Eric Yoffie
Encyclopedia
Eric H. Yoffie is a Reform
rabbi
, and president of the Union for Reform Judaism
(URJ), the congregational arm of the Reform movement in North America
which represents an estimated 1.5 million Reform Jews in more than 900 synagogues across the United States and Canada. He has remained the unchallenged head of American Judaism’s largest denomination since 1996.
, where his family belonged to historic Temple Emanuel
, and he was involved in the Reform Movement's Youth organization, the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY). Yoffie first held the position of president in the Northeast Region of NFTY before moving on to be the organization's Vice President in 1966-1967.
After high school Yoffie spent his freshman year at Stanford University
, and graduated from Brandeis University
. He received his Rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College
in New York in 1974. He served congregations in Lynbrook, NY, and Durham, NC, before joining the URJ as director of the Midwest Council in 1980. In 1983 he was named Executive Director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA). In 1992 he became vice president of the URJ and director of the Commission on Social Action. In addition, he served as executive editor of Reform Judaism magazine. On July 1, 1996, he succeeded Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler as president of the Union for Reform Judaism. In 1999 The Jewish Daily Forward named Yoffie the number one Jewish leader in America.
He is married to Amy Jacobson Yoffie. The couple has two children, and resides in Westfield, NJ.
On June 10, 2010 Yoffie announced his plan to step down from the post of president of URJ in June 2012, when he will be 65. Rabbi Richard Jacobs
, currently the senior rabbi at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, NY, is appointed as his successor.
He has announced two worship initiatives. The first, in 1999, was designed to help congregations become "houses in which we pray with joy." The second, eight years later, encouraged congregations to rethink their Shabbat morning worship and fostered Shabbat observance among individual Reform Jews.
Yoffie has been a pioneer in interfaith relations and has launched Movement-wide dialogue programs with both Christians and Muslims. In 2005, he was the first Jew to address the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Later that year, he harshly criticized the Religious Right for its exclusionary beliefs but in 2006 he accepted the invitation of the Rev. Jerry Falwell to address the students and faculty of Liberty University, where he spoke frankly of areas of agreement and disagreement. In 2007 Rabbi Yoffie was the first leader of a major Jewish organization to speak at the convention of the Islamic Society of North America. Recently, he has been a proponent of Muslim-American Rights and is a strong supporter of the Park 51 Community Center.
Yoffie has also been deeply involved in issues of social justice and community concern. A prominent spokesperson for sensible gun control, he was the only religious leader to appear at the Million Mom March in Washington, DC. He has also worked tirelessly on behalf of the Jewish state and the rights of Reform Jews in Israel, and meets frequently with Israel's elected officials to present the concerns of the Reform Movement and North American Jewry. Along with other Jewish Leaders, Yoffie has been outspoken against all legislative efforts that would limit religious freedom in Israel or impact Israel’s law of return.
pastor Jerry Falwell
invited Yoffie to address the students at his very conservative Liberty University
. Yoffie first spoke shared values of family and morality before defending church-state separation
and gay marriage
, which elicited boos from the students.
i President Moshe Katsav
after the President refused to address Yoffie by the title "Rabbi". The Chief Rabbinate of Israel
does not recognize rabbinic ordinations from non-Orthodox
institutions. Katsav explained that he was not the one who decides "on matters of ordination and titles in Israel".
's 44th annual convention in Chicago, IL. Yoffie speaks of "a huge and profound ignorance of Islam
" by Jews and Christians in North America. He states that, "the time has come to listen to our Muslim neighbors speak, from their heart and in their own words, about the spiritual power of Islam and their love for their religion."
He conversely asks the conference for more understanding of Judaism; "The dialogue will not be one way, of course. You will teach us about Islam and we will teach you about Judaism. We will help you to overcome stereotyping of Muslims, and you will help us to overcome stereotyping of Jews."
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
, and president of the Union for Reform Judaism
Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism , formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations , is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H...
(URJ), the congregational arm of the Reform movement in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
which represents an estimated 1.5 million Reform Jews in more than 900 synagogues across the United States and Canada. He has remained the unchallenged head of American Judaism’s largest denomination since 1996.
Family and career
Yoffie was raised in Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, where his family belonged to historic Temple Emanuel
Temple Emanuel (Worcester, Massachusetts)
Temple Emanuel is a leading Reform Jewish synagogue located in Worcester, Massachusetts, affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism. Founded in 1921, it is the oldest and largest Reform congregation in Worcester. The current building was constructed in 1949 and greatly expanded in 1961 when...
, and he was involved in the Reform Movement's Youth organization, the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY). Yoffie first held the position of president in the Northeast Region of NFTY before moving on to be the organization's Vice President in 1966-1967.
