A message from Andrea Bradley, temple president
Rabbi Gluck, who has been TBE’s spiritual leader for 33 years, will be retiring on June 30, 2024. After consulting with the CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis) and the URJ (Union for Reform Judaism), our leadership team and Board of Trustees decided that the best course of action would be to hire an interim rabbi for one year to support us in a successful transition to our next settled rabbi. On February 26, 2024, our congregation voted to hire Rabbi David Katz as our interim rabbi for one year to begin on July 1, 2024. Our Settled Rabbi Selection Committee has begun its work to identify a candidate to serve as our next settled rabbi, beginning July 1, 2025. While all of this work is going on, we are relishing our time with Rabbi Gluck, joining together as a community in worship, learning, inspiration and celebration. The information that follows is intended to help you understand more about TBE’s rabbinic transition. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at president@templebethelnj.org.
July 15, 2024: Update from the Settled Rabbi Search Committee
Chaverim / Friends –
Continuing with our search process, and with guidance from our consultant Rabbi Steve Kaye, the Committee is in the process of preparing our application to submit to the CCAR Placement Office. It’s a complex document with many moving parts. We’ve met to determine the application content that addresses who we are and the qualities we’re seeking in our next settled rabbi. In our conversations, we’re staying focused on what we know about the hopes and dreams for TBE as so many expressed in our recent Share Your Voice listening campaign. We’re also addressing such matters as congregational demographics and rabbinic compensation that the application requires.
We remain committed to our goal of submitting our application to the CCAR by the end of August. Once we do, we expect to begin receiving responses from applicants, which we’ll be prepared to respond to promptly. For any candidates we’re interested in meeting, we’ll first convene with them by Zoom; any subsequent interviews will be in person. Also, while we may conduct some initial interviews before the High Holy Days, we expect that most will likely be afterward. In preparation for these interviews, we’ve begun compiling a list of questions that will help us determine who is best able to assume our rabbinic pulpit a little less than one year from now.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions about our selection process.
L’Shalom,
Steve Weitz (he/him) on behalf of the Settled Rabbi Selection Committee
RabbiSelectionCommittee@templebethelnj.org
July 1, 2024 Email Message Welcoming Rabbi Katz
We are ready to begin this new chapter of saying “welcome” to our interim rabbi, Rabbi David Katz. Our interim rabbi transition team has been hard at work identifying ways for you to get to know Rabbi Katz. Equally as important, we want Rabbi Katz to get to know us and begin to understand the rhythms of TBE. Rabbi Katz begins officially at Temple Beth-El today.
Please plan to join us at TBE to welcome Rabbi Katz at the following events:
Summer Erev Shabbat Worship – Beginning FRIDAY JULY 12 (and continuing through July and August)
Saturday July 20 – Havdalah around the Campfire
Join us outside around TBE’s fire pit at 8:00 p.m. to bring the sweetness of Shabbat with us into the week with a family-friendly Havdalah. In addition to spending time with Rabbi Katz, come sing with Michael Einiger, TBE’s new Youth and Community Engagement Associate, who is also a long-time song leader. BYO sticks for campfire s’mores for children of all ages! Bring a dessert to share. We’ll provide the s’mores. (If weather does not permit an outdoor campfire, we will enjoy Havdalah inside.)
Saturday August 17 – Havdalah around the Campfire
Join us outside around TBE’s fire pit at 8:00 p.m. to bring the sweetness of Shabbat with us into the week with Havdalah with Rabbi Katz and Cantor Wallach. BYO sticks for campfire s’mores for children of all ages! Bring a dessert to share. We’ll provide the s’mores. (If weather does not permit an outdoor campfire, we will enjoy Havdalah inside.)
Friday September 13 – TBE’s Annual Back-to-Shul BBQ
Join us outside at 6:00 p.m. for TBE’s Annual Back-to-Shul BBQ and stay for 7 pm Erev Shabbat services. We’ll provide the burgers, hot dogs and vegetarian selections; you’ll be asked to bring a dairy-free side dish or dessert. Maybe we’ll see Rabbi Katz staffing the grill?
