Rabbi Search Committee - Updates
 
 
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Here are the updates from the Rabbi Search Commitee.  Check back often!

An archive of updates is shown below, with the most recent update being shown first.

December 1, 2011 - Rabbi Search Committee Update - December 2011 bulletin article

The Rabbi Search Committee, consisting of 23 members representing CBS's major demographics, has been together for one year. We're especially gratified with how the group's diversity has broadened our perspective during the search. As much as possible, we believe everyone is well represented in this process!

While it varies depending on the particular activities we're engaged in, we have met at least 2 hours each week, in addition to meetings of subgroups working on specific assignments.

In the first half of the year we focused on outreach efforts such as personal phone calls to all families, a series of "Congregation Conversations" at people's homes and at the synagogue, and our hosted table in the lobby on Sundays. Congregants told us what was most important to them, which helped us identify the rabbinical competencies and experience to emphasize in our interviews.

The themes of these efforts are captured in "A Look in the Mirror", which can be accessed at http://cbnaishalom.org/rabbisearch2011/rscalookinthemirror.php or in the Rabbi Transition section of the CBS website. If you haven't done so already, we hope you'll give it a read.

At this writing CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis) has forwarded nearly 40 resumes from interesting and well-qualified candidates from around the country, Canada and Europe. Since June, we have had telephone interviews with approximately half of them. We have hosted visits with 5 candidates, 3 men and 2 women. During these visits they spend 2 days in interviews with the committee, professional staff and the lay leadership, as well as doing a brief presentation of their work. In addition, we have sent representatives to observe three candidates in their own congregations. While each has been impressive, we are continuing to evaluate new resumes as they come in, measuring them against the high standards already set.

We are hopeful we'll have a recommendation to make to the Board before or shortly after the New Year.

We continue to welcome your comments and suggestions, as well as any questions you may have. Feel free to contact the committee chairs at rabbisearch@cbnaishalom.org.

Rabbi Search Committee Co-chairs
Jeff Govendo
Heidi R. Swanick

November 1, 2011 - Rabbi Search Committee Update - November 2011 bulletin article

The search for our next senior rabbi continues apace, proceeding according to the process we set out earlier in the year when the Rabbi Search Committee was formed.

To date, we have welcomed four of our top candidates to B'nai Shalom for 2-day onsite visits, in which they have met with members of the professional staff, presented sample d'vars or teaching sessions, engaged in social gatherings with some of our congregants, and were interviewed by the search committee. As a natural follow-on to our telephone interviews, we have found the onsite to be an important and illuminating step.

In addition, a delegation from the search committee recently traveled to Connecticut where we had the opportunity to see one of our candidates conduct both a High Holy Day and Shabbat service. Not surprisingly, we find that with each step, we learn more about and get a deeper impression of a candidate, giving us confidence that whichever decision we make will be the right one for B'nai Shalom.

At this writing, we have received some 33 resumes from interested parties across the U.S. and Canada. While we can't know for sure, it is possible we may receive another wave of applications, as some job seekers await the end of High Holy Days to begin their search in earnest. It certainly appears we'll have no shortage of highly qualified and diverse candidates to choose from.

As always, we will keep the congregation informed of our progress through the monthly bulletin and the Rabbi Transition web pages on our website. Also, you can contact us at RabbiSearch@cbnaishalom.org with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have related to any aspect of the search. Not only do we intend to keep congregants informed, but we hope you will keep us informed about what's on your mind regarding the selection of our next rabbi.

Rabbi Search Committee Co-chairs
Jeff Govendo jgovendo@verizon.net
Heidi R. Swanick heidiswanick@yahoo.com

October 1, 2011 - Rabbi Search Committee Update - October 2011 bulletin article

Judging by the number of resumes forwarded to us by the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), Congregation B'nai Shalom has to be considered very desirable professional destination for a rabbi. At this writing (early September), we have received 31 resumes from candidates for the Senior Rabbi position, and undoubtedly more are on the way.

In addition to numerous interviews over the phone, the Rabbi Search Committee has welcomed three of the applicants for on-site visits, during which time (generally 2 days) they meet with members of the professional staff, present a sample d'var or teaching session, engage in several social activities and get a chance to "schmooze" with some of our congregants, and are interviewed by the search committee. It is a very intensive and comprehensive second step in the hiring process (the first being the phone interview). Still, further steps may be required -- such as a second visit in which they would meet even more congregants, or sending a delegation from the search committee to sit in on a service they conduct at their own synagogue. While there is certainly a fair amount of competition from other synagogues seeking rabbis, we feel this is a decision that cannot be rushed. Finding the right fit for Congregation B'nai Shalom is our primary goal.

