Rabbinical Council of America
Encyclopedia
The Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) is one of the world's largest organizations of Orthodox
rabbis; it is affiliated with The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, more commonly known as the Orthodox Union, or OU. Most rabbis of the RCA belong to Modern Orthodox Judaism
.
in the United States of America.
Its members attempted on a number of occasions to merge with other Jewish groups, for the purpose of developing a unified traditional rabbinate for the American Jewish community. A number of attempts were made to join with groups such as Agudat Israel
, but all such attempts were rebuffed.
A merger took place in 1935 between the Rabbinical Council of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations and another Orthodox rabbinical group, the Rabbinical Association of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
, a part of Yeshiva University
. With this merger the combined group took the name Rabbinical Council of America, known in the Jewish community as the RCA. In 1942 the Hebrew Theological College
Alumni merged with the RCA. In later years the RCA attempted to merge with another Orthodox rabbinical group, the Rabbinical Alliance of America, but this attempt failed. There was also a temporary adoption of the Orthodox Roundtable
that was abandoned in 1991, when the predominantly Right wing RCA leadership tried to censor the group.
Most members of the Rabbinical Council of America are actively working as pulpit rabbis; a significant minority are working in Jewish education.
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik played an important role in the RCA until his death in 1993.
For many years, the RCA was led by Rabbi Steven Dworkin, who served as Executive Vice-President until his death in January 2003. Since 2003, the RCA has been run by Rabbi Basil Herring, who previously served as director of the Orthodox Forum.
In recent years, complaints have surfaced within the Orthodox Jewish community about a lack of leadership and direction by the RCA and that the RCA has failed to meet the challenges posed by recent changes within the Orthodox Jewish community.
It publishes an English quarterly journal, Tradition
: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought, which began in 1958, and a Hebrew journal, Hadorom, which began in 1957.
The RCA was, for many years, affiliated with two Yeshiva
s in Israel
– Yeshivat HaDarom and the Gan Yavne
h Youth Village. It severed its relations with both in 2009, pleading economic difficulties.
In 2009, it issued a protest against a USCCB statement on interfaith dialogue that was critical of dual-covenant theology
.
As of 2010, there were close to 1000 ordained rabbis in the RCA, spread throughout 14 countries.
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...
rabbis; it is affiliated with The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, more commonly known as the Orthodox Union, or OU. Most rabbis of the RCA belong to Modern Orthodox Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize Jewish values and the observance of Jewish law, with the secular, modern world....
.
History
The roots of the organization go back to 1923 when it was founded as the Rabbinical Council of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. Its purpose was to perpetuate and promote Orthodox JudaismJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
in the United States of America.
Its members attempted on a number of occasions to merge with other Jewish groups, for the purpose of developing a unified traditional rabbinate for the American Jewish community. A number of attempts were made to join with groups such as Agudat Israel
Agudat Israel
Agudat Yisrael began as the original political party representing the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine...
, but all such attempts were rebuffed.
A merger took place in 1935 between the Rabbinical Council of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations and another Orthodox rabbinical group, the Rabbinical Association of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary , or Yeshivat Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, is the rabbinical seminary of Yeshiva University, located in Washington Heights, New York. It is named after Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor, who died the year it was founded, 1896...
, a part of Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
. With this merger the combined group took the name Rabbinical Council of America, known in the Jewish community as the RCA. In 1942 the Hebrew Theological College
Hebrew Theological College
The Hebrew Theological College, known as "Skokie Yeshiva," is a Yeshiva in Skokie, Illinois which also functions as a private university on campus. The primary focus of the Yeshiva is to teach Torah and Jewish traditions...
Alumni merged with the RCA. In later years the RCA attempted to merge with another Orthodox rabbinical group, the Rabbinical Alliance of America, but this attempt failed. There was also a temporary adoption of the Orthodox Roundtable
Orthodox Roundtable
Orthodox Roundtable was a Modern Orthodox rabbinic think tank that functioned from 1988 until 1994. Originally conceived by a group of orthodox rabbis and laypersons in the New York area, the goal of the Roundtable was to promote halakhic discussion of pressing contemporary issues, and to suggest...
that was abandoned in 1991, when the predominantly Right wing RCA leadership tried to censor the group.
Most members of the Rabbinical Council of America are actively working as pulpit rabbis; a significant minority are working in Jewish education.
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik played an important role in the RCA until his death in 1993.
For many years, the RCA was led by Rabbi Steven Dworkin, who served as Executive Vice-President until his death in January 2003. Since 2003, the RCA has been run by Rabbi Basil Herring, who previously served as director of the Orthodox Forum.