Sunday September 29 – Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser for Religious School, PreK and K Family Education program and Adult Learning
Join us, beginning at 9:00 a.m., for a full morning of learning, fun and pancakes at TBE. The morning features our PreK and K Family Education program and the start of our Adult beginning Hebrew class (pre-registration required). Rabbi Katz will be eager to schmooze with you while you support the Religious School by enjoying a delicious Pancake Breakfast.
Stay tuned for more details for these and other opportunities being planned. Rabbi Katz will be attending meetings with many of our TBE committees this summer as he settles in. We look forward to your getting to know Rabbi Katz and giving him a warm TBE welcome.
Suggestions? Questions? Send a message to president@templebethelnj.org.
Warmly, TBE’s Interim Rabbi Transition Team
| Dana Shapiro Jacki Skole |
Fran Hargadon Andrea Bradley |
Alison Kantor Amy Rubin |
June 21, 2024: A Message from Rabbi Gluck on his Retirement
Dear Friends,
At this poignant moment of transition words feel insufficient to express all that is in my heart. My family and I have been so blessed to be embraced by this loving, caring extended Jewish family, and to have the gift of calling this Beit El, this house of God, our Jewish home. You have touched our lives and our hearts in so many ways.
So, I thank you with the fullness of my heart. Thank you for sharing the journey of our lives these 33 years, for celebrating the times and seasons, the passages of joy and sorrow, the sacred and holy days. Thank you for the laughter and the tears we have shared. Thank you for the Torah we have learned and taught, and for the growth it has inspired. Thank you for your partnership in living our faith through acts of kindness, compassion, and love. Thank you for the meals we have shared, the songs we have sung, the hopes and prayers we have lifted up b’yachad, together.
To serve as your rabbi truly has been one of the greatest honors of my life. To paraphrase Ben Azzai in Pirkei Avot, s’char mitzvah mitzvah, the act of service itself has been the greatest reward — more than I ever could have hoped for.
Now, as the time has come for me to pass the mantle of leadership to the next generation, I do so with great emotion. This is as it should be. It has been my privilege to be a link in the chain of tradition that began with Moses and has continued unbroken from generation to generation. The first Mishnah in Pirkei Avot describes this clearly:
“Moses received the Torah at Sinai and passed it down to Joshua; Joshua passed it down to the elders, and the elders to the prophets. The prophets passed it down to the men of the Great Assembly.”
Thousands of years later, we continue this tradition. I was blessed to receive the Torah from the teachers and leaders who came before me — my parents, the elders of my home synagogue in Chappaqua, New York, and inspiring rabbis and scholars who guided and mentored me. I embraced the Torah they taught me, made it my own, and added my understandings as I taught Torah to several generations of young and old here at TBE. Now the time has come for a new generation to take its place and lead us forward.
TBE is blessed to have a history of talented and committed leadership, and the current lay and professional leaders represent an inspiring continuation of that tradition. I am confident in them and in their values and vision. Incoming Interim Rabbi David Katz is a wonderful rabbi who will serve our congregation well as we prepare to welcome a new settled rabbi a year from now. Place your trust in them and allow them to guide the way forward. The future is bright for TBE.
As I assume my new role of Rabbi Emeritus, I will do everything I can to ensure the success of Rabbi Katz and the new settled rabbi who will follow him. More than anything else, this means not getting in their way. There will be times when it may be appropriate for Rabbi Katz and the new settled rabbi to invite me to participate in some way, but it will be their prerogative, not mine, to make that determination. The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) has clear protocols about these matters, and our lay leaders and I are fully committed to abide by them.
Our congregation is strong. Its leadership, as I have noted, is strong. Our faith, values, and customs are clear and will serve us well in guiding us forward on our path. As Moses charged Joshua with the words chazak ve’ematz, “be strong and courageous,” I ask you to express your Jewish commitment by strengthening this congregation with your generosity of spirit and substance.
Above all, I ask you to be there for one another in times of joy and sorrow — to show up for one another — and to make Shabbat and the holy days the center of your spiritual lives. S’char mitzvah mitzvah. The mitzvah will be its own reward and will ennoble your lives.
