DOCSLIB.ORG

A Congregation's Rabbinic Search Guide

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Congregation's Rabbinic Search Guide עליה ALIYAH A Congregation’s Rabbinic Search Guide Written by Rabbi Elliot Schoenberg Revised by Rabbi Elliot Schoenberg and Emily Hendel © The Rabbinical Assembly 2018/5779 Preface You are embarking on a challenging process which will hopefully bring great benefit to your congregational community and provide a source of great satisfaction for your search committee. This guide is intended to make the process as efficient and anxiety-free as possible. Each situation is unique, yet there is something to learn from collective experience in helping congregations find their rabbi. This guide reflects the accumulated advice gleaned from both laity and rabbis who have gone through the process of looking for a rabbi. By the early Middle Ages, the most common term for a synagogue was kehillah kedosha “a sacred community.” The search committee’s task of finding a rabbi may appear to be secular or mundane. But the term kehillah kedosha reminds us that the task before us may be the ultimate religious purpose, to secure a spiritual leader to guide us on the path to becoming a sacred community. It says in Genesis 28:16: “Surely, the Lord is present in this place, and I did not know it.” Judaism teaches that we can find holiness in the mundane tasks of the world. By agreeing to serve on a rabbinic search committee, you are doing God’s work. Searching for a rabbi is not another business task for the synagogue, it can be a path to make God’s presence felt in our lives. If you follow these guidelines, based on the experience of many others, not only will you be successful in finding a rabbi, but you will feel that you have carried out a mitzvah. As you begin this religious task it is appropriate to recite the Sheheheyanu blessing: ברוך אתה ה אלקינו מלך העולם שהחֹינו וקימנו והגיענו לזמן הזה Praised are You, Adonai our God, who rules the universe, granting us life, sustaining us and enabling us to reach this holy occasion. How might you make this is a sacred journey? 1) Study a text together. Begin every search committee meeting with a d’var Torah by a member of the committee. 2) Do a mitzvah together. Do an act of gemilut hesed as a committee. For example, your synagogue may be one organization that takes turns providing services at a homeless shelter. Let the search committee volunteer as a unit to represent the community. 3) Wear a kippah at all meetings and when discussing your plans and reviewing resumes. 4) Put ritual items and Jewish books out on the meeting table. For example, put out a small basket of dried fruit for Tu B’shvat. 5) Use careful language and have respectful deliberations. Even in heated conversation, be aware of the prohibition against lashon harah (hurtful speech). This excursion can be a difficult, long, and tedious process. However, if you keep in the back of your thoughts the importance of the physical and spiritual benefit the results will bring your community, you will be able to overcome any issues your congregation might face. A successful process will not only get your congregation a rabbi, but help it grow and mature. A congregation’s process of selecting a rabbi has four distinct periods: 1) self-reflection and preparation; 2) the search process; 3) transition; and 4) first year. A congregation will always experience all four stages, but not always in sequence. However, it is critical to pass through each stage completely and thoroughly, understanding the needs and demands of each period, and in each step of the process, the presence of God will be felt 1 Search Preparation & the Polarity Model Many synagogues fall into the trap of using a “business model” for their rabbinic search, because they view their rabbi as their CEO. The language of business has permeated synagogue culture in recent years, and some synagogues have said they must act more “business-like” by, for example, developing a mission statement or developing a “financial plan.” Because most of our congregants are much more familiar with business models of language, these are often employed in the rabbinical search, which becomes a search for a senior executive rather than a spiritual and religious leader. When looking for a religious leader your search needs to approach the task differently, by using a values-based evaluation system called a Polarity Model. Your rabbinic search committee must focus on what your candidate’s vision and values are. For example, you should examine what a candidate’s idea of tikkun olam is. Consider a candidate’s interpersonal skills and community building aspirations. Like a school principal, a religious leader builds community by creating meaning, articulating values and directing the purpose. What matters the most in the synagogue world is the opportunity to serve others, create a sacred, caring community, fight passionately for a cause and find meaningful ways to connect to God. Synagogues, of course, use financial considerations in their planning but they emphasize tradition, rituals, symbols and customs when making decisions. Many of the duties carried out by a rabbi cannot be justified by any kind of financial yardstick because they are based on a religious value system with dreams and ideas as the main characteristics. Rabbis need to be mindful of synagogue management constraints, but they are religious leaders first. You are looking for a person who will help you grow religiously both as individuals and as a congregation. A rabbi’s key role is what Rabbi Jack Bloom, z”l, calls being a “symbolic exemplar,” a religious symbol. Rabbis, whether off or on the bimah, represent the Divine. Clergy evoke the Presence whenever and wherever they