As the spiritual head of the United Synagogue, the largest synagogue body in the UK, he was the Chief Rabbi of those Orthodox synagogues, but was not recognized as the religious authority for the Haredi Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations or for the progressive movements such as Masorti, Reform and Liberal Judaism.
Sebagai kepala spiritual Serikat Sinagoge, badan sinagoge terbesar di Inggris, ia menjadi Kepala Rabbi sinagoge-sinagoge Ortodoks tersebut, namun tidak diakui sebagai otoritas keagamaan bagi Uni Kongregasi Ibrani Ortodoks yang haredi atau gerakan-gerakan progresif seperti Yudaisme Masorti, Reformasi dan Liberal.