TBE is the Gluck family’s spiritual home and always will be. This congregation is our extended family. But especially in the early stages of this transition, though Sarah and I will remain in our current home, we will attend services and celebrate holy days at other synagogues, especially at Temple Sinai in Summit, where our daughter Shira serves as one of the rabbis. After the new rabbis have settled in, we will look forward to opportunities to return to TBE to rejoin you in worship and other activities.
Sarah and I are excited about having more time for each other and our family, continued growth and learning, travel, and service to our people and Israel. We are not saying goodbye; we are saying l’hitra’ot, until we see each other again.
So, I leave you with the blessing that Moses offered the Children of Israel, according to the midrash: May God continue to bless the work of your hands, and may God bless you with peace.
Bivrachah,
Rabbi Arnie Gluck
May 17, 2024 Email Letter from Steve Weitz, chair of the Settled Rabbi Selection Committee
The search for our next settled rabbi, who will begin on July 1, 2025, is well underway. This is one of a series of updates we’ll share to keep you apprised of our progress.
The Committee has begun meeting together. Our initial work focused on adhering to recommendations from the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) that we attend trainings in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as well as in Implicit Bias.
In conjunction with our consultant, Rabbi Steve Kaye, we’ve started working on our application that will be submitted to the CCAR for posting. We intend to reflect the feedback we’ll soon be receiving from the Share Your Voice listening campaign that was led by Jeff Resnick, Robin Osman, Jessica Keim and Liz Cohen. The Committee is grateful to them for this vital work and to all the TBE members who participated in the campaign for helping us understand our congregation’s collective vision for the future.
Our plan is to submit our application to the CCAR no later than sometime around the end of August where it will be made available to prospective rabbinic candidates. Applicants who submit their credentials and who we would consider hiring will then be asked to meet with the Committee for initial interviews on Zoom.
Additional details about the search process can be found in my March 17, 2024 letter to the congregation. And, if you’d like to know more about the Committee members, please read their bios on this password protected page.
L’Shalom,
Steve Weitz (he/him)
RabbiSelectionCommittee@templebethelnj.org
March 17, 2024 Email Letter from Steve Weitz, chair of Settled Rabbi Selection Committee
On March 7, Temple Beth-El’s Settled Rabbi Selection Committee convened for the first time. We are charged with identifying a candidate to serve as our next settled rabbi, who will begin with us on July 1, 2025. The purpose of this letter is to acquaint you with the search process that will unfold over the coming year and to encourage you to register for one of the Share Your Voice – Create Our Future sessions happening this month.
We intend to search for a rabbi who is a graduate of our Reform Movement seminary, the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). The search will be conducted according to the guidelines laid out by the Rabbinic Placement Commission, a joint instrumentality of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and the HUC-JIR. The Commission both acts as a clearinghouse for rabbinic applicants seeking a pulpit position and supports congregations wanting to hire a rabbi.
Many of the procedures governing the search process are prescribed by the Placement Commission. For example, all members of the Selection Committee are required to attend training in Racial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as well as learn how to minimize the impact of implicit bias. Matters such as those pertaining to the schedule of the search and the interview process are also determined by the Commission. Sometime in Fall, 2024 we will complete and submit the Commission’s standardized application for placement. And throughout the process, we will conform with our TBE Constitution.
The Commission is very clear about the boundaries around search process confidentiality. As stated in their Placement Handbook:
“The search committee must maintain confidentiality with regard to the names of the candidates while also advancing transparency by putting into place procedures to inform the congregation of its progress during the search.”
Therefore, our Selection Committee will endeavor to be transparent about our process but will maintain confidentiality about individual rabbinic candidates as well as our internal deliberations. Please be kind to Committee members and do not press them for information they are prohibited from disclosing.
The Selection Committee will focus on identifying a rabbinic candidate who we think can best meet our needs as we embark on the next chapter of our sacred community’s life cycle. So that we may best represent your priorities, we want and need your input. Jeff Resnick and Robin Osman have organized “Share Your Voice – Create our Future” – a series of meetings where every synagogue member will have the opportunity to make their voice heard. Because the application details our congregation’s values, wants and needs for the pool of potential candidates, your participation in “Share Your Voice – Create our Future” is critical. Please attend one of these meetings. The Selection Committee cannot represent the range of opinions about your vision for our synagogue’s future without hearing from you. To register, visit this signup page, or call the temple office (908-722-0674, x312).
