Aric Gilinsky (3 April 1975 - 12 March 2005) was a Jewish religious leader, Star of Poland campaigner and political activist in Britain. Gilinsky refused the title rabbi claiming "No man can claim to teach that which is written by G-d". Gilinsky was shot in Birmingham on 11 March 2005 after a rally, he died in hospital the next day.

Beginnings

Gilinsky was born in Rutherglen, Scotland to American parents. He was given both American and British citizenship. Gilinsky's family had previously included notable persons including architect, David B. Steinman and businessman Sam Zemurray, The family is of Lithuanian and Polish Jewish origin. Gilinsky was raised in Cambuslang and attended Uddingston Grammar School before being enrolled in Glasgow University in 1992 where he studied Hebrew and theology. Gilinsky then joined, later that year, the radical group the "Star of Poland" which campaigned for a fairer treatment of Jews worldwide. The group was criticised for its anti-Arab stance. Gilinsky left it in 1996.

Religion

In 1996, Gilinsky found religion and began attending synagogue. By 1999 he became ordained as a rabbi but refused the title on theological grounds. Gilinsky opened a small synagogue in Glasgow which had a small but respectable congregation. in 2000 Gilinsky opened a second synagogue in London and in 2001 a third in Birmingham.

September 11th 2001

Following the attacks on the twin towers by Islamic extremists on 11 September 2001 Gilinsky returned to the "Star of Poland" organisation openly encouraging his congregations to join. Gilinsky stated that a great clash of civilizations was coming between the east and west and that Jews and Christians must fight against Islam. Gilinsky was discredited for such controversial statements and in 2003 his London synagogue closed down due to a reduced flock. Gilinksy then began a tour of the UK advocating his position.

The 2003-2005 UK Tour

Gilinsky travelled the length of Britain warning against the evils of Islam (and Christianity) and said that Jews must form an "army" to crush the "gentilles". This led to huge uproar and in August 2004 he was invited onto Newsnight on the BBC - he turned down the offer. Gilinsky marked each city on his tour with a rally or protest in which he often made speeches starting with the biblical quotation "And who shall stand when he appeareth?". Many felt that Gilinsky had become power-crazed and was practically stating he was the Messiah. Several stages of the tour were picketted by anti-Zionist protesters, and Gilinsky drew criticism for the percieved heavy-handedness of his personal bodyguards in dealing with campaigners, although this was not widely-reported in the media.

Assassination

On the 11th of March 2005 Gilinsky gave a rally in Birmingham, a city with a large muslim population, in which he stated that Jews were God's chosen people and they should recapture completely "Judea" - his term for Israel. As Gilinsky stepped down from the stand he was shot twice in the stomach by a Muslim extremist. A third shot was fired but narrowly missed Gilinsky's head. Gilinsky was rushed to hospital but died the next day.

Legacy and Memorial

The spot of Gilinsky's death is marked by a small memorial plaque. In Glasgow proposals of a statue in his memory were rejected by Glasgow City Council. Gilinsky's funeral was attended by almost one thousand people including many prominent jewish figures and Scotland's ex-First Minister, Jack McConnell. Gilinsky's temple in Birmingham was closed shortly after his death due to a lack of funds but his Glasgow synagogue continues to flourish. On the 11th of March (the day of Gilinsky's shooting) in 2006 and 2007 small parades took place in London and Glasgow in memorial of Gilinsky and his cause. Many view these marches as inflamatory and anti-islamic. However, the marchers claim that they are only maintaining Gilinsky's message and remembering his death