are present. Many congregants see in the rabbi their pathway to God and their avenue and opportunity for chastisement and redemption. As a result, the search committee should evaluate the religious authenticity of the candidate by asking how the candidate sees their rabbinic role as a calling. Oversight of the Process – USCJ, the RA Career Center, and the Joint Placement Commission When a congregation enters the search process, tension and anxiety are high and congregations may be comforted by renewing ties with the national and regional offices of USCJ and the RA. However, it is the Rabbinical Assembly Career Center and the Joint Placement Commission (JPC) that specifically look after the placement process. USCJ can serve as a valuable resource to congregations during the rabbinic search. The Career Center strongly recommends that the congregation contact USCJ at the inception of the search process. USCJ can offer valuable guidance, particularly from the congregation’s perspective. We ask you to be in touch with your USCJ Synagogue Consultant immediately if you have not done so already. They will help you get started by visiting with your search committee and reviewing your documents. The JPC is the only advisory group and decision-making body with regard to pulpit rabbinic placement in the Conservative Movement. It is a partnership of the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, USCJ and the Rabbinical Assembly. The JPC’s major obligations are to monitor the rabbinic search processes and to administer the Placement Code. The JPC brings order and dignity to the process by maintaining a set of regulations and 2 parameters both for rabbis seeking a congregation and for congregations in search of a rabbi. These rules and regulations, carefully conceived, are continuously evaluated. Their goal is to provide the best opportunity for congregations and rabbis to meet and affect a lasting relationship. They are published so that all who participate in the process can be well informed about procedures and ethical policies. Transparency of the process is a core value. There is a procedure for exceptions to these rules for good and sufficient cause. Please be in touch with the Career Center if you would like to inquire about an exception to the rules. The RA Career Center counsels both rabbis and synagogue search committees, creates programs on transition issues and the dynamics of leadership change, and serves as a resource for the broad process of integrating a new rabbi into a congregation. The Global Director of Rabbinic Career Development, Rabbi Elliot Schoenberg, writes, speaks and teaches widely about issues of placement at regional and national conferences of both USCJ and the RA. The Career Center is here to assist rabbis in understanding the placement process and has a strong responsibility to congregations that are searching for rabbis. Congregations are just as anxious as rabbis, and the Career Center is always available to congregations and search committees to answer questions and to be responsive to situations as they develop. It is helpful to reserve Rabbi Schoenberg’s time for advice in advance. Because telephone time is limited, it is best to make as many inquiries as possible by email, referring all routine matters and requests to the Director of Career Services, Emily Hendel: phone (212) 280-6052; email [email protected]. The Career Center office is open from 9:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday through Friday ET. We close one hour before sunset on Friday in the winter months. Self-Reflection Most non-profit organizations, including synagogues, spend little time being reflective. However, it is imperative that a congregation self-reflect and evaluate its current situation before beginning the search for a new rabbi. Sitting down to fill out the congregational questionnaire is often the first time a synagogue committee reflects as a group on the needs and aspirations of their congregation. Some synagogues do go through a process of reflection, but it rarely impacts the everyday life of the congregation or congregants.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Office of Rabbi Sacks
    Dear Sir / Madam, Please find the text below of a speech Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks made on the subject of antisemitism. This was the keynote address of “The Future of the Jewish Communities in Europe” Conference held at The European Parliament on 27th September 2016 in Brussels. I believe you might find the speech useful as you consider your report. Kind regards, Dan Sacker (on behalf of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks) Office of Rabbi Sacks Dan Sacker Postal address: The Office of Rabbi Sacks, P.O. Box 72007, London NW6 6RW www.rabbisacks.org | ********************************************************************************* The hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews. That is what I want us to understand today. It wasn’t Jews alone who suffered under Hitler. It wasn’t Jews alone who suffered under Stalin. It isn’t Jews alone who suffer under ISIS or Al Qaeda or Islamic Jihad. We make a great mistake if we think antisemitism is a threat only to Jews. It is a threat, first and foremost, to Europe and to the freedoms it took centuries to achieve. Antisemitism is not about Jews. It is about anti-Semites. It is about people who cannot accept responsibility for their own failures and have instead to blame someone else. Historically, if you were a Christian at the time of the Crusades, or a German after the First World War, and saw that the world hadn’t turned out the way you believed it would, you blamed the Jews. That is what is happening today. And I cannot begin to say how dangerous it is.