Once the Committee has identified someone for hire, we will present the person’s credentials to the TBE Board of Trustees along with the reasons we recommend they be hired. With the Board’s approval, the final hiring decision will then be made by a vote of the congregation.
Watch our TBE website for periodic updates that will include additional information about our rabbi selection process, Selection Committee member bios and answers to frequently asked questions. Information will also be distributed in our weekly TBE email blasts.
We appreciate your support as we engage in the search for our next settled rabbi.
L’Shalom,
Steve Weitz (he/him)
RabbiSelectionCommittee@templebethelnj.org
On behalf of the Temple Beth-El Settled Rabbi Selection Committee
Committee members:
Caren Bateman
Frank Derby
Debbie Herman
Leigh Miller
Adriana Saipe
Brian Small
Jeff Stuart
Marci Taylor
Steve Weitz, Chair
February 26, 2024 Letter from Andrea Bradley
I am thrilled to announce, on behalf of the Board of Trustees and our Interim Rabbi Selection Committee, that Rabbi David Katz will be our interim Rabbi, beginning July 1, 2024. Rabbi Katz’s employment was approved at a special Congregational meeting earlier tonight.
Rabbi Katz brings great enthusiasm to and experience in working with congregations that are in transition following the retirement of a long-tenured, much loved rabbi like our Rabbi Gluck. Rabbi Katz is currently the interim Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Saratoga Springs. After intensive training to become an intentional interim rabbi, he has led congregations in Pleasanton, CA; Armonk, NY; Johns Creek, GA; Baltimore, MD; Albany, NY; and Syracuse, NY – to name a few. In addition to being an accomplished pulpit rabbi, Rabbi Katz has been a Jewish educator for many years serving schools in Boston, Toronto and San Diego.
At Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Rabbi Katz earned his Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters and Master of Arts in Hebrew Education, was ordained in 1981, became certified as a Reform Jewish Educator and was awarded his Doctor of Divinity in 2006. He previously received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees from Northwestern University in Theater. He has written numerous articles and is the co-editor of Reading Between the Lines: New Stories from the Bible. Rabbi Katz served on the committee that developed Mishkan T’Filah, the Reform Jewish prayer book published in 2007.
Rabbi Katz’s wife, Nancy Modlin Katz, is a painter and ceramic artist who has exhibited widely throughout the United States. They have two children. Emily is the Communications Director and movie producer for French philosopher/political journalist Bernard-Henri Levi and the Executive Director of “Justice for Kurds.” Her most recent film about the war in Ukraine, “Glory to the Heroes,” screened both at the United Nations and on Capitol Hill. Benjamin is a professional harpsichordist and early music scholar living in Brooklyn, New York. You can learn more about Rabbi Katz from this 2021 article in the “Rochester Beacon.”
Alongside Cantor Wallach, Rabbi Katz will lead services, support our Brit Mitzvah families, teach our learners, preside at our life cycle events and provide pastoral care for those in need throughout our community. He has experience in building multi-faith coalitions and in promoting greater congregational engagement. He will also support us in a successful transition to our next settled rabbi. In short, Rabbi Katz will be the perfect spiritual leader and advisor for us as we craft our TBE future.
Many thanks to our Interim Rabbi Selection Committee, ably led by Jay Lavroff, and assisted by congregants Rich Wolff and Alison Kantor, and officers Jeff Resnick, Frank Derby and me, for their dedication and commitment in selecting and recommending Rabbi Katz to be our interim rabbi.
We are excited to have Rabbi Katz as a part of our TBE family during this period of transition beginning July 1, 2024. We also respect that he has a full-time commitment to Temple Sinai until the end of June. There will be many opportunities this summer and fall for you to welcome the Katzes into our TBE family and local communities. I will be in touch with more details.
Warmly,
Andrea Bradley, President
February 2, 2024 Letter from Andrea Bradley
Since Rabbi Gluck announced his retirement, effective June 30, 2024, we have been hard at work on the many elements of our rabbinic transition. I am delighted to announce that, at its January 22, 2024 meeting, the Board of Trustees approved forming a committee to conduct the search for our next settled rabbi, who will begin serving our temple community on July 1, 2025, after the term of our interim rabbi. I hope to announce news of our choice of an interim rabbi very soon.
