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1.41 4
itt,
As souring congregational-rabbinical relations
shatter synagogues and temples,
professionals move in to heal the rifts.
JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER.
he letter reads like it could be part of an article
on the business pages of the New York Times.
It speaks of a loss of "market share" and
"spiraling deficits and debts." It goes on to say that
a "severe decrease" in dues-paying members has
attributed to the fall of the "star attraction," the
highest-paid employee.
Is it a major corporation's com-
munication to its shareholders?
No. It is from the president of
Temple Beth El to fellow congre-
gants.
In an 18-page letter dated Jan.
18, explaining the forced sabbat-
ical of Rabbi Daniel Polish and
the ensuing non-renewal of his
contract, temple president John
Kamins illustrated an issue that
temples and synagogues strug-
gle with in America.
The issue: Is the rabbi a spir-
itual leader, a chief executive of-
ficer or both?
To address the friction that at
times occurs over the changing
roles of rabbis and congregations,
the three major movements in
Judaism formulated conflict res-
olution strategies for when they
are called to intervene.
When trouble occurs, commit-
tees across the country sponsored
by the movements descend on
synagogues and temples daily to
bring congregations and rabbis
to a better understanding of each
other's duties and responsibili-
ties. Professionals specializing in
dysfunctional organizations are
herded in to study and offer so-
lutions to the problems.
At the heart of the matter is
the evolution of synagogue and
temple culture into a corporate
model complete with cutthroat
boards of directors and rabbis
who play the role of CEO.
Traditionally, a rabbi has held
the position of spiritual leader, a
person whose primary job is to
provide moral guidance to the
congregation by teaching Jewish
values.
By and large, the lessons fu-
ture rabbis learn in the seminary
prepare them for this role. Class-
es instruct rabbinic students on
pastoral matters and Torah
learning; seminars delve into
practical advice on counseling is-
sues.
When it comes to balancing a
budget or generating new mem-
bership, the schools appear to fall
short. No classes exist at the Jew-
ish Theological Seminary in New
York, Hebrew Union College in
Cincinnati or Yeshiva Universi-
ty in New York to prepare rab-
binical students for the business
aspect of running a synagogue.
While managing the day-to-
day matters has been the ad-
ministrator's job in most
synagogues and temples, many
such institutions do not have the
luxury of both an administrator
and a rabbi.
PIECES page 40