    [Show full text]
  • Conversion to Judaism Finnish Gerim on Giyur and Jewishness ​ ​ ​ ​
    Conversion to Judaism Finnish gerim on giyur and Jewishness ​ ​ ​ ​ Kira Zaitsev Syventävien opintojen tutkielma Afrikan ja Lähi-idän kielet Humanistinen tiedekunta Helsingin yliopisto 2019/5779 provided by Helsingin yliopiston digitaalinen arkisto View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk CORE brought to you by Tiedekunta – Fakultet – Faculty Koulutusohjelma – Utbildningsprogram – Degree Programme Humanistinen tiedekunta Kielten maisteriohjelma Opintosuunta – Studieinriktning – Study Track Afrikan ja Lähi-idän kielet Tekijä – Författare – Author Kira Zaitsev Työn nimi – Arbetets titel – Title Conversion to Judaism. Finnish gerim on giyur and Jewishness Työn laji – Aika – Datum – Month and year Sivumäärä– Sidoantal Arbetets art – Huhtikuu 2019 – Number of pages Level 43 Pro gradu Tiivistelmä – Referat – Abstract Pro graduni käsittelee suomalaisia, jotka ovat kääntyneet juutalaisiksi ilman aikaisempaa juutalaista taustaa ja perhettä. Data perustuu haastatteluihin, joita arvioin straussilaisella grounded theory-menetelmällä. Tutkimuskysymykseni ovat, kuinka nämä käännynnäiset näkevät mitä juutalaisuus on ja kuinka he arvioivat omaa kääntymistään. Tutkimuseni mukaan kääntyjän aikaisempi uskonnollinen tausta on varsin todennäköisesti epätavallinen, eikä hänellä ole merkittäviä aikaisempia juutalaisia sosiaalisia suhteita. Internetillä on kasvava rooli kääntyjän tiedonhaussa ja verkostoissa. Juutalaisuudessa kääntynyt näkee tärkeimpänä eettisyyden sekä juutalaisen lain, halakhan. Kääntymisen nähdään vahvistavan aikaisempi maailmankuva
    [Show full text]
  • A Fresh Perspective on the History of Hasidic Judaism
    eSharp Issue 20: New Horizons A Fresh Perspective on the History of Hasidic Judaism Eva van Loenen (University of Southampton) Introduction In this article, I shall examine the history of Hasidic Judaism, a mystical,1 ultra-orthodox2 branch of Judaism, which values joyfully worshipping God’s presence in nature as highly as the strict observance of the laws of Torah3 and Talmud.4 In spite of being understudied, the history of Hasidic Judaism has divided historians until today. Indeed, Hasidic Jewish history is not one monolithic, clear-cut, straightforward chronicle. Rather, each scholar has created his own narrative and each one is as different as its author. While a brief introduction such as this cannot enter into all the myriad divergences and similarities between these stories, what I will attempt to do here is to incorporate and compare an array of different views in order to summarise the history of Hasidism and provide a more objective analysis, which has not yet been undertaken. Furthermore, my historical introduction in Hasidic Judaism will exemplify how mystical branches of mainstream religions might develop and shed light on an under-researched division of Judaism. The main focus of 1 Mystical movements strive for a personal experience of God or of his presence and values intuitive, spiritual insight or revelationary knowledge. The knowledge gained is generally ‘esoteric’ (‘within’ or hidden), leading to the term ‘esotericism’ as opposed to exoteric, based on the external reality which can be attested by anyone. 2 Ultra-orthodox Jews adhere most strictly to Jewish law as the holy word of God, delivered perfectly and completely to Moses on Mount Sinai.
    [Show full text]
  • Orthodoxy in American Jewish Life1
    ORTHODOXY IN AMERICAN JEWISH LIFE1 by CHARLES S. LIEBMAN INTRODUCTION • DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ORTHODOXY • EARLY ORTHODOX COMMUNITY • UNCOMMITTED ORTHODOX • COM- MITTED ORTHODOX • MODERN ORTHODOX • SECTARIANS • LEAD- ERSHIP • DIRECTIONS AND TENDENCIES • APPENDLX: YESHIVOT PROVIDING INTENSIVE TALMUDIC STUDY A HIS ESSAY is an effort to describe the communal aspects and institutional forms of Orthodox Judaism in the United States. For the most part, it ignores the doctrines, faith, and practices of Orthodox Jews, and barely touches upon synagogue hie, which is the most meaningful expression of American Orthodoxy. It is hoped that the reader will find here some appreciation of the vitality of American Orthodoxy. Earlier predictions of the demise of 11 am indebted to many people who assisted me in making this essay possible. More than 40, active in a variety of Orthodox organizations, gave freely of their time for extended discussions and interviews and many lay leaders and rabbis throughout the United States responded to a mail questionnaire. A number of people read a draft of this paper. I would be remiss if I did not mention a few by name, at the same time exonerating them of any responsibility for errors of fact or for my own judgments and interpretations. The section on modern Orthodoxy was read by Rabbi Emanuel Rackman. The sections beginning with the sectarian Orthodox to the conclusion of the paper were read by Rabbi Nathan Bulman. Criticism and comments on the entire paper were forthcoming from Rabbi Aaron Lichtenstein, Dr. Marshall Ski are, and Victor Geller, without whose assistance the section on the number of Orthodox Jews could not have been written.
