February 2024 Rabbinic Search Update

Application process for Rabbinic Search & Selection Committee

This Spring, Congregation Shomrei Torah’s Board of Directors (and many other hard-working volunteers) are actively preparing for Rabbi George’s June 2024 retirement and the transition to new rabbinical leadership – including developing a process for selection of a “settled” (long-term) rabbi.

Please read on for information about the interim rabbi selection; how you can participate in the search for our settled rabbi; and a timeline of key activities.

Search and Selection Committee for Shomrei Torah’s Settled Rabbi

• Based on members’ expression of interest statements, the Board of Directors will be selecting a committee of 10-12 individuals who represent the breadth of the CST community, looking for a dynamic mix of different generations, length of membership, and types of synagogue involvement and leadership.
• The rabbinic recruitment and selection process will extend from July 2024 through June 2025, and is anticipated to include multiple in-person meetings (monthly at a minimum), thorough review of applicant packets, several online and in-person interviews and follow-up discussion. Committee members should be prepared to spend 10- 15 hours a month on the process.
• The committee will operate within the general framework that has been set out by the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), to assure a thorough and fair selection process.  Among other things, participants must commit to absolute confidentiality regarding the applicants and the deliberations of the committee.

Applications for the Rabbinic Search and Selection Committee were due March 15.

Selection of the committee will be made by late April.

Please note that serving on the committee is not the only way to have input into rabbinic transition at Congregation Shomrei Torah.  Your efforts to assist in preparing events saying “good-bye” to Rabbi George are welcome.  All members will be invited to attend programming designed to introduce finalist candidates to the congregation.  And you can join in by answering the call to help plan events to welcome the new long-term rabbi.

Timeline

• March 15, 2024, 5 PM: Applications expressing interest in serving on the Rabbi Search and Selection Committee are due.  Selection of committee members is expected to be completed by late April.
• April – June 2024: Multiple ‘goodbye’ events celebrating Rabbi George’s almost 30 years of services to CST. See the Honoring Rabbi George webpage for details. Contact the office if you would like to assist with any events.
• July 1, 2024: Expected start date of the interim rabbi, who will serve Congregation Shomrei Torah for one year while an in-depth search is underway for our settled rabbi.
• July 2024-June 2025: Rabbinic recruitment and selection process for our settled rabbi.
• January 2025-June 2025: Planning and assisting with welcoming events for our new rabbi!

Interim Rabbi Search

Since last Fall, a search committee co-chaired by Board President Eli Weinzveg and Board Secretary Judith Richlin-Klonsky, and including Board members Sharon Bauman and Erica Magers, have been reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates to serve as CST’s interim rabbi. (The early stages of the process also benefitted from the input of Jillian Navarro (z” l).)  Finalists for the position met with CST clergy, professional staff, and Board members. The committee introduced Rabbi Andi Berlin as our Interim Rabbi in February, 2024.