The Settled Rabbi Selection Committee is chaired by Steve Weitz, a TBE past president and member of the URJ North American Board and Executive Committee. The Selection Committee also includes the following TBE members, each of whom was selected for their abiding commitment to our synagogue as well as their unique talents:
Caren Bateman Frank Derby
Debbie Herman Leigh Miller
Adriana Saipe Brian Small
Jeff Stuart Marci Taylor
The search process is governed by the Central Conference of American Rabbis (the “CCAR”), the rabbinic arm of the Reform Movement. Our Selection Committee’s objective is to identify an experienced rabbi who will uphold our community’s values, maintain TBE as a vibrant home of Jewish life and lead us into the future. In the coming weeks, committee members will begin their work by becoming familiar with the details of the search process and undergoing training in DEI and implicit bias, both of which the CCAR recommends.
I am also excited to share that this winter we will be kicking off our “Share Your Voice – Create Our Future” listening effort, co-chaired by Jeff Resnick and Robin Osman. This will be an opportunity for all of us to imagine a vision for TBE that honors our traditions while preparing us to meet the future. The feedback from these gatherings will inform the Selection Committee’s work in selecting a settled rabbi who aligns with our community’s aspirations. There will be abundant opportunities for you to participate in these gatherings. Please stay tuned for more details and plan on making your voice heard.
As it has been 33 years since TBE undertook to hire a settled rabbi, I want to remind you that, per the CCAR guidelines, the content of the Selection Committee’s deliberations and the identity of any candidates under consideration are strictly confidential. Please be respectful of our Selection Committee members and understand that they will not answer questions that would require them to disclose confidential information.
Given the importance of the work of our rabbinic transition, I am committed to providing you with regular updates. The FAQs posted on our website [see below] are a terrific source of updated information. I hope you will regularly check this page for updates. Thank you for being a member of our TBE community during this exciting time.
L’Shalom,
Andrea Bradley, President
When is Rabbi Gluck retiring?
Rabbi Gluck will be retiring at the end of June 2024, at which time he will become our first Rabbi Emeritus.
At a special Congregational meeting on February 26, 2024, Rabbi David Katz was hired as our interim rabbi, beginning July 1, 2024. Please scroll up to read the February 26, 2024 letter from Andrea Bradley about the hiring of Rabbi Katz.
Please scroll down to read more about the benefits of an interim rabbi, the process we followed to select an interim rabbi and now that we have hired an interim rabbi, the process we are following to select a permanent, or “settled” rabbi to lead Temple Beth-El beginning on July 1, 2025.
Are there any retirement events being planned?
We are honoring Rabbi Gluck with a year-long series of special events, including guest speakers, musical concerts and festive parties. Mark your calendars and join us. You can find more details here.
Why is Rabbi Gluck leaving?
Please read Rabbi Gluck’s letter to our congregation dated May 31, 2023, which you will find here.
What will Rabbi Gluck’s role be at TBE after his retirement?
While he is retiring as our rabbi, Rabbi Gluck will become our first Rabbi Emeritus and will always have a connection with our congregation. The Emeritus position does not have any specific rabbinic duties attached to it and is left somewhat undefined to provide sufficient room for our new rabbi to establish their own rabbinic identity at TBE.
Why did we hire an interim rabbi for a one year contract rather than a permanent or “settled” rabbi?
Best practices, as strongly endorsed by the CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis) and the URJ (the Union for Reform Judaism), recommend the hiring of an interim rabbi when congregations, such as TBE, have had a long-serving rabbi, to give the congregation time to process the change of spiritual leadership before searching for a permanent, or “settled,” rabbi.
The Board agrees and approved the search for an interim rabbi. An interim rabbi has special training in transition management and collaborative organizational change and can be helpful in facilitating the conversations that will help us determine what qualities will best match the needs and interests of our community for a settled rabbi. The interim year, in part, will allow us the time and space to remember that rabbis come with a variety of approaches and styles.
