Rabbinical Assembly
Encyclopedia
The Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of Conservative
rabbi
s. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
for the Conservative movement. It organizes conferences and coordinates the Joint Placement Commission of the Conservative movement. Members of the RA serve as rabbis, educators, community workers and military and hospital chaplains around the world.
Rabbis ordained by Jewish Theological Seminary of America
, the Zeigler School of Rabbinical studies at the American Jewish University (California), The Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and The Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies
(Jerusalem, Israel
) automatically become members of the RA upon their ordination. Rabbis whose ordination is from other seminaries and Yeshiva
s may also admitted to the RA. As of 2010, there were 1,648 members of the RA.
The majority of RA members serve in the United States and Canada, while more than ten percent of its rabbis serve in Israel and many of its rabbis serve in Latin America, in the countries of Europe, Australia and South Africa. RA members converse online via Ravnet
and in person at annual RA conventions.
(JTS). Henry M. Speaker served as the first president. In 1918, the association changed its name to the Rabbinical Assembly, opening itself up to rabbis ordained at institutions other than JTS.
The longest-serving president of the Rabbinical Assembly was Wolfe Kelman
, who accepted the post in 1951 and continued in the post until 1989.
In 1985, the RA admitted its first female member, Amy Eilberg
, the first female ordainee at JTS. It immediately proceeded to admit Rabbis Jan Caryl Kaufman and Beverly Magidson, who had been ordained at Hebrew Union College
. By 2010, 273 of the 1648 members of the Rabbinical Assembly were women.
In 1989, upon Wolfe Kelman
's retirement, Joel H. Meyers became executive director of the RA. In 1991, Meyers was appointed executive vice president, and he served in this role until his retirement in 2008.
In October 2008, Julie Schonfeld was named as the new executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly, making her the first female rabbi to serve in the chief executive position of an American rabbinical association.
(CJLS) is the movement's central body on interpreting Jewish law and custom
; it was founded by the Rabbinical Assembly in 1927, with Max Drob as its first head. It presently composed of 25 Rabbis, who are voting members, and five laypeople, who do not vote but participate fully in deliberations. When any six (or more) members vote in favor of a position, that position becomes an official position of the Rabbinical Assembly. An individual rabbi, however, functions as the mara de-atra (מרא דאתרא, lit. "master of the house" in Aramaic, the local authority in Jewish law), adopting the position he or she considers most compelling, even if it has not been approved by the CJLS.
The Rabbinical Assembly of Israel (the Israeli arm of the RA) has its own decision making body, the Va'ad Halacha. Responsa
by both the CJLS and the Va'ad Halacha are equally valid, although the Va'ad's emphasis is on issues pertaining to Israeli society. The CJLS and the Va'ad do not always come up with the same answer to a question. Individual rabbis are free to decide which responsa to adopt or to develop their own halakhic positions.
for Shabbat and weekdays, most recently Siddur Sim Shalom
and Or Hadash: A Commentary on Siddur Sim Shalom by Reuven Hammer.
It has also published prayer books
for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, most recently Mahzor Lev Shalem. The RA has also published liturgical texts for other days on the Jewish calendar, such as Megillat Hashoah: The Holocaust Scroll for Yom Ha-shoah and Siddur Tishah B’Av for the fast day of Tishah B’Av.
In cooperation with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
and the Jewish Publication Society, the RA published the Etz Hayim Humash
, a Torah commentary for synagogue use.
In cooperation with the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
, the RA also publishes a scholarly quarterly journal, Conservative Judaism, which is edited by Martin Samuel Cohen
.
Under its Aviv Press imprint, the RA publishes books on Jewish spirituality and contemporary Jewish practice written by its members. The earliest publications by Aviv Press were:
Most recently, Aviv Press has turned its attention to producing a new guide to Jewish law, The Observant Life: A Guide to Ritual and Ethics for Conservative Jews, edited by Martin Samuel Cohen
and Michael Katz
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
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...
s. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on halakha within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active and widely known committees on the Conservative movement's Rabbinical Assembly. Within the movement it is known as the CJLS...
for the Conservative movement. It organizes conferences and coordinates the Joint Placement Commission of the Conservative movement. Members of the RA serve as rabbis, educators, community workers and military and hospital chaplains around the world.