After high school Yoffie spent his freshman year at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, and graduated from Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
. He received his Rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College
Hebrew Union College
The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the oldest extant Jewish seminary in the Americas and the main seminary for training rabbis, cantors, educators and communal workers in Reform Judaism.HUC-JIR has campuses in Cincinnati, New York, Los Angeles and Jerusalem.The Jerusalem...
in New York in 1974. He served congregations in Lynbrook, NY, and Durham, NC, before joining the URJ as director of the Midwest Council in 1980. In 1983 he was named Executive Director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA). In 1992 he became vice president of the URJ and director of the Commission on Social Action. In addition, he served as executive editor of Reform Judaism magazine. On July 1, 1996, he succeeded Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler as president of the Union for Reform Judaism. In 1999 The Jewish Daily Forward named Yoffie the number one Jewish leader in America.
He is married to Amy Jacobson Yoffie. The couple has two children, and resides in Westfield, NJ.
On June 10, 2010 Yoffie announced his plan to step down from the post of president of URJ in June 2012, when he will be 65. Rabbi Richard Jacobs
Richard Jacobs (Rabbi)
Richard J. Jacobs is a Reform rabbi, currently the senior rabbi at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, New York. Nominated in March 2011, he was elected in June 2011 to succeed rabbi Eric Yoffie in 2012 as president of the Union for Reform Judaism , the congregational arm of the Reform...
, currently the senior rabbi at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, NY, is appointed as his successor.
Views
Some of the many issues that Rabbi Yoffie has been involved with as president of URJ are gun control, LGBT rights, the death penalty, religious pluralism and assistance on various Israel-related issues. Religiously he has been a proponent of increased traditionalism within Reform Judaism, urging a greater focus on Jewish text study and prayer. Yoffie has led the Reform Movement to move congregational life toward greater attention to Torah study and adult literacy. He has spearheaded a major expansion of the Union's summer camping program. In 2005 he introduced the Sacred Choices curriculum to teach sexual ethics to teens in camps and congregations.He has announced two worship initiatives. The first, in 1999, was designed to help congregations become "houses in which we pray with joy." The second, eight years later, encouraged congregations to rethink their Shabbat morning worship and fostered Shabbat observance among individual Reform Jews.
Yoffie has been a pioneer in interfaith relations and has launched Movement-wide dialogue programs with both Christians and Muslims. In 2005, he was the first Jew to address the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Later that year, he harshly criticized the Religious Right for its exclusionary beliefs but in 2006 he accepted the invitation of the Rev. Jerry Falwell to address the students and faculty of Liberty University, where he spoke frankly of areas of agreement and disagreement. In 2007 Rabbi Yoffie was the first leader of a major Jewish organization to speak at the convention of the Islamic Society of North America. Recently, he has been a proponent of Muslim-American Rights and is a strong supporter of the Park 51 Community Center.
Yoffie has also been deeply involved in issues of social justice and community concern. A prominent spokesperson for sensible gun control, he was the only religious leader to appear at the Million Mom March in Washington, DC. He has also worked tirelessly on behalf of the Jewish state and the rights of Reform Jews in Israel, and meets frequently with Israel's elected officials to present the concerns of the Reform Movement and North American Jewry. Along with other Jewish Leaders, Yoffie has been outspoken against all legislative efforts that would limit religious freedom in Israel or impact Israel’s law of return.
Family and morality
In April 2006, evangelicalEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
pastor Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
invited Yoffie to address the students at his very conservative Liberty University
Liberty University
Liberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
. Yoffie first spoke shared values of family and morality before defending church-state separation
Separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
and gay marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, which elicited boos from the students.
Relations with Israel
In June 2006, Yoffie declined to meet with IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i President Moshe Katsav
Moshe Katsav
Moshe Katsav is an Israeli politician. He served as the eighth President of Israel, a leading Likud member of the Israeli Knesset, and a Cabinet Minister in its government....
after the President refused to address Yoffie by the title "Rabbi". The Chief Rabbinate of Israel
Chief Rabbinate of Israel
The Chief Rabbinate of Israel is recognized by law as the supreme halakhic and spiritual authority for the Jewish people in Israel. The Chief Rabbinate Council assists the two chief rabbis, who alternate in its presidency. It has legal and administrative authority to organize religious...
does not recognize rabbinic ordinations from non-Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
institutions. Katsav explained that he was not the one who decides "on matters of ordination and titles in Israel".
Relations with Muslims
On August 31, 2007, Yoffie gave remarks at the Islamic Society of North AmericaIslamic Society of North America
The Islamic Society of North America , based in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a Muslim umbrella group. It has been described in the media as the largest Muslim organization in North America.-History:...
