By: Conservative Rabbi

Conservative Rabbi — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:50:24 +0000

Prof. Richman’s arguments are beyond absurd; they are indeed animated by a personal resentment of the Conservative movement’s policies as it pertained to his own synagogue’s rabbi search. (Just google it.) Let’s be clear: membership in any Jewish “denomination,” which is really a way of describing loose federations of like-minded synagogues, is purely voluntary and in no way a “cartel” with which you are forced to do business.

A synagogue wants to hire any rabbi it pleases? Sure, no problem, all it has to do is declare independence from the denomination (United Synagogue, Union of Reform Judaism, Orthodox Union, etc). Of course, in that case the synagogue lose the privileges of membership, like consulting services and the memberships of affiliated youth and women’s and men’s organizations.

The cranky professor can’t really believe that any federal court is going to interfere with the ministerial hiring arrangements of purely religious organizations- especially when there are “exclusive provider” arrangements made in secular businesses (e.g, franchises, among many examples.) So it seems that he’s just frustrated that his synagogue had to choose: be part of a denomination, and get the privileges of membership, or don’t be, and don’t get those privileges.

Like many Americans, he wants all the freedom to choose and all the benefits due him with none of the responsibilities of contributing to the community. It’s a bitter irony that that the lessons of Judaism itself are lost to him in his rant against rabbinical organizations.

Comments on: Rabbi Cartel Violates Antitrust Laws

By: Conservative Rabbi