That said, we are very encouraged by both the number and high quality of men and women who have sent their resumes. We hope to have a recommendation for the Board of Directors sometime in the fall. As always, we will keep the congregation informed of our progress through the monthly bulletin and the Rabbi Transition web pages. Also, contact us at RabbiSearch@cbnaishalom.org with any questions, comments or concerns you may have related to any aspect of the search.

Rabbi Search Committee Co-chairs
Jeff Govendo jgovendo@verizon.net
Heidi R. Swanick heidiswanick@yahoo.com

September 5, 2011 - Recent Development Updates (posted Sept. 5th)

August 29, 2011

The Rabbi Search Committee is well under way in its consideration of rabbis whose resumes have been forwarded to us by CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis). The summer, normally a quiet time for synagogue-related activities, was an active period for the committee. Thus far, we have received a total of 30 resumes from across the United States and Canada (21 men, 9 women), interviewed 16 of them by phone, and had one at CBS for a 2-day on-site visit. Two more on-sites are scheduled by mid-September.

We are very excited by the quality of candidates we have been reviewing. Drawing upon feedback from congregants gleaned during the first phase of the search process last fall and spring (summarized in "A Look in the Mirror"), we believe a quite a few candidates possess many of the qualities and skills sought in a rabbi by members of the temple community.

While we have begun to see several promising candidates in on-site visits to CBS, this does not mean we are no longer accepting resumes or conducting preliminary phone interviews. In fact, we expect another small "wave" of candidates following High Holy Days. While it's certainly keeping us busy, this is a good sign. It shows that CBS is considered a desirable pulpit, and we expect to have many fine candidates to choose from.

As always, please check this site for updates, as well as monthly RSC articles in the Bulletin and periodic updates on the weekly listserv.

RSC Co-chairs
Jeff Govendo
Heidi R. Swanick

September 1, 2011 - Rabbi Search Committee Update - September 2011 bulletin article

It's been a busy summer for the Rabbi Search Committee. The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) has been steadily forwarding us the resumes of candidates interested in the position of Senior Rabbi at Congregation B'nai Shalom. At the time of this writing (early August), we have received over 25 resumes from around the U.S. and Canada, and conducted telephone interviews with 15 of the candidates. Some are assistant or associate rabbis of synagogues who are seeking a pulpit of their own; others are full or part-time senior rabbis in smaller synagogues looking for a larger, more diverse congregation. Besides their favorable impression of our synagogue (gleaned primarily from the website), a number of them are drawn to this area, having either grown up in Greater Boston or Worcester, or gone to college here.

Also at this writing, we are preparing to receive several of the candidates for onsite visits. The Rabbi Search Committee will interview them, show them the synagogue and Westborough area, and gain a better sense of how they lead prayer and teach. As the field narrows, we will be able to expose more congregants to our finalists.

It is of note that virtually every candidate with whom we've spoken has mentioned "A Look in the Mirror," a compilation of all the congregational input we received during the information-gathering phase of the search. If you have not already done so, we urge you to take a look at it for a revealing snapshot of "who we are," how our members envision our congregation, and the role of our next permanent rabbi in helping us get there. Mirror can be found on our website (www.cbnaishalom.org). Click on the Rabbi Transition link in the upper right corner.

We expect to continue phone interviews through most of the summer, followed by onsite visits from our leading candidates before and after High Holy Days.

As always, we will keep the congregation informed of our progress through the monthly bulletin and the Rabbi Transition web pages. Also, contact us at RabbiSearch@cbnaishalom.org with any questions, comments or concerns you may have related to any aspect of the search.

RSC Co-chairs
Jeff Govendo
Heidi R. Swanick

July 1, 2011 - Rabbi Search Committee Update - July/August 2011 bulletin article

Even as we welcome Rabbi Sharon Sobel into Congregation B'nai Shalom as our Interim Rabbi, the Search Committee has been busy interviewing, by phone, a number of candidates for the Senior Rabbi position, which begins on July 1, 2012. In this phase of the search process, we continue to work closely with the Rabbinic Placement Division of CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis), whose job it is to do an initial screen of applications for appropriateness of fit (for example, the minimum experience required for a synagogue of our size), and forward them on to us. By the time you receive this Bulletin, we will have spoken with about a half-dozen candidates, and possibly invited several to meet with us in person.

As we move forward on this, we're reminded how fortunate we are to have a Search Committee of the size (21 voting members plus 3 in an advisory capacity) and diversity of ours. There are many assertive voices reflecting a wide range of opinion and perspective. We would be hard-pressed to find a group that is more representative of the entire B'nai Shalom community.

