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1. What generally happens during the rabbinic search process?
As a member of the Union for Reform Judaism, Temple Beth Zion works with the Rabbinical Placement Commission (the "Commission"). The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIT) established the Rabbinical Placement Commission in 1964. The Commission, representing the entire reform movement, has the responsibility to formulate rules and regulations to ensure the orderly placement of rabbis in URJ congregations, as well as the placement of rabbis in other positions. The Commission is always sensitive to the changing needs of both the rabbinate and congregations and updates and evaluates the placement rules based on past experience and the needs of the reform movement at any given time. These rules are intended to provide order to the process and to ensure fairness and dignity to both the searching rabbi and the seeking congregation as explained in "A Handbook of Placement Procedures". The Rabbinical Placement Commission is available to work closely with our Rabbinic Search Committee to offer guidance and service throughout the search process.
To advertise the opening for our new Rabbi, we have completed and filed the Rabbinical Placement Commission application form on which is described our Temple's mission statement, history, programs and desired traits in a new senior rabbi. The application can be viewed by clicking here.
In December 2010, the Rabbinical Placement Commission posted Temple Beth Zion's application on its online database for rabbis to view. This database is available only to members of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (the "CCAR") to provide rabbis within the reform movement a secure and confidential means to review job openings.
An "eligible rabbi", that is a rabbi with at least five years rabbinic experience based on the size of our congregation, may ask the Rabbinical Placement Commission to forward his/her resume and background information to Temple Beth Zion's Rabbinic Search Committee for consideration. We are, however, required to keep these names and resumes confidential in conformity with the Commission's placement rules in order to respect the integrity of each candidate's relationship with his or her current congregation.
2. How may members of Temple Beth Zion have input into the Search Process?
Normally, a congregation would engage in a lengthy visioning process to determine the qualities we seek in a senior Rabbi. However, it was necessary to file an application immediately, so the Search Committee can begin receiving resumes and interviewing candidates in January.
To ensure that our members will have the ability to comment on the application and the process,
- We have filed an application with the CCAR Placement Office that is based on publicly available information (our website, bulletins, etc.) that we have posted online for all to see. We may amend the application as appropriate.
- We have established a Rabbinic Search page on our website (www.tbz.org) that will contain the most up-to date information that we can make available. The page is a work in progress, but when it is complete, it will contain the roster of our committee, the application and regular updates.
- We have established a Facebook Page (Temple Beth Zion Rabbinic Search) to allow comments and discussions by members.
- We will, in connection with the Congregational Planning Process chaired by Stuart Lerman and Cindy Gradl, hold town hall meetings on January 24 at Delaware and January 31 at Broder and ask for direct comments from all interested members about our application and the search process. We encourage you to share your thoughts about the search process, your vision for the future of Temple Beth Zion, and other relevant topics with members of the Rabbi Search Committee once they are appointed.
- Any interested member can also contact the Search Committee Co-Chairs, David Desmon and Wendee Lorbeer, by clicking here.
3. What is the expected timeline for the rabbinic search process?
The Temple Beth Zion Rabbinic Search Committee will begin to receive applications soon. As we receive applications, the Rabbinic Search Committee will observe the following process:
- Screen each candidate's resume and background, conduct initial telephone interviews on a rolling basis and perform due diligence on the backgrounds of promising candidates.
- Conduct second phone interviews, if necessary, to narrow the pool of candidates.
- Invite selected candidates to Temple Beth Zion for an initial interview with the Rabbinic Search Committee.
- Members of the Temple Beth Zion Rabbinic Search Committee may optionally visit the current synagogues of certain candidates to observe how prospective candidates conduct services and actively engage their existing congregations.
- References will be contacted.
- The final candidate(s) will be invited to Temple Beth Zion for a second visit, along with spouse or partner, to meet with our Clergy, Executive Director, Director of Lifelong Learning and Board members. The Rabbinic Search Committee will gather input from people at this visit.
- The Rabbinic Search Committee will submit their recommendation of a selected candidate to Board of Trustees.
- The Board of Trustees will discuss the Search Committee's recommendation and, subject to contract negotiations, makes a recommendation to the Congregation.
- The Congregation will have the opportunity to approve a recommended candidate.
- Upon acceptance by the candidate to be Temple Beth Zion's Senior Rabbi, a transition process will be initiated to introduce our new Rabbi to the Congregation, the local Jewish Community and the Western New York community as well.
4. Why is the search process kept confidential?
The Rabbinical Placement Commission rules and procedures require that the names and resumes of candidates remain confidential. This confidentiality addresses the ethical dilemma of a rabbi who is currently employed at a synagogue and is interested in pursuing a job at another synagogue. The public knowledge of interest in another congregation might jeopardize his or her current congregational relationship. The Rabbinical Placement Commission, however, does require that a rabbi notify at least one officer (preferably its president) within its present congregation if the rabbi does submit a resume. Given this very valid concern, the Temple Beth Zion Rabbinic Search Committee will honor the Rabbinical Placement Commission's strict rule for confidentiality.
