Can Israel's Chief Rabbinate Be Saved?

Last week my RLI cohort met with Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, one of the founders of the rabbinic organization Tzohar, at the Hartman Institute. Rabbi Cherlow established Tzohar, a group made up of moderate dati leumi (national religious) rabbis in the wake of the assassination of late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Rabbi Cherlow believed that he needed to do something meaningful and bold to counter the extremism that had taken hold within Israel's national religious movement (once represented by the NRP (National Religious Party)), an extremism that he believes has become both anti-intellectual and anti-modern (over dinner, Rabbi Cherlow told me that  his daughter is pursuing her doctorate in electrical engineering at Cornell University).

(Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman (left) Introduces Rabbi Yuval Cherlow to our RLI Cohort)

Recently, Rabbi Cherlow has found himself embroiled in a disagreement with his own organization after he publicly said that the Conservative and Reform movements in America deserve recognition and are an important bulwark against assimilation in the diaspora (he told us he doesn't believe that our movements should be officially recognized in Israel where he believes assimilation isn't a issue. You can read more about the debate within Tzohar here:http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/tzohar-rabbis-oppose-recognition-of-non-orthodox-jewish-movements.premium-1.484456). 

While I (and many of my RLI colleagues) disagree with Rabbi Cherlow vis-a-vis his position on the validity of Masorti and Reform Judaism within Israel, I deeply respect him for his openness and willingness to engage in dialogue, and for his profound belief in the need for us to work together for the sake of the future of the Jewish people and for Israel. 

Tzohar is currently running a candidate for the office of Chief Rabbi. Yes, Israel has elections for both its political and religious leaders and you can read about Tzohar ground-breaking bid here, http://www.timesofisrael.com/can-a-liberal-face-foment-a-revolution-in-the-rabbinate/.  I have many mixed feelings about the need for and existence of a Chief Rabbinate. I have even argued in the past that perhaps the best, first step to building religious pluralism in the State of Israel would be the dismantling of the Chief Rabbinate. But I have to admit that I would view the election of a Tzohar Rabbi to the post of Chief Rabbi as a vast improvement to the current status-quo.

Entering the Home Stretch

In just two, short days I will have competed my last winter session as a member of the Shalom Hartman Institute's RLI (Religious Leadership Institute) fellowship program. It's hard to believe that after nearly three years, five flights and countless hours of distance learning logged on Monday mornings my formal studies at Hartman are nearly at an end. I have also had some of the most remarkable experiences; meetings and encounters with some of Israel's top leaders in industry, the arts, government and religious life. I have visited places not seen by most Israelis: Rawabi, the first planned Palestinian city in the Palestinian Authority, and Hevron, home to the burial place of our avot (patriarchs) and imahot (matriarchs) and one of the most hotly contested of cities between Israelis and Palestinians.

But the greatest gift I've gotten from my experience as an RLI fellow is actually two-fold. There is nothing comparable to the level of limud Torah (Torah study) like that which you'll find at the Hartman Institute, especially when it's crafted and delivered for what the Machon (that's shorthand for the SHI) considers its crown jewel: our RLI program. I have studied with some of Israel's - and for that matter - the world's most acclaimed and cutting edge scholars of Judaic Studies: Moshe Halbertal, Moshe Idel, Menachem Lorberbaum, Melila Hellner Eshed, Alick Isaacs, Yehuda Kurtzer, Israel Knohl, Micah Goodman, Tal Becker, Shlomo Naeh, Gil Troy, Yossi Halevi, Rani Jaeger, Biti Roi, Rachel Korazim and of course, David and Donniel Hartman. And I have had the wonderful fortune of studying my Hartman Torah with colleagues who have now become my some of my best friends, most especially my Hartman havruta partner, Rabbi David Cohen.

Without a doubt I have feel like I have grown and developed as a Rabbi, a leader, and a teacher. As a result of my time at the Machon I relate to, think about and teach Jewish sources, ideas and concepts in a completely different way than I did before entering my program. With all of the new challenges facing the Jewish community and the synagogue world I feel well positioned to lead CBINT in the years ahead.

None of this would have been possible had it not been for an extraordinarily supportive lay leadership and congregation, a supportive and very patient family, and the tremendous generosity of Jerry and Louise Stein. I also awe a debt of gratitude to my beloved teachers, Rabbi David and Donniel Hartman,    Hartman North America's President, Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, and the Machon's phenomenal administrative staff.