We are also grateful for the input of so many congregants who participated in the Congregation Conversations, as well as other venues, in sharing their vision for the synagogue and its next Senior Rabbi. We again urge you to read "A Look in the Mirror," a wonderful compilation of all the feedback shared with us during the leadup to the interviewing phase of the search. This can be found on the our website at www.cbnaishalom.org. Click on the Rabbi Transition link in the upper right corner.

As always, we continue to welcome your comments and questions about all aspects of the search. You can do this by writing to us at RabbiSearch@cbnaishalom.org.

RSC Co-chairs
Jeff Govendo
Heidi R. Swanick

June 1, 2011 - Rabbi Search Committee Update - June 2011 bulletin article

The Rabbi Search Committee (RSC) has completed the first major phase of its search process -- that of obtaining input from as many congregants as possible -- to inform us in our application/ job posting to the Rabbinical Placement Division of CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis), as well as in formulating interview questions for applicants. Through our various outreach efforts -- including the RSC information table Sunday mornings, personal phone calls to individual members/families, "Congregation Conversations" at members' homes and the synagogue, and meetings with temple committees -- we have gained a wealth of information and insight about what congregants' envision for CBS, and are looking for in their new rabbi.

We have put together a compilation of this input called "A Look in the Mirror," which can be found on the CBS website (www.cbnaishalom.org). Click on the Rabbi Transition link in the upper right corner.

We have therefore moved into the second phase, that of soliciting candidates. By the time this bulletin is published, we will have submitted a thoughtfully crafted application to CCAR and received a number of resumes from qualified candidates. We expect to begin telephone interviews in late May.

As always, we will keep the congregation informed of our progress through the monthly bulletin. Also, please note that while our formal information-gathering activities have ended, it is definitely not too late to contact us (RabbiSearch@cbnaishalom.org) with any additional questions, comments or concerns you may have!

RSC Co-chairs
Jeff Govendo
Heidi R. Swanick

May 1, 2011 – Rabbi Search Committee Update - May 2011 Bulletin Article

The Rabbi Search Committee continues to meet weekly. Our goal is to be as open and inclusive as possible. To this end, we have been communicating with the congregation through a number of venues, including:

RSC Information Table: Since January, the RSC has hosted a Sunday morning information/dialogue table where congregants can stop by to ask questions and share their thoughts with committee members. We’ll continue this until the end of the school year. Personal phone calls to congregants: We have attempted — and will continue to do so — to reach every member family by phone. It’s an opportunity for members to voice their opinions and concerns, as well as learn about the various ways to keep abreast of where we are in the search process and voice their own opinions.

Congregation Conversations: These small group discussions held at members’ homes or at the synagogue have been wonderful opportunities for members to share their thoughts with the RSC and each other. At this writing, six have been held, with another four or five coming up. Please join us! To view the schedule and locations, click on Rabbi Search in the upper right corner of our home page, then on Congregation Conversations Schedule.

Committee Meetings: We are meeting with every committee to get thoughts and guidance.

Our intent is to use information from the above venues to inform our application/job posting to the Rabbinical Placement Division of CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis). More importantly, your input will provide standards we will use to measure the candidates and determine how they would fit into our congregation. Therefore, your input is very important!

We anticipate completing the application before the end of May. An initial round of telephone interviews will likely take place sometime in June.

As always, we welcome your questions and comments at any time. Contact us at RabbiSearch@cbnaishalom.org.

RSC Co-chairs
Jeff Govendo
Heidi R. Swanick

April 14, 2011 – Congregation Conversations (Updated 14-Apr!)

Congregation Conversations

Speak up and speak out about Congregation B’nai Shalom, and our next rabbi!

What are we doing well? What’s missing? How do you fit in?

Most of all, what would you like to see in our synagogue’s future rabbi?

We’re planning a number of opportunities for you to say what’s on your mind and share ideas with fellow congregants, both at the temple and in people’s homes.

Please RSVP by calling the temple office or sending an email to RabbiSearch@CBnaiShalom.org . For the meetings at B’nai Shalom, just drop in.

Please join us so you can Speak Up and Speak Out about Congregation B’nai Shalom!

Note: Meetings at congregants’ homes will require an RSVP.


Congregation Conversations

Date*

Time

Host

 

Wednesday, 4/27

7-9 p.m.

Glen & Beth Graubart

Hopkinton

Thursday, 5/5

7-9 p.m.

Ron & Susie Gilfix

Southborough

Sunday, 5/15

3-5 p.m.

