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| Heterodox rabbis meet to discuss the future of the American Rabbinate (eJP) |
Synagogue Rabbis were once seen primarily as leaders
knowledgeable in halacha (Jewish law), whose central purpose was to
answer questions from laypeople about what halacha requires in any given
situation. While this remains largely true among Orthodox rabbis, even there
the role has expanded considerably. Meanwhile, the primary function of
answering halachic questions has diminished. Because there are so many
other rabbinic sources to seek that information from.
I would hazard a guess that Conservative and Reform rabbis
are almost never asked halachic questions at all. Instead, they have
primarily become preachers, officiators at life cycle events, pastoral
counselors, and advocates for social justice.
The synagogue used to be the center of Jewish life in
America. This was especially true among heterodox movements, where for many
members their only Jewish experience consisted of once-a-week attendance at
shul. Which eventually became three days a year - 2 days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. It is
against this backdrop of shrinking synagogue engagement that the question of
the rabbi’s future role arises.
The result of reducing synagogue attendance to that extent is that rabbis have become increasingly irrelevant in the lives of their members. More so with each succeeding generation. This is reflected in dwindling synagogue membership and in the declining number of seminary applications within the heterodox movements. Most notably, Hebrew Union College—the flagship seminary of the Reform Movement—has permanently closed its Cincinnati campus. Enrollment in the rabbinical program at JTS (Conservative) has also declined considerably in recent years...
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