's 44th annual convention in Chicago, IL. Yoffie speaks of "a huge and profound ignorance of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
" by Jews and Christians in North America. He states that, "the time has come to listen to our Muslim neighbors speak, from their heart and in their own words, about the spiritual power of Islam and their love for their religion."
He conversely asks the conference for more understanding of Judaism; "The dialogue will not be one way, of course. You will teach us about Islam and we will teach you about Judaism. We will help you to overcome stereotyping of Muslims, and you will help us to overcome stereotyping of Jews."
2011
- Dear Reader: New World Order, Reform Judaism magazine, Spring 2011
- Solving Israel's Settlement Problem, Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, Reform Reflections blog, JPost.com, published March 7, 2011
2010
- Dear Reader: Fundamentalists & Us, Reform Judaism magazine, Winter 2010
- Rabbi Yoffie and Reform Jewish Movement Condemns Homophobic Bullying: Provides Resources for Congregations, Teens, Parents, October 8, 2010
- Israeli Chief Rabbinate is thwarting religious expression, democratic principles, JTA Op-Ed, September 7, 2010
- Dear Reader: A Tribute to Classical Reform, Reform Judaism magazine, Fall 2010
- Conversion Wars Undermine Israel and its Image, JTA op-ed, July 26, 2010
- Getting Serious About Iran, Forward Opinion piece, May 19, 2010
- Dear Reader: Charter School Charade, Reform Judaism magazine, Summer 2010
- Dear Reader: We Dare Not Be Silent, Reform Judaism magazine, Spring 2010
- At the Wall, which side is the right one?: The Kotel belongs to the entire Jewish people, JWeekly.com, January 21, 2010
- Statement on the Women of the Wall, January 12, 2010
- Whose Orders to Follow? A letter to a Hesder Yeshiva Student, The Jewish Week op-ed, January 12, 2010
Rabbi Yoffie's Blog Posts
- A Rabbi's Thoughts: What Christmas Tells Us About America, Huffington Post, December 20, 2010
- Hanukkah Matters, Huffington Post, December 3, 2010
- Sexual Obessesion and the Fall of the Religious Right, Huffington Post, December 1, 2010
- Hesder Yeshiva: Has it outlived it's usefulness?, JPost.tcom, Reform Reflections, November 29, 2010
- The Idiocy of the Ariel Boycott, JPost.com, Reform Relections, November 15, 2010
- Memo to Gideon Sa'ar, JPost.com, Reform Reflections, November 8, 2010
- Religion, Politics and the Return of Ralph Reed: Is That God or Ambition Talking?, Huffington Post, November 2, 2010
- Sense and Nonsense on Jonathan Pollard, JPost.com, Reform Reflections, October 27, 2010
- Media Images of Religious Americans: Elitest, Condescending and Wrong, Huffington Post, October 12, 2010
- A Torah Lesson for Settlers, JPost.com Guest Blog, October 12, 2010
- Auschwitz and the Mosque at Ground Zero: The Problems with This Analogy, Huffington Post, September 28, 2010
- The Dangerous Misperceptions of Rabbi Amar, JPost.com, Guest Blog, September 26, 2010
- Americans and the Problem of Sin: Yom Kippur Relfections, Huffington Post, September 16, 2010
- Soloveitchik on settlements, JPost.com, Guest Blog, September 5, 2010
- The Painful Search for Peace, JPost.com, Reform Reflections, August 25, 2010
- Religion Can Save America. Case in Point -- Immigration Reform, Huffington Post, August 19, 2010
- Being Fair to Fundamentalists, Huffington Post, August 2, 2010
- Funeral Fiascos: Should Jews Rethink How We Honor the Dead?, Huffington Post, July 20, 2010
2009
- Dear Reader: Collective Shame Is Our Lot, Reform Judaism magazine, Winter 2009
- Israel's Real Crisis: Education, The Jewish Week, August 27, 2009
- Dear Reader: A Call for Civility, Reform Judaism magazine, Fall 2009
- Michael Jackson and the Jews, RJ.org blog post, June 29, 2009
- How Not to Protect the Jewish State, Forward op-ed, June 3, 2009
- Dear Reader: Give Israel's Arab Citizens Full Equality, Reform Judaism magazine, Summer 2009
- Dear Reader: Do Not Abandon Shiva, Reform Judaism magazine, Spring 2009
- The Forward Opinion: Confronting Our Demogogue, February 17, 2009
External links
- President - Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie Biography, Union for Reform Judaism
- Reform leader: Most U.S. Jews back settlement freeze. Rabbi Eric Yoffie: American Jews don't want their government to be at odds with the government of Israel, Interview by Natasha Mozgovaya, HaaretzHaaretzHaaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
, July 24, 2009 - Our New President Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie: Teacher of Living Torah, Interview by Aron Hirt-Manheimer, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Fall 1996