We invite you to share your memories, thoughts and condolences for Rabbi Alan Plancey MBE, who passed away on Sunday 8 June 2025, 12 Sivan 5785 and Rebbetzin Miriam Plancey, who passed away on Friday 13 June 2025, 17 Sivan 5785.
Rabbi and Rebbetzin touched the lives of so many through their kindness and commitment to helping others. Please use this online book of condolences to share your memories and thoughts of them both.
Your messages will be shared with the family and will be a source of comfort to them during this extremely difficult time.
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379 Comments.
We arrived in Borehamwood shortly after Rabbi Plancey and Miriam and coming to shul soon after, we were immediately impressed by their warmth and kindness – introducing us to a couple with whom we are still friends today and advising us of a shortcut to the walk back to our house off the top of Furzehill Road! Both personally and in my communal roles I was also able to witness the Rabbi’s special influence and ability to ‘make things happen’. We also observed their particular sensitivity and non-judgmental approach contributing to building and growing the significant community we have today. We send our condolences to all the Plancey family.
I have been reluctant to leave a message in this book of condolence, as it is only just sinking in that Rabbi Plancey and Miriam are no longer with us. They have been such a big part of our families life, starting when I was 11 years old and a pupil at Hasomonean, when Rabbi Plancey taught me, although I was determined to continue to read the Jackie magazine under my desk at the back of the class with my friend Leslie Bendahan!
Moving to Borehamwood in 1987 and starting married life and being blessed with children, we enjoyed many happy times with your dear parents, celebrating all our simachot and during not such good times, when your parents absolutely stepped in to support us and carry us through without hesitation and gave us strength to carry on. We have laughed and cried together.
The regular phone calls we had with both your parents, who genuinely wanted to be updated about all our family and what they doing, as if we were updating our own parents. When our kids came to visit they would often pop into see your parents and were given the warmest of welcomes, like grandparents greet their grandchildren.
Our hearts are very heavy but we do take comfort in the fact that although they were taken from us within such a short space of time, we gain comfort in not only knowing they are together but also we remember all the wonderful times we shared and we hope that you, Susy, Nechama, Meir and Nussi , gain comfort too in knowing how loved your parents were and the amazing legacy they have left. Wishing you all chayim aruchim xx
How does one put into words the sadness I feel at the passing of my dearest, dearest friends, Alan and Miriam!
We’ve shared so much through the years, sad and joyous – their friendship and support was always unwavering !
This Community and the entire Jewish world is sadly depleted without their presence…
May they rest in peace – Long Life to their much adored children., grandchildren and great grandchildten
We have known Alan and Miriam for many years professionally and personally. When we came to live in Borehamwood and joined the Croxdale community Alan welcomed us from the Bimah. We have many memories of their hospitality and of entertaining Alan and Miriam in our home where Alan always ‘managed to entertain’ us. We have shared good times and bad times from when Alan and Rabbi Amias conducted the funeral of our late son many years ago to when more recently Alan officiated at our son’s wedding. We will miss catching up with Miriam on the phone and the sense of achievement when we managed to get through. We will miss them .
We send love and condolences to all the family with wishes of Long Life.
To dear Suzy, Nechama, Meir and Nussy
Natalie and I have so many wonderful memories of your very special and beloved parents, that I just don’t know where to start. What I would say is that their outstanding feature was selflessness – the love of others, no matter what the personal cost to themselves (and of course you, their children). They always put the needs of the Community (both the Jewish and wider community) before their own needs.
When we arrived in Borehamwood in 1988, and we were celebrating our first shabbat together in the Community, your parents invited us over for Friday night dinner. We arrived at their home to find that they had arranged to host surprise sheva brachot for us, with almost 30 other “young marrieds”. It was a wonderful welcome to the Community.
Your father was very aware of my Sephardi heritage and made every effort to encourage a Sephardi minyan within the synagogue, ensuring that we had everything we needed to daven according to our own traditions (including hosting visiting Rabbis and their wives from the Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue). He was well ahead of his time in this regard, and I am sure that it is due to his encouragement from the very early days, that we now have two Sephardi minyanim in Borehamwood (though I am not sure this is ideal!).
The one thing that really stood out to me was that for your parents, being the Rabbi and Rebbetzin was not a job – it was a vocation, a way of life, an opportunity to help others. You mother must have prepared shabbat food for at least a dozen people every week, aside from those she hosted at their home. Food parcels arrived when babies were born, when people were sick, or sadly, when bereaved. It was done quietly, without fuss, and in private.
