Rabba Rachel Kohl Finegold

As rabbinic school enrollment has dropped dramatically over the past number of years, it seems that fewer and fewer young people are looking to make a career in Jewish spiritual leadership. While some have posited that the non-denominational rabbinical schools are faring better than the others, there is still an overall decrease in those currently training as rabbis, which raises the question of what this will mean for the future of Jewish communal institutions. Several solutions have been offered, including lowering tuition for rabbinical schools as well as urging more experienced rabbis to mentor young people toward a career in the rabbinate. Something that is often missing from this discourse is an acknowledgment of the sacrifices we often ask of rabbis and other clergy who […]

In an era when young Jews are questioning the relevance of the synagogue, the role of the rabbi is changing. While the typical rabbi used to be one who was ensconced in a pulpit (consider the use of the term “installation” to refer to the welcoming of a new rabbi!), there are now many entrepreneurial rabbis building new models of spiritual community around North America. Their numbers are growing, and their success is significant. These rabbinic entrepreneurs include Rabbi Dan Horowitz (The Well in Detroit and CLI Cohort 2), Rabbanit Dasi Fruchter (The Shteibel in Philadelphia), Rabbi Aaron Levy (Makom in Toronto), and Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann (Mishkan in Chicago and CLI Cohort 1). Other entrepreneurial rabbis have created Jewish start-ups focused on adult education, such […]