    [Show full text]
  • TRANSGENDER JEWS and HALAKHAH1 Rabbi Leonard A
    TRANSGENDER JEWS AND HALAKHAH1 Rabbi Leonard A. Sharzer MD This teshuvah was adopted by the CJLS on June 7, 2017, by a vote of 11 in favor, 8 abstaining. Members voting in favor: Rabbis Aaron Alexander, Pamela Barmash, Elliot Dorff, Susan Grossman, Reuven Hammer, Jan Kaufman, Gail Labovitz, Amy Levin, Daniel Nevins, Avram Reisner, and Iscah Waldman. Members abstaining: Rabbis Noah Bickart, Baruch Frydman- Kohl, Joshua Heller, David Hoffman, Jeremy Kalmanofsky, Jonathan Lubliner, Micah Peltz, and Paul Plotkin. שאלות 1. What are the appropriate rituals for conversion to Judaism of transgender individuals? 2. What are the appropriate rituals for solemnizing a marriage in which one or both parties are transgender? 3. How is the marriage of a transgender person (which was entered into before transition) to be dissolved (after transition). 4. Are there any requirements for continuing a marriage entered into before transition after one of the partners transitions? 5. Are hormonal therapy and gender confirming surgery permissible for people with gender dysphoria? 6. Are trans men permitted to become pregnant? 7. How must healthcare professionals interact with transgender people? 8. Who should prepare the body of a transgender person for burial? 9. Are preoperative2 trans men obligated for tohorat ha-mishpahah? 10. Are preoperative trans women obligated for brit milah? 11. At what point in the process of transition is the person recognized as the new gender? 12. Is a ritual necessary to effect the transition of a trans person? The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly provides guidance in matters of halkhhah for the Conservative movement.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Antisemitism Rosh Hashanah 5780 September 29, 2019 Rabbi David
    Antisemitism Rosh Hashanah 5780 September 29, 2019 Rabbi David Stern Tonight marks my thirty-first High Holidays at Temple Emanu-El, a huge blessing in my life. In thirty-one years of high holiday sermons, you have been very forgiving, and I have addressed a diverse array of topics: from our internal spiritual journeys to Judaism’s call for justice in the world; relationship and forgiveness, immigration and race, prayer and faith, loving Israel and loving our neighbors; birth and death and just about everything in between in this messy, frustrating, promising, profound, sacred realm we call life. Except -- in thirty-one years as a Jewish leader, I have not given a single High Holiday sermon about antisemitism.1 References, allusions, a pointed paragraph here and there, yes. But in three decades of High Holiday sermons spanning the end of the twentieth and the beginning of the twenty-first centuries, not a single one about antisemitism. I’m hoping that doesn’t constitute professional malpractice, but it is strange. So I’ve asked myself why. Reason #1: I had almost no experience of antisemitism growing up. With one limited exception, I never even experienced name-calling, let alone any physical incident. All four of my grandparents were born in America, and our story was the classic trajectory of American Jewish integration and success. 1 Professor Deborah E. Lipstadt makes a compelling argument for this spelling. Lipstadt rejects the hyphen in the more conventional “Anti-Semitism” because it implies that whatever lies to the right of the hyphen exists as an independent entity.
