Rabbis reforming rabbinate

By Joshua Levi
Australian Jewish News
June 11, 2015

http://www.jewishnews.net.au/rabbis-reforming-rabbinate-2/42262

ORTHODOX rabbis within Australia and New Zealand have come together to establish a new organisation to help educate members to face the challenges of the modern rabbinate, develop a code of conduct which all members must adhere to and to represent them more efficiently and effectively to the broader community.

The Rabbinic Council of Australia and New Zealand (RCANZ) was formed last week when more than 50 rabbis from across the continent gathered in Melbourne.

Working with state-based rabbinic councils, lay leadership bodies, and professional organisations including the staff at the Sir Zelman Cowan Centre, where the conference was held, the RCANZ also aims to provide continuing professional development for members.

Rabbi Paul Lewin (pictured) from the North Shore Synagogue in Sydney was elected as president of an organising committee that will develop “a robust and detailed plan of action” and report back to the body of rabbis at a special general meeting in November.

The establishment of the RCANZ comes in the wake of February’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which cast a shadow over the actions of a number of rabbis and existing rabbinical structures.

Amid widespread calls for an overhaul, including from within the rabbinate itself, the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia (ORA) was superseded by the New Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia (NORA) headed by interim president Rabbi Selwyn Franklin.

Last week’s gathering officially ended the short lifespan of NORA, which lasted less than four months, and replaced it with the RCANZ.

“The people elected to the board of the interim committee are people who were not involved at all with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse,” Rabbi Lewin said.

“We will look to work together with rabbinic and lay leadership to create a robust rabbinate that the entire community can be proud of and we hope to only bring honour to the community.”

He is joined on the executive of the organising committee by vice-president Rabbi Philip Heilbrunn of Melbourne.

Other Victorian members of the executive include Rabbis Ian Goodhardt, Shamir Caplan, Daniel Rabin and Yisroel Greenwald.

Rabbi Alon Meltzer of the ACT Jewish community and Auckland Hebrew Congregation’s Rabbi Nathanel Friedler are also on the committee.

Perth’s Rabbi Shalom Coleman, a former president of ORA said the meeting was a frank and honest conversation about all matters, including the recent events at the Royal Commission.

“The meeting was intended to strengthen the dignity and influence of the Australian Rabbinate. By realising its shortcomings it has achieved success,” Rabbi Coleman told The AJN.

Rabbinical Council of Victoria (RCV) president Rabbi Mordechai Gutnick and Rabbinical Council of NSW (RCNSW) president Rabbi Yehoram Ulman both told The AJN this week that they support the new organisation.