The seventh meeting of the Settled Rabbi Search Committee on September 12th found the members putting the finishing touches on several items in anticipation of the job announcement, which is scheduled to be posted on the other side of the High Holidays (around October 19th). Dividing into five groups, members refined the wording of the job description, tweaked form letters inviting and rejecting candidates, edited the list of interview questions, and put some more gloss …

READ MORERefining and Polishing

With the members familiarizing themselves with the different rabbinical schools the applicants may have attended, we present the third in our continuing series “Know Your Seminary!” with a profile of Hebrew Union College. Billed as the largest Jewish seminary in North America, HUC is affiliated with the Reform movement and has campuses in Jerusalem, New York, L.A., and Cincinnati (although the Ohio campus is said to be closing). The college was established in 1875 by …

READ MOREKnow Your Seminary: Hebrew Union College

The Settled Rabbi Search Committee (SRSC) spent most of its sixth meeting on August 29th divided into four groups for this very productive, working session. One group was tasked to take notes on the useful (Reconstructionist) article “Suggestions for a Productive Interview with Rabbinic Candidates,” and drafting the interview questions we will address to candidates. A second group began drafting the form letters that will be sent to the candidates during the interview process. Another …

READ MORENuts and Bolts

The Search Committee’s fifth meeting on August 25th focused on articulating and prioritizing the many roles our future rabbi will play. Drawing from “Aliya: A Congregation’s Rabbinic Search Guide,” the committee identified fourteen vital dimensions to this unique job, such as: “Pastoral Counselor”; “Worship Leader”; “Teacher”; “Music Leader”; “Social Activist”; “Administrator”; “Fundraiser”; and “Community Builder.” Our new rabbi must be competent, of course, in every role. But what are the three or four roles the …

READ MOREThe Role of the Rabbi

Among the ways the Search Committee is preparing for upcoming interviews with applicants, the members are familiarizing themselves with the different rabbinical schools the applicants may have attended. Curious, yourself? Then in the second of our continuing series “Know Your Seminary!” we’ll be profiling the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC). Founded in 1968, the RRC is the only seminary officially affiliated with the Reconstructionist Movement. Located in Wyncote, PA (just a few miles north of Philadelphia), …

READ MOREKnow Your Seminary: Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

Summer and Early Fall 2022 Settled Rabbi Search Committee continues to meet every 2 weeks Fall 2022 As soon as HHD have ended (around 10/19/22) we will post the job description on various sites Revolving throughout Late Fall, Winter and Early Spring Review Resumes as they come in Round 1 – Initial pre-screen 30 min phone interview with 2 committee members Round 2 – Follow up interview on Zoom with entire committee Round 3 – …

READ MORETimeline of the Search Process

The Settled Rabbi Search Committee (SRSC) met Monday evening, splitting into two groups to focus on creating a job description and crafting our interview process. The committee is happily working together on the sacred task before us. Our work is informed by many sources. This week we are delving into Aliya – A Congregation’s Rabbinic Search Guide, written by Rabbi Elliot Schoenberg and revised by Schoenberg and Emily Hendel. Produced by the Rabbinic Assembly Placement …

READ MORECreating the Job Description

This week we’ll be profiling Rabbi Noyo’s alma mater, Hebrew College. Founded in 1921 in the Boston area (and planning a move to a new Newton campus this January), Hebrew College is so-named because a cornerstone of its original vision was teaching exclusively in Hebrew, reflecting an ardent Zionism in its founding members. Today, the college emphasizes its role as “a pluralistic institution, recognizing and valuing human diversity.” Communal responsibility and Jewish creativity are two …

READ MOREKnow Your Seminary: Hebrew College

On Monday, July 25th, the WJC Settled Rabbi Search Committee (SRSC) met for the third time. We continued our discussion around the process for interviewing candidates, and the decision was made to begin posting the job description on various sites on October 19th, after Sukkot. The interview process continues to be refined and will be shared with the community soon. In the meantime, house meetings are continuing to gather feedback from the congregation on what …

READ MOREThe Third Meeting

When the WJC Rabbi Search Committee zoomed together for their second meeting on July 11th the planning and discussion revolved around a central question: “How do we best evaluate the candidates for the position?” Rather than a generic answer, our approach should reflect the unique character of the WJC. We heard a report on the three house meetings that have been conducted so far to get feedback from the community, with a particular focus on …

READ MOREHow do we best evaluate the candidates for the position?