In the course of my last post I made reference to Rabbi Shmuel Hain with the following comment:
So it is a little troubling to see Rabbi Hain so enthusiastically support the idea of expanding leadership roles for his graduates. He may be within the bounds of Halacha, but what fruits will ultimately be produced by pro-activity in this regard?
This comment was based on the following from the JTA article:
Two venerable Orthodox synagogues in Manhattan have hired graduates of an advanced women's Talmud program at Yeshiva University to posts that afford them many of the public responsibilities traditionally reserved for rabbis.
The article also contained the following quote by Rabbi Hain: "This is something whose time has just come,"
Rabbi Hain had an opportuntiy to read my article and responded to me in a private e-mail. He clarified what his actual position is. Indeed I based my comment on the tone of the article and incorrectly assumed that Rabbi Hain’s views were in concert with it. I therefore erroneously ascribed to him ‘guilt by association. That led to my ‘troubling’ concern.
I want to publicly apologize to him and with permission post his response:
As you know, I cannot control a story written by the JTA and who they choose to group us with. What I can do is tell you what we are doing:
We are training women to be educators and role models for the orthodox Jewish Community. We are not pushing any envelope or advocating that women be Poskot,Yoatzot, Rabbis, etc. Rather, we are providing women with the opportunity to learn and teach Torah She'Beal Peh on an advanced level.
Some of our recent graduates have indeed found their niche in paid Adult Education positions in Synagogoues. Many others teach on the day school, high school and seminary/college levels. All of these positions entail a leadership/role model component, and we are trying our best to equip these women for these roles. Moreover, our program is run under the auspices, and with the imprimatur, of Yeshiva University and RIETS.
The real question for your blog is: if we educate talented, smart, passionate women who want to teach adults, what should we encourage them to do? Volunteer to give shiurim in their spare time at shuls while they pursue a PHD or law degree and raise a family? Not go into learning in the first place?
What we are doing is acting as a facilitatator for schools/shuls and these talented, learned women to find each other for valuable educational positions. For that, I am proud.
Kol Tuv,
Shmuel Hain
