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29 ADAR II 5755/MARCH 31, 1995

Rabbi Returns
To Beth El

Rabbi Cook takes interim position.

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER

A

Nourishment

For many adults, Jewish education
mixes tn
. tellectuat spice
with the basic spiritual ingredients of Life.

num LITTMANN STAFF WRITER

s of July 1, Temple carefully developing job ex-
Beth El will have pectations.
a new rabbi.
Rabbi Cook served as as-
Rabbi Julian sociate rabbi under Rabbi
Cook, the congre- Polish beginning in 1988. He
gation's former as- left Temple Beth El six years
sociate rabbi who left in 1994 later, hoping to find a senior
after serving six years, will rabbi position. He had spent
return to take a one-year po- the past 20 years of his career
sition as interim senior rab- serving as associate rabbi at
bi. He will fill the position to various congregations.
be vacated in June when
While at Beth El, congre-
Rabbi Daniel Polish leaves for gants said Rabbi Cook was
a forced yearlong sabbatical. known for his attention to
The senior rabbi position their pastoral needs, officiat-
became available when the ing at many life-cycle events.
temple's board voted in In the January letter to con-
January to place Rabbi Polish gregants, Mr. Kamins re-
on sabbatical effective June marked about the work by
30. The sabbatical will con- saying Rabbi Polish was
tinue for the last year of "shifting a disproportionate
Rabbi Polish's two-year con- share of all funerals and hos-
tract, which the board also pital visits to Rabbi Cook dur-
voted not to renew.
ing his six years at our
In a letter sent to congre- temple."
gants in January, temple
Rabbi Cook, like Rabbi
President John
Kamins explained
the board's ratio-
nale for the firing,
citing declining
membership and
spiraling debt.
Other reasons list-
ed included a per-
ceived lack of
concern for the
needs of members
and Rabbi Polish's
refusal to perform
interfaith mar-
riages.
"Julian Cook is
uniquely talented
to give the congre-
gation rabbinical
leadership and the
healing that we
need at this time
in our life," Mr.
Kamins said.
"He brings great Rabbi Julian Cook: Healing the rifts.
continuity to the
rabbinate. He knows how we Polish, refuses to perform in-
do things at Temple Beth El. terfaith weddings. This was
He is well-versed in the rab- a sticking point with the
binic responsibility here."
Temple Beth El board. In fact,
To remedy financial and a 1993 presidential advisory
membership concerns, Mr. committee suggested that a
Kamins said the board will refusal to perform such mar-
work closely with Rabbi Cook, BETH El. page 8