Appreciation: Rabbi Albert Friedlander

Albert Friedlander (obituary, July 13) was wise; he was gifted; he was a man of conviction and passion who was never histrionic and knew how to show compassion for his fellow human beings. He was a man of religion who conveyed his faith by example, as well as by word. He was an intellectual whose interests went far beyond Judaism. Above all else, Albert Friedlander was blessed with goodness to a degree that made him such a rare and outstanding human being.

It was this humanity, coupled with a generosity of spirit, that attracted a rainbow of people into Albert's orbit. His warmth communicated itself easily. And maintaining an enquiring mind to the very end, he was a great listener who relished discussion on matters high - and sometimes not so high: he enjoyed jokes and a bit of gossip as much as anyone!

During the BBC Proms season, the Friedlanders occasionally had a box in the Royal Albert Hall. A motley group of friends were invited, and afterwards Albert and Evelyn welcomed them back to their flat above Westminster Synagogue. On these convivial occasions and on so many others, Albert showed how much he admired his wife's work on Germany's small, forgotten countryside synagogues and how deep his love for her was. There was great pride, too, in the achievements of his three daughters. He was a much-loved father and husband.

In many ways, Albert Friedlander was the embodiment of Jewish reconciliation with Germany. During the last few years he divided his time between Germany and Britain and he was proud of the contribution he had been able to make to better relations between Jews and the new generation of Germans and of Austrians.

Albert was a wonderful man to have as a friend. Whether people were practising Jews or non-believers, he was interested in them and was always ready to help with ideas and advice.

When I was writing my biography of Simon Wiesenthal, I saw that Albert had penetrated the Nazi Hunter's mind better than many others I had consulted. He told me that Wiesenthal's message "is not to forget and to be just. It is hard to be such a messenger because you are alienated from those who want to forget." Albert could have been writing his own epitaph - except that few were alienated from him because he made it easier to understand and remember.

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