Rabbis ordained by Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
, the Zeigler School of Rabbinical studies at the American Jewish University (California), The Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and The Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies
Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies
The Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, located in Jerusalem, Israel, is an academic institution affiliated with Conservative Judaism first established in New York....
(Jerusalem, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
) automatically become members of the RA upon their ordination. Rabbis whose ordination is from other seminaries and Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
s may also admitted to the RA. As of 2010, there were 1,648 members of the RA.
The majority of RA members serve in the United States and Canada, while more than ten percent of its rabbis serve in Israel and many of its rabbis serve in Latin America, in the countries of Europe, Australia and South Africa. RA members converse online via Ravnet
Ravnet
Ravnet is the private, unmoderated discussion group of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly . Ravnet is often used as a sounding board for the new issues of the day, or even for clarification about points of Jewish law....
and in person at annual RA conventions.
History
The Rabbinical Assembly was founded in 1901 as the Alumni Association of the Jewish Theological Seminary of AmericaJewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
(JTS). Henry M. Speaker served as the first president. In 1918, the association changed its name to the Rabbinical Assembly, opening itself up to rabbis ordained at institutions other than JTS.
The longest-serving president of the Rabbinical Assembly was Wolfe Kelman
Wolfe Kelman
Wolfe Kelman was an Austrian-born American Rabbi and leader in the Conservative Judaism in the United States who never led a congregation, serving for decades as a mentor to hundreds of rabbis in his role as the executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly, where he also prepared the...
, who accepted the post in 1951 and continued in the post until 1989.
In 1985, the RA admitted its first female member, Amy Eilberg
Amy Eilberg
Amy Eilberg is the first female rabbi ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, one of the academic centers and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism.-Youth and early life:...
, the first female ordainee at JTS. It immediately proceeded to admit Rabbis Jan Caryl Kaufman and Beverly Magidson, who had been ordained at 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...
. By 2010, 273 of the 1648 members of the Rabbinical Assembly were women.
In 1989, upon Wolfe Kelman
Wolfe Kelman
Wolfe Kelman was an Austrian-born American Rabbi and leader in the Conservative Judaism in the United States who never led a congregation, serving for decades as a mentor to hundreds of rabbis in his role as the executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly, where he also prepared the...
's retirement, Joel H. Meyers became executive director of the RA. In 1991, Meyers was appointed executive vice president, and he served in this role until his retirement in 2008.
In October 2008, Julie Schonfeld was named as the new executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly, making her the first female rabbi to serve in the chief executive position of an American rabbinical association.
Bodies for Interpreting Jewish Law
The Committee on Jewish Law and StandardsCommittee on Jewish Law and Standards
The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is the central authority on halakha within Conservative Judaism; it is one of the most active and widely known committees on the Conservative movement's Rabbinical Assembly. Within the movement it is known as the CJLS...
(CJLS) is the movement's central body on interpreting Jewish law and custom
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
; it was founded by the Rabbinical Assembly in 1927, with Max Drob as its first head. It presently composed of 25 Rabbis, who are voting members, and five laypeople, who do not vote but participate fully in deliberations. When any six (or more) members vote in favor of a position, that position becomes an official position of the Rabbinical Assembly. An individual rabbi, however, functions as the mara de-atra (מרא דאתרא, lit. "master of the house" in Aramaic, the local authority in Jewish law), adopting the position he or she considers most compelling, even if it has not been approved by the CJLS.
