Rabbinic Transition - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the timeline for the change in rabbinic leadership?
Rabbi George will be with us as Senior Rabbi through the end of June 2024, continuing to teach; lead services, Torah study, and meditation; meet with the Board and committees; and counsel members who need his guidance and support. Upon retirement, Rabbi George’s title will be designated as "Rabbi Emeritus" as a mark of respect and recognition for his dedicated service over the years.
CST leadership has begun the process, outlined by the Rabbinical Placement Commission of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and Union for Reform Judaism, to select an Interim Rabbi, who will be with us from (approximately) July 2024 through June 2025.
During the year when we have an Interim Rabbi, a search committee representing our diverse membership will be selected to lead the process of selecting our next Senior Rabbi, who we anticipate will begin July 2025.
Are retirement events being planned?
Congregation Shomrei Torah will be celebrating Rabbi George and his career in multiple ways. Stay tuned as we provide updates.
What’s an Interim Rabbi?
How is this person selected?
Why engage a rabbi for a year instead of searching for a new Rabbi right away?
Following the loss of a longtime Senior Rabbi, it’s a challenge for a congregation to pivot to the future, assess current congregational needs and goals, and identify the rabbinic characteristics we feel would work best for our community in coming years and decades. Doing that in a matter of months – while simultaneously saying farewell to Rabbi George – would be rushed. An interim year allows CST leadership to thoughtfully listen to input from the congregation, review candidates, and make a careful selection. We are a large, diverse community and selecting a new rabbi is a big, important task: better to do it right than do it fast.
“Interim Rabbi” is a specialized job category. Interim rabbis are specifically trained and experienced in assisting a congregation in its transition from the previous rabbinic leadership to a new Senior Rabbi. An Interim Rabbi isn’t assigned: CST will have the opportunity to select an individual from an array of applicants and to identify someone whose Jewish values and practices, as well as personal style, are a good match with ours. But there is a mutual understanding that an Interim Rabbi is essentially a placeholder: maintaining CST programming and community and offering guidance while we seek a longtime arrangement.
What’s a Rabbi Emeritus?
“Emeritus” is an honorary description. It allows retired professionals in certain fields (especially academics and clergy) to continue to hold their title. It’s a way of expressing respect and appreciation for Rabbi George’s service to Congregation Shomrei Torah and indicating our ongoing institutional support for him in retirement, should he ever choose to be engaged in professional activities (such as teaching or writing).
What does the title mean for Rabbi George’s involvement with Congregation Shomrei Torah?
Rabbis Emeriti typically step back temporarily from involvement with their onetime congregation to allow members of the community to look ahead and to establish a positive relationship with their new rabbinic leader. Following that kind of gap period, Rabbi George has expressed his intention to eventually return, both participating as a member of the CST community and possibly occasionally offering his professional talents as well.
