2008 Woodie Awards
Are You 'Rabbi' Enough For Young Israel?
National Council of Young Israel To Prescreen Background, Ideology of All Rabbinic Candidates
Nathan Lerman
Issue date: 10/15/07 Section: News
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For the past century, attendees of Young Israel synagogues dotting the country have known what to expect: junior congregations that excite kids, congregational singing and a commercial-free environment which enliven adults and shomer Shabbat policies to ensure an Orthodox atmosphere for all. Now, you can anticipate that the pulpit will be manned by a rabbi given a "Traditional Torah-True" stamp of approval by the National Council of Young Israel. In a bid to exclude rabbis who do not possess the proper educational background or ideological persuasions, the NCYI announced that they will now decide "who and who is not a qualified Young Israel rabbi."
This major shift in policy, with broad ramifications for semikha institutions in particular as well as the Orthodox Jewish community at large, means that the NCYI will set their own standards for semikha, or rabbinic ordination. Previously, a Young Israel could hire any graduate of an approved semikha institution. But since this past August, any candidate for a Young Israel rabbinic position must first be approved by the Standards Committee of the Young Israel Council of Rabbis, under the aegis of the Young Israel Vaad Halacha, before being hired by the local Young Israel.
This new policy, announced to Young Israel rabbis and presidents in a letter this past summer and published for the public in Young Israel's Fall 2007 Viewpoint magazine, applies to any rabbinic position - from head rabbi to rabbinic intern, and whether they are paid or volunteers.
Rabbi Pesach Lerner, executive vice president of the National Council of Young Israel and a graduate of Ner Yisrael of Baltimore, explained that while this policy should eliminate from consideration any rabbi with inadequate knowledge of Jewish law, its primary focus is to bar rabbis with inappropriate ideological beliefs from Young Israel synagogues. "Being a rabbi is so much more than just being able to answer questions of Halakha," he explained. "It's about interacting with personalities and ideas. We need to protect the reputation of all Young Israel shuls - yours, mine and the overall brand."
This major shift in policy, with broad ramifications for semikha institutions in particular as well as the Orthodox Jewish community at large, means that the NCYI will set their own standards for semikha, or rabbinic ordination. Previously, a Young Israel could hire any graduate of an approved semikha institution. But since this past August, any candidate for a Young Israel rabbinic position must first be approved by the Standards Committee of the Young Israel Council of Rabbis, under the aegis of the Young Israel Vaad Halacha, before being hired by the local Young Israel.
This new policy, announced to Young Israel rabbis and presidents in a letter this past summer and published for the public in Young Israel's Fall 2007 Viewpoint magazine, applies to any rabbinic position - from head rabbi to rabbinic intern, and whether they are paid or volunteers.
Rabbi Pesach Lerner, executive vice president of the National Council of Young Israel and a graduate of Ner Yisrael of Baltimore, explained that while this policy should eliminate from consideration any rabbi with inadequate knowledge of Jewish law, its primary focus is to bar rabbis with inappropriate ideological beliefs from Young Israel synagogues. "Being a rabbi is so much more than just being able to answer questions of Halakha," he explained. "It's about interacting with personalities and ideas. We need to protect the reputation of all Young Israel shuls - yours, mine and the overall brand."
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 17
Daniel Bukingolts
posted 10/15/07 @ 11:44 AM EST
It is about time organizations like NCYI take a firm stand on what type of rabbis their affiliate congergations accept to lead their constituents.
It did not seem like the NCYI was targeting any specific semicha giving institution but just taking a step in the right direction of making sure that the rabbis who lead their congergations represent the ideals and halachic standards which the organization expouses. (Continued…)
okaaay
posted 10/15/07 @ 11:52 AM EST
surprising rabbi lerner was able to take time out from his daily pollard activism to speak to the commie. what if i don't agree with him that there is nothing more important than joanthan pollard? would he not hire me idelogically?
Yehudi Hilchati
posted 10/15/07 @ 11:54 AM EST
More top-down homogenization and yet another reason I don't daven at a Young Israel.
I wonder why they're taking this action? I have never heard of a case of a YI hiring a graduate of Chovevei Torah, and I can't think of any YI that would. (Continued…)
hahahahaha
posted 10/15/07 @ 12:04 PM EST
Perhaps they woke up and noticed that yu started giving smicha to every mediocre doorknob that frumed out in ok who should have gone into accounting
Amit
posted 10/15/07 @ 12:14 PM EST
This sounds like some sort of Mccarthy thing. If the shul is OK with the Rabbi who is Young Israel (nothing but a bunch of functionaries who get money for nothing) to tell them that the "beliefs" of the Rabbi are "questionable". (Continued…)
Alexander Chester
posted 10/15/07 @ 12:30 PM EST
This policy gets me very nervous. The organization does not need to protect its shuls from phony "internet semichot." It is up to the individual congregations to vet their own candidates using their own recruitment and hiring policies. (Continued…)
Rabbi Dov Fischer
posted 10/15/07 @ 1:31 PM EST
The thing about Young Israel -- which not everyone knows and is not spelled out in the article -- is that the National Council of Young Israel has a number of standards in place already that demand a higher level of observance and practice than are required by the Orthodox Union. (Continued…)
AS
posted 10/15/07 @ 2:50 PM EST
YI of Century City, one of the two foremost MO shuls in Los Angeles, hired a Chovevai grad about a year and a half ago as "rabbinic intern." The Rabbi of the shul, a staunch MO, YU type, originally was going to hire a YU musmach, who ended up accepting a position in a NY/NJ shul instead. (Continued…)
Simcha
posted 10/15/07 @ 8:48 PM EST
NCYI rabbinic placement has had a noticeable shift to the right over the last number of years. It is not surprising that this new policy clearly highlights this bias towards a more charedi background for their rabbonim. (Continued…)
Asher
posted 10/15/07 @ 10:23 PM EST
Who owns the 'Young Israel' brand? If the shuls don't like it, change the name and give up the membership. In the end of the day, Young Israel must take responsibility for their name and reputation, because no president and board of a synagogue that will be elected out of office the following year, will take responsibility for their choice of Rabbi. (Continued…)
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