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From the moment that Arnold Eisen was named chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in April, grumbling began over the prospect of a nonrabbi assuming the helm of the Conservative movement’s main rabbinical school. Only recently, however, did Conservative rabbis begin wrestling with the all-important question of whether to permit Eisen to join Ravnet, the strictly confidential rabbis-only discussion group. As it stands now, the forum is open only to members of the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, to which Eisen does not belong.
The debate has been civil and thoughtful on both sides, the Shmooze has been told, but that didn’t prevent one rabbi from sending a message to his colleagues, suggesting that the whole exercise is a waste of time.
“Why bother changing the rules?” the rabbi wrote. “Buy [Eisen] a subscription to the Forward…. Everything which is said here is usually found there by the next week.”
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
