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NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2007
WHO IS A RABBI? Click here to see policy statement. Dear Friends We are pleased to send to you the attached policy statement on the larger question of rabbinic recognition within the network of World Union congregations and institutions. This statement was recently approved by the World Union's Executive Board. As you may know, over the past several years there have been more and more cases where individuals who present themselves as rabbis and who have applied for rabbinic positions in our constituent congregations, do not have rabbinic ordination from a reputable rabbinic seminary - either within our Progressive movement or from seminaries of the other streams of Judaism. This has resulted in a situation where "rabbis" who were ordained at non-recognized seminaries (or who undergo private ordination by another rabbi) have signed conversion certificates that later were not recognized by our Batei Din. This is especially problematic when a convert whose conversion certificate is signed by a non-recognized rabbi, presents the certificate of conversion to our Israeli Progressive Movement Beit Din or to the Israeli authorities, in an attempt to gain status in Israel under the Law of Return. The convert may than be told that the certificate is invalid because it is not signed by a recognized rabbi. In order to avoid such confusing and potentially devastating situations, the World Union was asked to prepare a policy statement which clearly articulates the criteria for determining who is a rabbi recognized by our world movement. Rabbi Joel Oseran, World Union Vice President for International Development, was asked to coordinate this effort and over the course of the past year significant time has been devoted to the matter. Rabbi Oseran consulted with Progressive movement rabbinic and lay leaders throughout the world and in particular with heads of our movement's rabbinic seminaries and associations. A statement which addresses the important issues regarding rabbinic recognition and which provides our world movement with a clear policy on this matter was crafted. Attached you will find the statement which was endorsed by our World Union Executive Board on September 19, 2007. Our interest and strong recommendation is that all World Union affiliated congregations and institutions strive to employ only those rabbis who meet the criteria outlined in this policy statement. In cases where there are questions or concerns that you would like to raise regarding the implementation of this policy statement, please feel free to contact Rabbi Oseran directly (and in confidence) to discuss the matter joseran@wupj.org.il With our warm wishes for a productive and meaningful year of activity. In friendship
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