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San Diego Rabbi
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• Los Angeles (JTA) — The
senior rabbi of San Diego's
largest synagogue has re-
signed two weeks after con-
fessing to his congregation
that he and his female asso-
ciate rabbi had a short-lived
affair while both were mar-
ried to other partners.
Rabbi Michael Sternfield,
46, submitted his resigna-
tion to the board of Con-
gregation Beth Israel to
avoid, he said, a potentially
divisive battle at the Reform
temple he had served for 20
years.
The board then canceled a
meeting at which the con-
gregation was to have voted
on whether to retain or
dismiss Rabbi Sternfield.
At a March 18 congrega-
tional meeting, both Rabbi
Sternfield and Associate
Rabbi Laurie Coskey, 35,
had admitted that their liai-
son, which lasted five mon-
ths, began shortly after
Rabbi Coskey was hired by
the temple eight years ago.
Subsequently, the two
rabbis worked together in
apparent harmony and
Rabbi Coskey was promoted
to associate rabbi, received
regular pay increases and
shared in the rabbinical
duties. During her tenure,
Rabbi Coskey had two chil-
dren and was later divorced.
About a year ago, Rabbi
Sternfield told Rabbi Coskey
that he wanted to make
some changes at the temple
and that she would have to
leave.
Rabbi Coskey said she
tried to heal the rift, which
she attributed largely to
their past sexual relation-
ship — a claim denied by
Rabbi Sternfield and temple
board members.
The board negotiated a
contract under which Rabbi
Coskey was to remain as as-
sociate rabbi until May 31,
1994, and receive an addi-
tional year's salary as
severance pay.
Contract negotiations
have now been reopened,
with the possibility that
Rabbi Coskey will leave her
post at an earlier date.
Before Rabbi Sternfield's
resignation, fallout from the
affair had threatened to split
the 117-year-old temple,
whose 1,400 member
families include many
prominent San Diego busi-
ness and civic leaders,
among them Mayor Susan
Golding.
A story about the affair
appeared earlier this month
in the Los Angeles Times.
Rabbi Sternfield's confes-
sion at the March 18
meeting had been dramatic,
capping months of specula-
tion in the community. "I
am here to confess to the
worst sin I have ever com-
mitted in my life," he said.
"This, for me, is truly Yom
Kippur."
Rabbi Coskey also spoke at
the meeting and apologized
to the congregation for any
harm her actions may have
caused.
Even after Rabbi Stern-
field's initial confession, he
appeared to enjoy strong
support among congregants
and the board sent out
letters urging a "yes" vote
on his retention, arguing
that "forgiveness is in our
Jewish tradition."
As the scheduled April 4
vote neared, however, in-
creasing number of con-
gregants lined up against
Rabbi Sternfield, among
them many who felt that
Rabbi Coskey was being
forced to pay a heavier price
for the affair. -
In the meantime, acting at
the request of the San Diego
Rabbinical Association, the
ethics committee of the
Reform movement's Central
Conference of American
Rabbis has started an in-
vestigation to determine
whether its two members
from San Diego have
violated the organization's
code of ethics.
The chairman of the ethics
committee, Rabbi Jeffrey
Stiffman of St. Louis, said in
a telephone interview that
he had talked to Rabbi
Sternfield and Rabbi Coskey
and both were highly coop-
erative.
The inquiry centers on two
sections of the code dealing
with sexual morality and
professional relations among
rabbis.
The seven-person ethics
committee can order a letter
of reprimand or censure on
its own power, or recom-
mend suspension or expul-
sion from the CCAR to the
organization's executive
board.
In practical terms, said
Rabbi Stiffman, expulsion
from the CCAR makes it
"very difficult" for a Reform
rabbi to find employment at
all but a handful of small
congregations.