5. What guides Temple Beth Zion's rabbinic search process?
The search process is not just about reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates. It is indeed a process and one that requires us to work closely together in attempting to find the best fit for Temple Beth Zion. In addition to the diverse membership, experiences, ages, stages of family life cycle events experienced and other interests of each member of the Rabbinic Search Committee, our efforts are guided by three major sources: advice from staff at the Rabbinical Placement Commission and URJ; the collective input from the Temple Beth Zion's Town Meetings, e-mail and Facebook conversations; and input from our clergy, lay leadership, and experienced congregants''s advice shared with the committee throughout the process regarding who we are and what our strengths, challenges and opportunities are as a congregation.
The Rabbinical Placement Commission's Handbook of Placement Procedures contains rules and guidelines that govern our search process. They are derived from years of experience and its intention to ensure integrity and fairness in the process. In this regard, all applicants for the position of rabbi at Temple Beth Zion must come through the Rabbinical Placement Commission Office. In addition, given the size of our congregation (greater than 500 "member units"), the Rabbinical Placement Commission requires that rabbis have a minimum of five years of rabbinic experience to be eligible for Temple Beth Zion's position of rabbi. The Co-chairs of our Temple Beth Zion Rabbinic Search Committee will remain in close contact with the Rabbinical Placement Office and its interim director during the entire search process.
6. How do we determine what traits are most important when looking for our new rabbi?
The search committee will draw on the results of the Town Meetings as well as the communication via e-mail, Facebook and in person. Other valuable input will come from Temple Beth Zion clergy & administration as well as regional URJ leadership and temple references who have recently experienced clergy changes.
7. How will we be kept up to date about the search process?
The Temple Beth Zion Rabbinic Search Committee recognizes the profound importance that selecting a new rabbi holds for our congregation, and we deeply appreciate the interest of each individual congregant, clergy member as well as administrative staff in this search. We are committed to making the process as transparent as possible, consistent with the Rabbinical Placement Commission rules and procedures and with our need to keep the identity of candidates confidential. We will pass on new developments through the following means:
- Updates through this Rabbinic Search webpage
- Our weekly e-mail and monthly bulletin
- On Facebook at "Temple Beth Zion Rabbinic Search"
8. How was the Rabbinic Search Committee selected?
Howard Rosenhoch, the President of the Congregation, in consultation with Search Committee Co-Chairs David Desmon and Wendee Lorbeer, selected the members of the Rabbinic Search Committee. A goal was to have significant representation from the many diverse backgrounds, stages in life-cycle events and experiences of our congregants as possible while having a committee size that would be able to work together collaboratively and complete its mission in a timely manner. Therefore, the Temple Beth Zion Rabbinic Search Committee is comprised of people with and without children; families whose children are currently participating in Religious School, Bar/Bat Mitzvah training, PALS pre-school, Sisterhood and Brotherhood; a wide ranges of ages; those who are and have been in lay leadership positions; and members whose children are college-age, married and have grandchildren. Several committee members are Jews-by-choice and several committee members are intermarried. There are no Temple Beth Zion staff or clergy members on the Rabbinic Search Committee.
Click here to view the list of members of the Rabbinic Search Committee.
9. How can I contact the Rabbinic Search Committee?
We invite you to take every opportunity to share your questions, suggestions and advice with the Rabbinic Search Committee. You can submit these with your name. Your comments and questions be treated confidentially.
Please use any of the following methods to contact the Temple Beth Zion Rabbinic Search Committee:
Email to: rabbinicsearch@tbz.org
By mail to: TBZ Rabbinic Search Committee
700 Sweet Home Road, Buffalo, NY 14226
On Facebook: Temple Beth Zion Rabbinic Search
We do value your input and will treat it with respect.
10. Is the Committee considering a permanent or interim Rabbi placement?
We are not bound to either permanent or interim placement. Our most important task is to find a new Senior Rabbi to replace Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld who will be leaving us June 30, 2011. The Search Committee has been advised that while we could perhaps pursue an interim rabbi to serve our congregation for the year beginning July 1, 2011, our best option appears to be to jump right into the search for a permanent Senior Rabbi. We have been told that there are many excellent candidates seeking positions in congregations such as ours.
But we should not settle when it comes to finding a quality Senior Rabbi who will meet our congregation's needs. We recognize that the placement season is well underway and time is short. If necessary and appropriate, we will shift to a search for an interim Senior Rabbi to serve Temple Beth Zion from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012 and continue our search for the right permanent Senior Rabbi over the course of the next year. |