After I had been FR at Borehamwood shul for a couple of months, I asked your father to let me have his receipts for all of this hospitality, which surely cost a great deal of money (never mind time), every single month. His reply “I have never claimed expenses for this activity, and I never will – we do it because it has to be done, and that’s the end of the matter”.
The last time I saw your father at shul was one morning a few months ago. He had with him a young man, aged around 12, and The Rabbi was looking for the Shul Administrator. He took me aside and explained to me that the boy he was with was facing a number of challenges, but that your father was going to make sure that this boy had a bar mitzvah, and he was going to arrange it personally. He said he would ensure that everything would be done in such a way so that the boy would not be daunted or feel pressurised, but would simply fulfil the mitzvah of being bar mitzvah without any stress.
It was not your father’s job to do this, and in all probability, the boy and his family were “under the radar” (probably not even members of BES), but he cared for everyone, and until the end, did everything he could to make sure people were made to feel welcome and valued. For him, it was essential that those whose lives he touched would take their place in the Jewish world, in a way that they felt comfortable, irrespective as to the impact on him and Rebbetzin Miriam.
This warmth and the care shown for others, with no expectation of anything in return, shows your dear parents to be without question, גדולים בדור.
Their passing leaves a huge gap in our lives and the lives of our children, the lives of very many people in Borehamwood and Elstree, the lives of countless people in Anglo Jewry and beyond, and of course, most importantly the lives of their family, you, your children and your grandchildren.
Rabbi Plancey and Miriam leave behind them a כֶּתֶר שֵׁם טוֹב and are greatly missed.
Rabbi & Miriam Plancey came to Borehamwood a year after us. As newlyweds we were delighted to have a young Rabbinic couple who were always so hospitable with an “open door” to all.
They shared so many Simchas (and a few sad times) with us.
It is definitely the end of an era, they will be truly missed.
Wishing the family Long Life
We are devasted by the passing of dearest Rabbi Alan & Rebbetzen Miriam Plancey who were instrumental in our family’s lives from our early childhoods in Luton Hebrew Congregation through to our weddings, pidya bens, Brits, Bar Mitzvahs & our dear Parents’ levoyas. Always true friends to us with their famous warmth, hospitality, humour , generosity & guidance. They will be sorely missed by all those who were blessed to know them. May their outstanding legacy be a shining light forever . Wishing Susy, Nechama, Meir, Nussi, Judy , Tamara & all their dear families strength, wonderful memories, comfort & Chaim Aruchim at this sad time. Gabrielle Perez (nee Paterson) & family.
We met Rabbi Plancey and Rebbitzin Miriam Plancey on many occassions and in particular together with my late father, Ben, with whom the Rabbi had established a close friendship.
Rabbi Plancey was always very supportive of “The Boys” (members of the ‘45 Aid Society UK Holocaust Survivors) and he championed and encouraged them.
Rabbi Plancey supported the initiative of “The Boys” to establish at Borehamwood & Elstree Synagogue, a board bearing the names of their parents and family who perished in the Shoah and in this way facilitate the opportunity for “The Boys” to observe the tradition of Kever Avot at a Memorial Service in the Shul each year.
On behalf of myself , my mother, Arza, my brothers, Michael and Nathan, and the Helfgott family, I’d like to offer condolences to the Plancey family.
Dear Susie,Meir,Nechama and Nussi,
We have been in the Borehamwood community for nearly 50 years,arriving shortly after Miriam and Alan.Our abiding memory is of both of them being at “ New Members” evening at Rita and Tony Rose’s home in Whitehouse Avenue in 1978 and the welcome that we got together then from them was certainly a sign of things to come as they embraced not only us but all the people there that evening.That is something that will always stay with us-the care,interest in family,being there for us in good times and not so good times.There is no doubt that they both,together,built this community into what it is today and that will always be their legacy.May their memories be for a blessing and may the Almighty comfort you all among the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.With love,Susie and Joe Weston
We were so very sad to hear of the passing of Rabbi Plancey and Rebbetzin Miriam so soon after this. We have such special memories of visiting them in their home and the support that they always gave us over the years. They were the very roots of our wonderful community and they will be sorely missed . We send condolences to all the family and may their memories be for a blessing.
What a shock! There are some people in your life you think will go on forever. To hear that they have both suddenly passed away is so sad. They are a great Loss to the whole community and will be sadly missed by everyone..
I have known Rabbi Alan Plancey since I was a little girl at Queens Park Shul cheder in Glasgow where Alan was a young slim cheder teacher (not mine).
