Members of the Search Committee traveled to New York a little over a week ago for face to face interviews with members of the graduating class at the Jewish Theological Seminary and The Zeigler School. After interviewing 15 candidates over two days, a short list of four was selected for presentation to the Search Committee. In parallel, another sub-committee of the Search Committee was telephone interviewing a list of eight candidates who had responded to the Beth David posting on the Rabbinic Assembly (RA) placement web site. This second sub-committee also selected four candidates for Search Committee consideration. Late last week, the Search Committee met and after over five hours of discussion merged the two lists and prioritized the outcome. In keeping with the RA process guidelines, we placed calls last Friday which was the earliest the process allowed. When the calls were concluded, we have acceptance from three strong candidates to join us at Beth David in the next few weeks.
The first candidate is Rabbi Michael Goldman. Rabbi Goldman will lead us in Minyan on Wednesday March 10 at 7 PM and for a post Minyan seminar and schmooze session in the social hall. Rabbi was ordained in 2005. Rabbi Goldman is married and has two children and is expecting a third very shortly. He is currently serving as the Hillel Rabbi at Duke University in North Carolina.
The second candidate is Rabbi Philip Ohriner. Rabbi Ohriner will join us for services on Shabbat on Friday night March 12 and Saturday March 13. Rabbi is a member of this year’s JTS class. Rabbi Ohriner is married and his wife is also a rabbi. Prior to starting his studies at JTS, rabbi studied for four years in the Miller Cantorial School and has family in the local area.
The third candidate is Rabbi Ephraim Pelcovits. Rabbi Pelcovits will join us for services on Shabbat on Friday night March 19 and Saturday March 20. Rabbi is a member of this year’s JTS class. Rabbi Pelcovits is married and his wife is an artist. They have one child.
The RA hiring process encourages us to make up our mind quickly as offers can be made to the members of this year’s JTS graduating class starting on Monday, March 22. Given the strength of the candidates we have selected, it is reasonable to assume that each will be also interviewing at several of the 30 other synagogues around the country who are looking for a new rabbi. If we decide we like one of these candidates, it would be wise to be ready to extend an offer on the 22nd as the top prospects are not likely to wait around for later offers. This is not to say that we have to extend an offer to one of these three, but rather, if we like one of them, to be ready to move quickly. To this end, there will be a special meeting of the Board of Directors on Sunday evening March 21st at 7:30 PM at Beth David at which time the Search Committee will report and, if necessary, request Board approval to extend an offer the following day. As with all our Board meetings the membership is invited to attend.
Each of you is encouraged to attend as many of these “interview services” as possible and to communicate your impressions of the various candidates to the members of the Search Committee. The Search Committee consists of Monique Alexander, Rabbi Leslie Alexander, Marjorie Alpert, Jerry Bloom, Joanne Cornbleet, Gerry Daniel, David Fishman, David Hoffman, Jeff Kanel, Steve Labovitz, Michael Leitner (chair), Sandy Mayer, Aileen Menkin, Irena Rivkin, Scott Rothenberg, Roberta Schwartz, Bonnie Slavitt-Moore, David Stashower, and myself. The Search Committee will be gathering your inputs and formulating their own impressions prior to making a recommendation to the Board for action at the meeting on the 21st. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate fully in this process. Please make every effort to communicate your impressions to one of the members of the Search Committee prior to the Board meeting as there will be limited time for additional comment at the Board meeting.
Thanks in advance for your participation in this important process,
Ron Ruebusch