Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of rabbis, the spiritual leaders of Jewish congregations.
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Breaking News These Rabbis Have No Idea Why They’re On Rabbinate’s ‘Blackllist’
NEW YORK (JTA) — In 2012, Rabbi Jason Herman wrote a letter to Israel’s Chief Rabbinate certifying that a friend of his who wished to get married was Jewish and single. The letter was declared invalid. But several months later Herman, spiritual leader of the Orthodox West Side Jewish Center in Manhattan, obtained a license…
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Fast Forward Rabbinate Claims List Of Rabbis Whose Conversions Are Not Kosher Is Not A Blacklist
(JTA) — The Israeli Chief Rabbinate says that its list of foreign rabbis has been misconstrued, and that the list does not imply that those rabbis cannot be trusted to vouch for the Jewish identities of their followers. On Saturday, JTA reported on a list of some 160 rabbis whose efforts to confirm the Jewish identities of immigrants were rejected by Israel’s…
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Fast Forward Dear Israeli Rabbinate: Please, Add Us To The Blacklist!
Dear Israel Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau: We, the following San Diego, California, Rabbis are outraged that we were left off of your blacklist of rabbis whose testimony as to the Jewish identity of their congregants are unacceptable to Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. In the future please include our names among the other blacklisted rabbis. We…
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Fast Forward First Spanish-Born Liberal Rabbi Ordained
(JTA) — The main rabbinical seminary in Europe for Reform and Masorti Jews ordained the first ever Spain-born Progressive rabbi, the seminary’s spokesperson said. Rabbi Haim Casas, who was born and raised in Cordoba, was ordained at a ceremony in London last week along with six other rabbis of the Leo Baeck College, the institution…
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Opinion The Rabbinate’s Diaspora Blacklist Doesn’t Defend Judaism — It Undermines It
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Over the weekend, JTA and others reported on a “blacklist of rabbis” maintained by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. The list contains the names of more than 160 rabbis whom the rabbinate does not trust to confirm the Jewish identity of immigrants to Israel. The list, obtained by Itim from the rabbinate after a protracted…
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Fast Forward Chief Rabbi Denies Knowing Of Diaspora Rabbi Blacklist’
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau said in a letter that he did not know of the existence of a blacklist of Diaspora rabbis and that it should not have been released to the public. “The Chief Rabbi was shocked to discover this list. This was done without the rabbi’s knowledge or…
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Fast Forward Here Is The Chief Rabbinate’s ‘Blacklist’ Of 160 American Rabbis
(JTA) — The Israeli Chief Rabbinate has a list of some 160 rabbis it does not trust to confirm the Jewish identities of immigrants. To get married in Israel, immigrants must prove they are Jewish to the Chief Rabbinate, often via a letter by a congregational rabbi attesting to the immigrant’s Jewish identity. This list…
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Breaking News Israeli Rabbinate ‘Blacklisting’ American Rabbis
(JTA) — Some 160 rabbis, including several prominent American Orthodox leaders, appear on a list of rabbis whom Israel’s haredi Orthodox-dominated Chief Rabbinate does not trust to confirm the Jewish identities of immigrants. Rabbis from 24 countries, including the United States and Canada, are on the list. In addition to Reform and Conservative rabbis, the…
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News Texas schools want to add Queen Esther to the curriculum. Here’s why Jews (and many Christians) are opposed.
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