Ran & Debbi Seri

Milford

Sunday, 5/22

10 a.m. - noon

Cong. B’nai Shalom, Community Room

 

April 1, 2011 – Rabbi Search Committee Update - April 2011 Bulletin Article


The Rabbi Search Committee (RSC) has been meeting weekly since January, and is carefully moving ahead in its mission to guide the selection of the temple’s next permanent rabbi.

We are working closely with the Interim Year Committee, which was formed to minimize any gap in rabbinical services during the months prior to hiring our permanent rabbi.

In addition, the RSC continues to strive toward its goal of obtaining as much feedback and direction from congregants as possible, regarding what is most important to them in a future rabbi.

To this end, the committee has been staffing an RSC information table in the lobby (next to the Gift Shop display) on Sunday mornings (when school is in session), where they have been speaking directly with temple members. The table will be present throughout the search process. Already this has yielded very valuable input from members.

We have also received counsel from representatives of organizations familiar with rabbi searches and community building within synagogues. They include Rabbi Lennard Thal, Director of Rabbi Placement at the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and Elana Kogan of the Jewish Community Relations Council, who has broad experience in synagogue organizing. Both shared with the committee their insight, expertise, and advice as it relates to the current search process. During the second half of March, RSC members made personal phone calls to every household in the congregation, informing them of our efforts and inviting them to take part in any of a series of “Congregation Conversations,” held either at the temple or in the homes of some RSC members.

These “conversations” began toward the end of March, and are continuing through early May, with more to be added if needed. Our goal is to make it possible for every member of the B’nai Shalom community to weigh in on this important task. Look for all the latest news of both the Rabbi Search and Interim Year Committees at www.cbnaishalom.org. Click on the Rabbi Transition link in the upper right. We invite all questions and comments at rabbisearch@cbnaishalom.org. All inquiries will be responded to and kept confidential.

Jeff Govendo Heidi Swanick
RSC Co-chairs

Jeff Govendo jgovendo@verizon.net
Heidi R. Swanick heidiswanick@yahoo.com

March 15, 2011 – Congregation Conversations announced

Congregation Conversations

Speak up and speak out about Congregation B’nai Shalom, and our next rabbi!

What are we doing well? What’s missing? How do you fit in?

Most of all, what would you like to see in our synagogue’s future rabbi?

We’re planning a number of opportunities for you to say what’s on your mind and share ideas with fellow congregants, both at the temple and in people’s homes.

And the first is Sunday, March 20, 3-5 p.m. at CBS. Please RSVP by calling the temple office, sending an email to RabbiSearch@CBnaiShalom.org, or just drop in.

Please join us so you can Speak Up and Speak Out about Congregation B’nai Shalom!

Note: The meetings at congregants’ homes will require an RSVP, as space is limited.


Congregation Conversations
Date* Time Host
Sunday, 3/20 3-5 p.m.
Temple Meeting at B'nai Shalom
Tuesday, 3/22 7-9 p.m. Mitch Gordon & Sally Gould Northborough
Sunday, 3/27 3-5 p.m. Daniel & Kimberly Schwartz ** Shrewsbury
Wednesday, 3/30 11:30 – 1:30 Amy & Paul Drotch Westborough
Wednesday, 3/30 7-9 p.m. Alisa Stone Westborough
Wednesday, 4/6 7- 9 p.m.
Temple Meeting at B'nai Shalom
Wednesday, 4/13 7-9 p.m. Wendy Starr & Jeff Kessler Westborough
Wednesday, 4/27 7-9 p.m. Glen & Beth Graubart Hopkinton
Thursday, 5/5 7-9 p.m. Ron & Susie Gilfix Southborough
Sunday, 5/15 3-5 p.m. Ran & Debbi Seri Milford

*More dates may be added as necessary

**Daniel and Kim’s house is kid friendly, feel free to bring children with you.

March 1, 2011 – Rabbi Search Committee Update - March 2011 Bulletin Article

Despite record snowfalls in January and February, and a flood in the temple which severely limited available meeting space, the Rabbi Search Committee has continued to meet on a weekly basis to move ahead in the process of selecting B’nai Shalom’s next rabbi.

As Paul Silverman pointed out in his congregation-wide e-mail late January, the timing and protocol for this process through URJ (Union for Reform Judaism) and CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis) is such that we are looking at a July 1, 2012 start date for a permanent rabbi. As such, we have created an Interim Year Committee chaired by Gordon Manning, whose role is to ensure that the year between permanent rabbis proceeds as seamlessly as possible.