    [Show full text]
  • YOREH DEAH 95:20151 on the Kashrut of Dishwashers Rabbi Loel M. Weiss
    YOREH DEAH 95:20151 On the Kashrut of Dishwashers Rabbi Loel M. Weiss The following teshuvah was approved by the CJLS on November 11, 2015 by a vote of nine in favor, four opposed, and eight abstaining (9-4-8). Voting in favor: Rabbis Pamela Barmash, Miriam Berkowitz, David Booth, Elliot Dorff, Baruch Frydman-Kohl, Jeremy Kalmanofsky, Jonathan Lubliner, Micah Peltz, Paul Plotkin. Voting against: Rabbis Aaron Alexander, Reuven Hammer, David Hoffman, Amy Levin. Abstaining: Rabbis Noah Bickart, Joshua Heller, Susan Grossman, Adam Kligfeld, Gail Labovitz, Daniel Nevins, Avram Reisner, Jay Stein. Sh’ayla: May a non-Kosher Home Dishwasher be Kashered? May a Home Dishwasher be Kashered for Passover? May a Home Dishwasher be used to wash meat and dairy dishes? Simultaneously? Consecutively? Teshuvah: How a Dishwasher operates This Teshuvah only deals with home dishwashers where hot and cold water enter the dishwasher separately. A general overview of how a dishwasher operates is helpful to understanding the kashering process.2 In a home dishwasher3 hot and cold water enter the tub separately. In a normal dishwashing cycle, the water is kept at a temperature of 120-140 degrees Fahrenheit. The water collects at the bottom of the tub but does not cover the dishes. A pump then circulates the water through holes in the rotating arms, which sprays the water onto the dishes. While this is being done the detergent is released into the tub and is sprayed over the dishes. Dirt from the dishes is disposed of at the bottom of the tub. Depending on the model, larger pieces of food are either ground up and sent through the drain or are collected in a filter that needs periodic cleaning.
    [Show full text]
  • Jewish Medical Directives for Health Care the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards ~
    Jewish Medical Directives for Health Care The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards ~ The Rabbinical Assembly The enclosed forms of Health Care Directive and Proxy Directive have been prepared to conform to the requirements of New York as to format and execution. We suggest that residents of other states check with local counsel to be comfortable that any special requirements as to format, number of witnesses, notarization and the like are satisfied. If the law of your state specifies a particular format or particular language which is not embodied in the enclosed forms, then we suggest that you use the enclosed as a guide for reflection and analysis in reaching the decisions that will be expressed in your state's form. This Medical Directive has been approved by The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of The Rabbinical Assembly which serves as halakhic guide for the Conservative Movement. Rabbi Aaron L. Mackler, Chairman of the Law Committee's Subcommittee on Biomedical Ethics, served as editor of this document which is based upon papers authored by Rabbi Avram 1. Reisner, Beth Tikvah-New Milford Jewish Center and Rabbi Elliot Dorff, University of Judaism. © 1994 The Rabbinical Assembly Jewish Medical Directives for Health Care The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards The Rabbinical Assembly INTRODUCTION Modern advances in medicine have raised many new questions. Normally we make decisions about our own health care as the situation arises, but in some circumstances we lose the ability to make such decisions. It is therefore important for us to indicate our wishes in advance so that those who care for us can know what we want.
    [Show full text]
  • Gossip, Slander, and Talebearing Parashat Va-Yeishev, Genesis 37:1-40:23 | by Mark Greenspan
    Worse than Sticks and Stones: Gossip, Slander, and Talebearing Parashat Va-yeishev, Genesis 37:1-40:23 | By Mark Greenspan “Gossip, Slander, and Talebearing” by Benjamin Kramer (pp. 582) in The Observant Life Introduction According to Rabbi Kramer, the ability to express ourselves in words is central not only to our humanity but to the divine image in which we are created. Just as God created the world through language, we have the power to create or destroy worlds and lives by the way we use words. As soon as we begin to speak, we reveal to the world our true character. It is for that reason that the sages placed so much emphasis on the ethics of language. Yet where does one draw a line between good and bad words? Few people would argue with the suggestion that slander and defamation of character are wrong; yet it‟s hard to resist the temptation to engage in a tasty bit of gossip. Simple straight-forward words can sometimes be destructive in ways we never anticipated. We also live in a time when the destructive or constructive power of words is amplified by digital and social media. What type of ethic should we have for the means and goals of communication at the beginning of the twenty-first century? The ethics of language plays an important role in Jewish life. The Talmud devotes a good amount of space to this topic and Maimonides codified the laws of lashon ha-ra in the Mishneh Torah. And yet there can be no simple or obvious rules for „good talk‟ and „bad talk.‟ While we can easily identify „bad talk‟ it is not easy to know what type of conversation is appropriate and inappropriate.