He later went on to Gateshead Yeshiva and encouraged my brother, Alby, to go there also rather than University. They both became Rabbis.
My dad would often take both of them to Gateshead or bring Alan home if they were returning at the same time. My parents used to visit Alan‘s parents.
In 1981 when I was buying a flat in Borehamwood/Elstree, Alan gave me advice on where not to buy.
Friends used to say ‘Why are you moving to Borehamwood?’ I told them (1) It is nearer to Glasgow. (2) It has a Scottish Rabbi and I know him well and (3) It is a growing community. Sure enough with Alan‘s charisma and Miriam’s good cooking and hospitality, the congregation grew to be the biggest in UK.
Alan was always a peoples person, happy to see everyone, as was Miriam who was always there to support him. He was greatly involved with community life whether it be the Jewish community or the wider community where he was later involved in local politics being a local counsellor for many years and was the mayor of Hertsmere twice.
Miriam was very hospitable and was always busy on the phone or was teaching, or had family or community members around whenever I popped over to see them. She always had a freezer full of food some of which she offered to her visitors to take home.
Alan, most of all, was a family man. He and Miriam were devoted to each other.
Although I am very sad that I shall no longer have phone calls from Miriam and not be able to phone or visit, I am happy that they both died almost together and will be together in heaven in peace forever more. They are true soulmates.
I wish Suzie, Nechama, Meir and Nussi and all the family, Long Life and happy memories. I hope to see you all again in happier times. Xxxx
I can’t believe that Rabbi Plancey and Miriam are no longer here. So many memories – from hosting him for Shabbat meals before they moved into Borehamwood, our Danny’s friendship with Nussy, to the amazing hospitality, phone calls, officiating at our son’s Barmitzvah and family weddings. Their kindness and care for the community knew no bounds.
We send Susy, Nechama, Meir and Nussy our wishes for chaim aruchim.
Helena and Ken Freedman and family
Rabbi Plancey helped us to celebrate marriages and birthdays and cared for us through the hard times just as much as the celebrations. We also want to celebrate his life and his incredible achievements and personality. His legacy will stay with the Novak family forever. Miriam became a friend of the family and we will forever be grateful for the friendship and love shared between us all. Sending our deepest condolences to their family at this sad time. We are so fortunate to have known them and shared such special times together. They will both hold a special place in our hearts. Love The Novak Family.
We have been further saddened by the sad news about Rebbetzin Miriam z”l who stood side by side with Rabbi Alan and was a huge part of our lives for over 37 years.
When our son Benjy suffered a brain injury at birth in 1992, Miriam helped us recruit and train a team of ladies to do physical patterning with him, especially throughout 1994, when I had our oldest daughter. Miriam always offered comfort and practical help, knowing what to say and who to contact when we needed support. Rabbi and Miriam were present at our family simchas and in the sad times and were always a part of our family.
Their dedication to us and to so many families in Borehamwood and beyond was constant. We thank them both for everything and pray for them to rest peacefully as they deserve. We will always miss them but will remember them with love and gratitude.
We wish all their lovely family, of whom they were both so proud, Long Life.
Erica, David, Benjy, Sasha, Eliana, and Amber
Like most of us we can’t quite believe that (Rebetzen) Miriam is no longer with us. She, with Rabbi Alan, created our community full of chesed and support for one another. She was an Ashet Chayil like no other. Make no mistake, Miriam was as influential on our community and our family as Alan. We cherish our memories of them both and are privileged to have been part of their/our community.
We think of Susy, Nechama, Meir, Nussi and the whole family, wishing them chayim arruchim.
May her memory be for an eternal blessing
It was with great sadness that I read of the passing of Rabbi and Rebbetzen Plancey. Although it has been over 40 years since I left the Elstree and Boreham Wood community, I never forgot the warmth and kindness of the Planceys.. I wish Long Life to the Plancey children. May the righteous souls of their dear Parents, be for a blessing.
I was very shocked to hear the passing of Rabbi Alan Plancy and of course Miriam the following week. Alan was always there for me in good times and bad. I will never forget them. I send the Plancy family my condolences.
With great sadness, we are saying goodbye to Rabbi Alan and Miriam Plancey, an amazing couple. As a couple they were always there for us and our family, in good and bad times. We found their pastoral care was faultless. I will miss my conversations with Miriam and latterly Rabbi Alan.
We considered them both our friends as well as Rabbi & Rebbetzin and they are sorely missed.
Our thoughts are with the family.
Such a shock. So sad. Hayim Aruchim to all the family.