Why the Board of Directors Voted to Hire An Assistant Rabbi

When Rabbi Dobrusin came to our congregation twenty years ago, there were 340 member families and the level of activities was a little simpler. Now we number 481 families, Ann Arbor has grown, and at this point we feel that we must look to the future and grow too. With this in mind, the Board of Directors recently voted to hire an Assistant Rabbi.

For those of you who interact with Rabbi Dobrusin only a few times a year, it might seem that we are taking on an obligation that we do not need. From those of us who work with him on a daily basis, let me assure you that he is called upon not only by members of this congregation, but from outside as well, to perform weddings, officiate at funerals, and visit the sick. I said before that Ann Arbor has changed in the past twenty years. Just visiting the sick in hospitals and nursing homes has become more complicated, as it takes much longer to go from one end of the city to the other to pay these calls. In addition, Rabbi Dobrusin has been asked to speak at various functions and serve on numerous committees outside of the congregation. We are proud that our Rabbi is so admired and respected in the Ann Arbor community, but every additional activity takes up more of his valuable time.

Beth Israel is now ninety-one years young, and we want our synagogue to continue to appeal to the Jewish community. To do this, we want to attract more young members and reach out to the unaffiliated and to those interfaith couples who would like to raise their children in a Jewish atmosphere. Rabbi Dobrusin and we believe that the presence of an Assistant Rabbi would help us accomplish those goals. A younger person speaks to and understands the needs of a younger generation of Jews. That person will bring different strengths to our synagogue along with new ideas and a fresh perspective.

Many of us are resistant to change, especially when things are functioning smoothly. The Board understands this, but at the same time we feel that a new presence will add greatly to what we already have and love, give Rabbi Dobrusin some much needed relief and an opportunity to delve into activities that will enhance his role as our Rabbi. An Assistant Rabbi will take on new challenges and, in conjunction with Rabbi Dobrusin, connect with our members on a different level.

We would like to have an Assistant Rabbi in place during the fall before the sabbatical year to give that person time to work with Rabbi Dobrusin and become acquainted with Beth Israel. The Assistant Rabbi would assume all rabbinical duties during the months Rabbi Dobrusin is on sabbatical, and then step back into the role of Assistant Rabbi for the congregation after his return. We will not hurry the process; we want to find that one person who will assume a meaningful leadership role and fit in comfortably with our congregation.

Like all new ventures, we face this one with some apprehension: we know what the need is, but as with the building renovation, we are stepping into unchartered areas. As we go through the process, we will work together to find the best possible individual to fill this position in what we know is an outstanding congregation. The Board of Directors feels that this is a risk worth taking.

Why I Support the Position of Assistant Rabbi

On Kol Nidre evening, during my sermon on the issues facing the Conservative Movement, I mentioned that the leadership of the Congregation was discussing the creation of the position of Assistant Rabbi at Beth Israel. This idea has been talked about for several years; but last spring I brought the issue up again with the Staffing Committee, this time with additional urgency and the belief that the time had come to make this move. As you will read in Carol Finerman’s article, the Finance Committee and the Board of Directors have voted to create and fund this position. I am truly pleased and excited with this decision.

The size of our Congregation and our current situation clearly demonstrates the need for a second clergy. We currently stand at 480 membership units and, while it is true that not every Congregation of our size has a second Rabbi, the vast majority of such congregations do have a Cantor who assists with the pastoral responsibilities and serves as a second clergy on the Staff.

Many situations have occurred in recent years in which I, as the only member of the clergy at Beth Israel, have had to move from one situation to another or piece together my schedule to be able to address the needs of families in critical situations. This reality significantly limits the quantity and the quality of time that I can spend with congregants, and often results in difficult limitations on the scheduling of life cycle events. Having an additional Rabbi will enable us to better serve the needs of the Congregation.

However, the need does not only apply to emergencies. At certain key times -- and Sunday morning is one clear example -- I find that I have to make choices between several events taking place at Beth Israel at the same time. I would anticipate that a second Rabbi would be able to share the responsibilities of teaching and being a resource for the Religious School, as well as working with committees and attending and contributing to programming taking place at Beth Israel over Shabbat, Sunday and weeknights.

However, in addition to scheduling, there is another vital reason for creating the position.

I have now served this Congregation for 20 years and I truly appreciate and am honored by the way in which people have responded to the work that I do. But I would be the first to say that the priorities that I have, my philosophy towards ritual and spirituality, and my style of teaching do not resonate with each and every congregant. This is inevitable. Among the reasons for this is that, having been ordained 26 years ago, I have not had the experiences of some of my younger colleagues who have been exposed to different ideas and different ways of thinking about Judaism and Jewish life. I believe that bringing in a second Rabbi will enable our Congregation to reach more people and to serve the needs of a changing community while still holding on to our basic principles and unique character as a Congregation.

While the complete job description is still being written, it is critical that you understand that I would remain the mara d’atra, the halachic authority, of the Congregation. It is also critical that you understand that while we would look for someone to complement me with different strengths and interests, I would only consider our hiring an individual who shared my own personal philosophy towards the Rabbinate, which is that working with individuals and families is of critical importance and that our Congregation needs to be a place where people feel personally welcomed and cherished as individuals.

I would look to this Assistant Rabbi to bring new ideas for programming, more familiarity with what is happening in other Conservative Congregations, and new directions for us to consider as we continue to occupy our role as a central institution in the Jewish community. I look forward to welcoming a colleague who will work with me and with you to create an even more vibrant, vital and caring Congregation.

We will, over the months to come, have opportunities to discuss this new position at open meetings, and I look forward to hearing your input and your ideas. Thank you for your continued support of our Congregation.

Rabbi Dobrusin