The Rabbinical Assembly of Israel (the Israeli arm of the RA) has its own decision making body, the Va'ad Halacha. Responsa
Responsa
Responsa comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them.-In the Roman Empire:Roman law recognised responsa prudentium, i.e...
by both the CJLS and the Va'ad Halacha are equally valid, although the Va'ad's emphasis is on issues pertaining to Israeli society. The CJLS and the Va'ad do not always come up with the same answer to a question. Individual rabbis are free to decide which responsa to adopt or to develop their own halakhic positions.
Publications
The RA has also published prayer booksSiddur
A siddur is a Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. This article discusses how some of these prayers evolved, and how the siddur, as it is known today has developed...
for Shabbat and weekdays, most recently Siddur Sim Shalom
Siddur Sim Shalom
Siddur Sim Shalom may refer to any siddur in a family of siddurim, Jewish prayerbooks, and related commentaries on these siddurim, published by the Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism....
and Or Hadash: A Commentary on Siddur Sim Shalom by Reuven Hammer.
It has also published prayer books
Mahzor
The mahzor is the prayer book used by Jews on the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Many Jews also make use of specialized mahzorim on the three "pilgrimage festivals" of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot...
for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, most recently Mahzor Lev Shalem. The RA has also published liturgical texts for other days on the Jewish calendar, such as Megillat Hashoah: The Holocaust Scroll for Yom Ha-shoah and Siddur Tishah B’Av for the fast day of Tishah B’Av.
In cooperation with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism is the primary organization of synagogues practicing Conservative Judaism in North America...
and the Jewish Publication Society, the RA published the Etz Hayim Humash
Etz Hayim Humash
The Etz Hayim Humash , also known as Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, is a humash published and used by the Conservative Jewish movement. Its production involved the collaboration of the Rabbinical Assembly, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and the Jewish Publication Society.-Authors:*...
, a Torah commentary for synagogue use.
In cooperation with the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism, and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studies.JTS operates five schools: Albert A...
, the RA also publishes a scholarly quarterly journal, Conservative Judaism, which is edited by Martin Samuel Cohen
Martin Samuel Cohen
Martin Samuel Cohen is rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, New York.Cohen was educated at the City University of New York and at Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he was ordained a rabbi and received his Ph.D...
.
Under its Aviv Press imprint, the RA publishes books on Jewish spirituality and contemporary Jewish practice written by its members. The earliest publications by Aviv Press were:
- a Torah commentary by Ismar SchorschIsmar SchorschIsmar Schorsch had been the son of hanoveranian Rabbi Emil Schorsch. They both experienced the so called "Reichskristallnacht" in a different manner. Dr. Ismar Schorsch became the sixth Chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary and is the Rabbi Herman Abramovitz Professor of Jewish history...
- meditations on the Jewish year by Jonathan WittenbergJonathan WittenbergRabbi Jonathan Wittenberg is a Masorti rabbi, the Senior Rabbi of The Assembly of Masorti Synagogues UK. He is a leading writer and thinker on Judaism. He is Rabbi of the New North London Synagogue, with approximately 2400 members.-Personal life:He moved to London in 1963...
- meditations on the psalms by Martin Samuel CohenMartin Samuel CohenMartin Samuel Cohen is rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, New York.Cohen was educated at the City University of New York and at Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he was ordained a rabbi and received his Ph.D...
- a volume describing different approaches to Jewish law edited by Elliot Dorff
- an introduction to Judaism as a compassionate, mindful practice by Jonathan P. Slater
- an introduction to Musar as a spiritual path by Ira F. StoneIra F. StoneRabbi Ira F. Stone is a leading figure in the contemporary renewal of the Musar movement, a Jewish ethical movement.Stone was ordained as a rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1979, and proceeded to serve congregations in Seattle and Philadelphia while also teaching at the Jewish...
Most recently, Aviv Press has turned its attention to producing a new guide to Jewish law, The Observant Life: A Guide to Ritual and Ethics for Conservative Jews, edited by Martin Samuel Cohen
Martin Samuel Cohen
Martin Samuel Cohen is rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, New York.Cohen was educated at the City University of New York and at Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he was ordained a rabbi and received his Ph.D...
and Michael Katz