While 2012 may seem a long way off, much of the information gathering, written documentation and -- most importantly -- engaging of the B’nai Shalom community, will take place long before that. It is our intent to connect with all congregants -- regardless of how long they have been members or how involved in temple life they may be -- in order to learn what is most important to them and how our new rabbi can enhance their synagogue experience. We have many resources to assist us, including our talented Search Committee members (see below), as well as the offices of the URJ and CCAR, both of which have a wealth of experience helping synagogues proceed through transition, search, and hiring.

Mostly, though, we look to the B’nai Shalom community to guide us. Beginning in early spring, we will be making personal contact with every family unit and individual member. Each RSC member will be assigned a group of member families to reach out to several times during the process. You may contact your assigned member or any member of the committee with questions, comments, or suggestions at any time during the search. We are planning a series of venues, including small gatherings at people’s homes, town meetings at the temple, telephone or face-to-face interviews, and others. We envision some specialized meetings with our youth as well as seniors at the Willows. At this writing, an interactive, dedicated page on our website is being prepared for all congregants to stay informed.

In addition, if you are around on Sunday mornings while school is in session, please stop by the RSC Information Table. There you’ll be able to discuss any aspect of the rabbi search with members of the committee.

As always, we remain eager to get your feedback. E-mail the RSC at rabbisearch@cbnaishalom.org with any questions, comments or concerns you may have, or feel free to approach any RSC member.

Jeff Govendo Heidi Swanick
RSC Co-chairs
Jeff Govendo jgovendo@verizon.net
Heidi R. Swanick heidiswanick@yahoo.com

January 21, 2011 – RSC will not hire permanent rabbi by July; Interim Year Committee announced

From: Paul Silverman <president@cbnaishalom.org>
Date: Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 9:35 AM
Subject: [Cbnaishalom] Status of Rabbi Search Committee
To: cbnaishalom@cbnaishalom.org

Fellow Congregants:

I want to take this opportunity to bring you up to date on our search for a new rabbi. The Rabbi Search Committee has met a couple of times. It has become clear that we will not be able to complete all of the requisite tasks to identify and hire a permanent rabbi by this coming July.

This means that we will need to look for an alternative approach for the July 2011- June 2012 year. I have asked Gordon Manning to lead our Interim Year Planning Committee. Gordon and his team will help plan how best to meet the spiritual and other needs of the congregation during this time. They will be working closely with Temple leadership and looking for your input as part of this process.

Fortunately, we have a very qualified staff that can provide at least part of the answer. Between Rabbi Eiduson and our soloists, Sharon Goldstein and Lisa Marcus Jones, we are blessed with some flexibility as we look for interim spiritual leadership.

We are committed to keeping you apprised of the progress of both the Interim Year Planning Committee and the Rabbi Search Committee on a regular basis. As always, if you have any concerns or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at any time. Thanks for your continued support.

L’Shalom,

Paul

— 
Paul Silverman
President – Congregation B’nai Shalom
Westborough, MA
president@cbnaishalom.org

January 7, 2011 – Rabbi Search Committee (RSC) formed

From: Paul Silverman <president@cbnaishalom.org>
Date: Fri, Jan 7, 2011 at 1:32 PM
Subject: [Cbnaishalom] Rabbi Search Committee
To: cbnaishalom@cbnaishalom.org

I am proud to announce that the Rabbi Search Committee members who will work with our Co-Chairs Heidi Swanick and Jeff Govendo. We had a large group of very qualified candidates to choose from. That meant that not all of these willing and able volunteers could be on this committee. My goal is to ensure that all of those congregants, who volunteered and took the time to fill out the Statements of Interest, will be involved in this process as we move forward and identify tasks and roles for committee members and others.

Please join me in thanking all of those who volunteered and in supporting our Rabbi Search Committee; Andy Branz, Mort Brond, Brenda Coutinho, Amy Drotch, Margi Eckhouse, Michael Federman, Ron Gilfix, Sharon Goldstein, Mitch Gordon, Beth Graubart, Michael Hyde, Ari Lazarine, Bruce Lopatin, Linda Rappaport, Elaine Rosen, Daniel Schwartz, Chris Senie, Deborah Seri, Wendy Starr, and Alisa Stone. 
Selecting this important committee was a difficult task as we tried to create a committee of manageable sized. We strove to include volunteers that would represent the incredible diversity (Jewish background and experience as well as Congregation B’nai Shalom experience and family situation) of our membership. I think we have an excellent committee and hope that you will support them as they seek your help and guidance throughout the process.
The committee will have their initial meeting next week, after which you will receive progress reports regularly.

Shabbat Shalom

— 
Paul Silverman
President – Congregation B’nai Shalom
Westborough, MA
president@cbnaishalom.org