, when flour/bread is fortified with folic acid, and public education targeted for those above the age of forty about B12 deficiency in old age. I'm among several who recommended co-fortification with vitamin B12 for the sake of the elderly, which, because of its preventative benefit, could save millions in health costs. I like to imagine I'm the first one who recommended that public education targeted for those above the age of forty about B12 deficiency in old age, be begun as soon as possible. UK Food Standards Agency will shortly recommend mandatory fortification with folic acid to the health ministers in UK. I have contributed my mite to the UK effort by making a submission to UK FSA on 13 March 2007, and earlier to SACN in January 2006.

My submission to SACN and to FSANZ (which was one of the documents submitted to UK FSA in March 2007)on the topic of mandatory fortification with folic acid can be viewed online at:

http://www.sacn.gov.uk/pdfs/health_service_australia.pdf

http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/labellingnutrition/supplements/documents/s_j_thaikattil_annex.pdf


Soja John Thaikattil
Sydney, Australia

Viejita del oeste:

You don't have to believe in a personal divinity to have the sense to be grateful. Good reminder about where contentment comes from, for those of any or no faith as well.

Ron Burgandy:


Tip o' the cap to you as well, me'lady.

I too admire your zest for life and I am grateful for your service.

I am also grateful for rich mahogany and the jazz flute.

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