The Archbishop of York was the guest speaker at a memorial lecture for one of the UK’s most-loved rabbis.

Rabbi Lionel Blue, known for the wisdom he shared on BBC radio, died in December aged 86 after a long career promoting progressive Judaism.

More than 230 people came to the North Western Reform Synagogue in Temple Fortune to hear the Archbishop of York John Sentamu deliver the first Lionel Blue memorial lecture.

The event was part of the 60th anniversary celebrations for Leo Baeck College, the institution for the training of progressive Jewish rabbis and educators, which Rabbi Blue attended in 1958.

Mayor of Barnet David Longstaff and TV and radio personality Vanessa Feltz were joined by religious figures for the talk.

Archbishop Sentamu said: “As you all know, Rabbi Blue was a man of warmth, humanity, faith and wisdom.

“His wonderful ability to share the truth and humour of his experience of life and God endeared him to audiences across the world.

“People of many faiths and people of no faith were given a glimpse of how God makes himself real and present in the midst of confusion and pain – but also more particularly in the midst of the humdrum ordinariness of daily life.”

In the address, the Archbishop covered topics including knowledge as a commodity, the explosion of social media, celebrity culture, globalisation, nationalism and terrorism.

Dean of Leo Baeck College Rabbi Dr Charles Middleburgh said: “Rabbi Blue was a most loved rabbinic colleague and a friend through the radio to hundreds of thousands of people throughout the UK.

“His interfaith work was core to his being, so we were absolutely delighted the Anglican Church’s second most senior cleric gave such a fascinating and insightful inaugural lecture in his name.”