    [Show full text]
  • Kashrut in Synagogue Kitchens
    dxa, c rst asj atr Yoreh De’ah 87ff Kashrut Supervision in the Synagogue Rabbi Paul Drazen Introduction This document was written for use by the rabbi who supervises a synagogue kitchen. As such, there are a number of areas which are left unresolved, as they are specifically in the domain of each congregation's rabbi to set religious policy for his/her congregation. If this guide is to be used in a congregation without a rabbi, the congregation should arrange for a rabbi to serve as its mara d'atra and turn to that rabbi for the decisions needed. Supervision of a synagogue kitchen need not be a burdensome chore if clear rules are established and there is a system to assure the rules are followed. The rabbi is responsible for providing information to those who cook and bake as well as guidance to those who supervise on-site during food preparation. This document provides: a) Listings of areas for which the mara d'atra needs to make decisions for the observance of kashrut in the kitchen, with special consideration for the attendant issues of Shabbat and Yom Tov observance and preparation. b) Basic outlines and information on which decisions can be made, including relevant teshuvot of the CJLS. c) A suggested version of a document to be given to those who prepare food at the synagogue. Please note the sample document (Section III of this guide) was written intentionally to leave decisions to be made by each mara d'atra. It is not possible for any document to cover every aspect of each congregation's particular circumstances or customs.
    [Show full text]
  • New Diversity and Inclusive Hiring Statement
    R A B B I N I C A L A S S E M B L Y The International Association of Inclusive Hiring Practices Statement Conservative / Masorti Rabbis, established 1901 3080 Broadway Shiv’im Panim la’Torah. “There are 70 faces to Torah.” -BeMidbar Rabbah New York, NY 10027 13:15 Phone 212.280.6000 Fax 212.749.9166 [email protected] www.rabbinicalassembly.org Religious communities depend heavily upon the leadership skills of both volunteers and professional staff. These people must have integrity, intelligence, faith, knowledge and creativity. They must be humble and kind, Officers: yet also bold and assertive when necessary to help their organizations address President challenges and seize opportunities to advance its mission. Rabbi Philip S. Scheim Vice President Who is the best qualified Jewish professional, whether rabbi, cantor, educator, Rabbi Debra Newman Kamin administrator or fundraiser? The answer to this question depends largely on the Treasurer particulars of the job and of the organization, but one thing is clear--there is no Rabbi Stewart L. Vogel single demographic profile of a successful Jewish professional. Too often Financial Secretary Jewish organizations have forgotten this simple fact, setting aside the most Rabbi Harold J. Kravitz talented people in favor of ones who conform to preconceived profiles of Secretary Rabbi Sheryl Katzman Jewish leadership. This tendency to look at the container rather than at its contents hurts both organizations and professionals. Professionals: Chief Executive Officer The North American Jewish community has become beautifully diverse, yet its Rabbi Julie Schonfeld professionals, especially its clergy, have often been expected to look like the Senior Vice President leaders of past generations.
    [Show full text]
  • RABBIS and SYNAGOGUE ADMINISTRATION Practice and Problems MEL MOGULOF Berkeley, California
    RABBIS AND SYNAGOGUE ADMINISTRATION Practice and Problems MEL MOGULOF Berkeley, California A study of synagogues in the San Francisco area revealed several trends in synagogue administration: the emerging role of the rabbi as the CEO of the congregation and its leader in matters both spiritual and profane; the development of a professional position of synagogue administrator; and greater efforts to rationalize dues negotiation and collec­ tion procedures. The extent to which synagogues deepen their relationships with federa­ tions in efforts to enhance Jewish continuity will partly depend on their effective manage­ ment n pursuing its commitment to Jewish Hfe THE ADMINISTRATIVE ROLE OF THE In the San Francisco Bay Area, the Koret RABBI Foundation has recently made major grants In their rabbinic education, rabbis do not re­ in support of synagogues. One of these ceive much preparation for their role of pro­ grants makes available technical assistance viding administrative leadership and yet lay on issues related to synagogue administra­ congregational leaders seem increasingly tion. In preparation for this techrucal assis­ ready to see their rabbis as the chief execu­ tance Koret invited several congregations to tive officers (CEOs) of their congregations. participate in an effort to determine patterns Reference to the rabbi as CEO was made re­ of synagogue administration and to identify peatedly in my interviews with lay leaders. perceived administrative problems. Four And the larger the congregation, the more synagogues agreed to participate in this ef­ likely was the reference made. fort. These congregations range in size Occasionally reference was made to a from under 200 membership units to over model of rabbinic leadership in which the 1,000 and include the three major syna­ rabbi's domain is the religious life ofthe gogue movements.
    [Show full text]