In recent years, complaints have surfaced within the Orthodox Jewish community about a lack of leadership and direction by the RCA and that the RCA has failed to meet the challenges posed by recent changes within the Orthodox Jewish community.
It publishes an English quarterly journal, Tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought, which began in 1958, and a Hebrew journal, Hadorom, which began in 1957.
The RCA was, for many years, affiliated with two 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 in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
– Yeshivat HaDarom and the Gan Yavne
Gan Yavne
Gan Yavne is a in the Center District of Israel, located adjacent to the city of Ashdod. It was founded in 1931 and declared a local council in 1950.Gan Yavne lies east of the Tel-Aviv–Ashkelon highway...
h Youth Village. It severed its relations with both in 2009, pleading economic difficulties.
In 2009, it issued a protest against a USCCB statement on interfaith dialogue that was critical of dual-covenant theology
Dual-covenant theology
Dual-covenant theology is a Liberal Christian view that holds that Jews may simply keep the Law of Moses, because of the "everlasting covenant" between Abraham and God expressed in the Hebrew Bible, whereas Gentiles must convert to Christianity or alternatively accept the Seven Laws of Noah...
.
As of 2010, there were close to 1000 ordained rabbis in the RCA, spread throughout 14 countries.
Presidents
- Herbert S. GoldsteinHerbert S. GoldsteinHerbert S. Goldstein, , was a prominent American rabbi and Jewish leader.He was the only person in history to have been elected president of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the Rabbinical Council of America , and the Synagogue Council of America.Globally, he fought for the...
(1938–1940)
- Simcha Levy (1940–1942)
- Joseph LooksteinJoseph LooksteinJoseph Hyman Lookstein was a Russian-born, American rabbi who served as spiritual leader of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and was a leader in Orthodox Judaism, including his service as president of the Rabbinical Council of America and of the...
(1942–1944)
- William Drazin (1944–1946)
- Uri Miller (1946–1948)
- Israel Tabak (1948–1950)
- Samuel Berliant (1950–1952)
- Theodore L. Adams (1952–1954)
- David B. Hollander (1954–1956)
- Solomon J. Shafran (1956–1958)
- Emanuel RackmanEmanuel RackmanRabbi Emanuel Rackman was an American Modern Orthodox Rabbi, who held pulpits in major congregations and helped draw attention to the plight of Refuseniks in the then-Soviet Union and attempted to resolve the dilemma of the Agunah, a woman who cannot remarry because her husband will not grant a...
(1958–1960)
- Charles Weinberg (1960–1962)
- Abraham Avrutick (1962–1964)
- Israel Miller (1964–1966)
- Pesach Levovitz (1966–1968)
- Zev SegalZev SegalZev Segal was an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi.Segal was born in Saratov, Russia and moved to Israel as a toddler. He survived the 1929 Hebron massacre. He was the founding rabbi of the Young Israel of Newark, and served there for thirty-three years, from 1945 to 1978...
(1968–1970)
- Bernard L. Berzon (1970–1972)
- Louis Bernstein (1972–1974)
- Fabian Schonfeld (1974–1976)
- Walter WurzburgerWalter WurzburgerRabbi Walter S. Wurzburger, a leader of Modern Orthodox Judaism and student of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, was born in Munich in March 1920 and emigrated to America in 1938....
(1976–1978)
- Bernard Rosensweig (1978–1980)
- Sol Roth (1980–1982)
- Gilbert Klaperman (1982–1984)
- Louis Bernstein (1984–1986)
- Milton PolinMilton PolinMilton H. Polin, an Orthodox rabbi who served in Brooklyn, New York,, attained a number of distinctions in his life.Born in Chicago, Illinois...
(1986–1988)
- Max Schreier (1988–1990)
- Marc D. AngelMarc D. AngelMarc D. Angel is Rabbi emeritus of Congregation Shearith Israel, the historic Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in New York City....
(1990–1992)
- Moshe Gorelik (1992–1994)
- Louis Bernstein (1994–1995)
- Rafael G. Grossman (1995–1997)
- Jacob Rubenstein (1997–1999)
- Kenneth Hain (1999–2001)
- Heshie Billet (2001–2003)
- Kenneth Auman (2003–2005)
- Dale Polakoff (2005–2007)
- Shlomo Hochberg (2007–2009)
- Moshe KletenikMoshe KletenikRabbi Moshe Kletenik is an American rabbi. He was born in Chicago in 1954 to Rabbi Shya and Rochelle Kletenik. After studying in the Hebrew Theological College and Yeshivas Brisk of Chicago, he received "Yoreh Yoreh" semicha from Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik and completed his BA at Roosevelt University...
(2009-)