The announcement of Rabbi Gluck’s retirement has prompted a wide range of responses in our community from concern and sadness to anticipation and optimism. Rabbinic transition time can be an incredible catalyst for congregational discovery and exploration. For us, Rabbi Gluck’s retirement will give us time to adapt to the idea of change. The transition will allow us time to process our wide-ranging emotions, to reflect on our vision for the future of TBE and to ensure the rabbi we ultimately select will be the best possible fit for our community. An interim rabbi, experienced in these transitions, along with our dedicated and skilled staff and lay leadership team, will help us to imagine, then lay the groundwork to realize, TBE’s direction and future.
How long will the interim Rabbi serve, and might they become the settled rabbi?
Rabbi Katz will serve for one year beginning July 1, 2024 and is not eligible for the settled rabbi position.
What was the process for selecting the interim rabbi?
The interim rabbi selection committee was appointed to select a candidate who best represents the needs and desires of TBE. Members of the interim rabbi selection committee were Jay Lavroff, chair, Andrea Bradley, Jeff Resnick, Frank Derby, Alison Kantor and Rich Wolff. The committee prepared an application which was posted with the CCAR, and and reviewed resumes and conducted interviews. The interim rabbi selection committee recommended the hiring of Rabbi David Katz to the Board, which then approved the recommendation of Rabbi Katz’ hiring to the congregation.
What will our interim rabbi do?
The interim rabbi, like all rabbis, will serve all rabbinic needs of our TBE community, including leading worship services, life cycle events, Brit Mitzvah training, teaching, weddings and funerals. The interim rabbi will also help guide us toward a smooth transition to a settled rabbi.
What about a hiring a permanent or “settled” rabbi for TBE?
Now that we have hired an interim rabbi, we have begun the process to hire a settled rabbi for TBE beginning July 1, 2025, after the term of our interim rabbi, Rabbi Katz. At its January 22, 2024 meeting, the Board of Trustees approved forming a committee to conduct the search for our next settled rabbi.
The Settled Rabbi Selection Committee is chaired by Steve Weitz, a TBE past president and member of the URJ North American Board and Executive Committee. The Selection Committee also includes the following TBE members, each of whom was selected for their abiding commitment to our synagogue as well as their unique talents:
Caren Bateman Frank Derby
Debbie Herman Leigh Miller
Adriana Saipe Brian Small
Jeff Stuart Marci Taylor
The search process is governed by the CCAR, which acts as a clearinghouse for rabbinic applicants seeking a pulpit position and supports congregations wanting to hire a rabbi. Our Selection Committee’s objective is to identify an experienced rabbi who will uphold our community’s values, maintain TBE as a vibrant home of Jewish life and lead us into the future. On March 7, 2024, the Settled Rabbi Selection Committee met for the first time and began their work, which will include becoming familiar with the details of the search process and undergoing training in DEI and implicit bias, both of which the CCAR recommends.
Please scroll up to read the May 17, 2024 and March 17, 2024 letters from Steve Weitz with more details about the work of our Settled Rabbi Selection Committee.
Will I be able to share my thoughts about the search process or other ideas I have with the settled rabbi selection committee?
As described more fully in an email to the congregation on March 4, 2024 from Jeff Resnick and Robin Osman, this spring we hosted a series of listening sessions called “Share Your Voice – Create Our Future” where every synagogue member was given the opportunity to make their voice heard. The objective of the listening project was to take advantage of this opportunity in our congregational life to reimagine a future for TBE that continues to honor our traditions while preparing us to meet the future needs and desires of our community. What we learned will support the work of our Settled Rabbi Selection Committee as they craft the job application that details our congregation’s values, wants and needs.
We expect to make a presentation regarding “Share Your Voice – Create Our Future” at our annual congregational meeting on June 17, 2024 and to share what we have learned with the congregation by letter shortly thereafter. We encourage you to attend the annual congregational meeting on June 17, 2024 at 7 pm at Temple Beth-El.
We want to hear from you. You can always email the settled rabbi selection committee at SearchCommittee@templebethelnj.org to share your thoughts directly with the selection committee.
We will be updating this page and these FAQs periodically as our work to select a settled rabbi continues. Please check back to learn more.
