About Us

Dear Members,

We are very excited to offer the first update on the status of the Congregation Sons of Israel rabbinic search process.In consultation with the board, I have formed a rabbinic search committee; They have “met” and divided into sub-committees that will each focus on a different aspect of this search. I could not have asked for a more eager, dedicated, diverse,  professional, and driven team.

We will begin our process with the most important part of our search, hearing directly from our membership about what their needs and desires are for the future  of the shul.  With that in mind, 4 focus groups will be taking place.  They will be open to all SOI Members in good standing.The goal of these focus groups will be to supply invaluable data that will support the Search Committee as we finalize the job description and proceed with the search. To sign up for the focus groups please click here . The focus groups will take place on Motzei Shabbat 10/24 at 8:30pm, Sunday morning 10/25 at 10:30am, Sunday evening 10/25 at 7:00pm, and Monday evening 10/26 at 8:30pm. All members are invited to sign up for a meeting. The meetings will be closed after 20 slots have been filled  in each so please sign up quickly to get your first choice.  A separate survey will be initiated later in the process to draw input from the entire community as we are mindful of the critical role Sons of Israel plays within the larger Cherry Hill community.

We are in contact with the Yeshiva University Department of Jewish Career Development and Placement (https://www.yu.edu/cjf/rabbinics/placement) , directed by Rabbi Ronald Schwarzberg, which will be posting the job description on its website shortly, officially launching the search. The position will be open to all Rabbinical Council of America (RCA)-eligible rabbis. ( rabbis.org ) and not only to candidates from YU.

Once the position is posted, we expect to begin receiving applications within a few weeks. All applications are submitted to us via the YU Department of Jewish Career Development and Placement. The Search Committee will begin its deliberations as soon as it receives applications. Candidates deemed worthy of further scrutiny will participate in an interview over Zoom. The Search Committee will further narrow the field and offer second-round interviews to select candidates in December and early January; health precautions will almost certainly require that such interviews be conducted over Zoom. By mid-winter, the Search Committee expects to select 2 or 3 finalists who will be invited for a Probah in February or early March.

 A Probah is when top candidates are invited to come to Cherry Hill with their spouse for in person meetings, and this will be the opportunity for the community to meet the candidates and hear them speak. Probahs will either be held in shul or in another location that will allow space for safety precautions if necessary, but we will pause the process if public health concerns prohibit us from introducing the finalists in person. Assuming the search process is brought to completion, membership will vote to select our next rabbi by mid-March, and the new rabbi will join the shul next summer.

We intend to conduct the search in an open and transparent way to the fullest extent possible, with the goal of each member feeling included and his or her views respected. Toward that end, we encourage you to share your thoughts with any individual member of the Search Committee or to email the Committee at soirabbinicsearch@gmail.com. 

Notwithstanding the overriding need for transparency, it is critical that we maintain the utmost confidentiality surrounding this process, and committee members have already signed Non-Disclosure Agreements forbidding them from sharing details of our internal deliberations. Other than the names of finalists invited for a Probah, committee members will never reveal the identities of the candidates being considered. Disclosing such information would jeopardize the search process, discourage the best candidates from applying, and would likely compromise an applicant’s current position and relationship with his congregation and community.

Looking to the future with hope and excitement, may Hashem bless our wonderful shul and this important endeavor with great success.  

Donna Moskowitz
President

SOI Search Committee
Rabbi Heshy Chaitoff, Co-Chair
Daniel Drabkin, Co-Chair
Yaeli Sokolic, Steering Committee
Ilana Weiss, Steering Committee
Jerry Abramson
Aaron Greenberg
Judy Herzberg
Eric Klein
Justin Kaufman
Mark Lowitz
Reuven Pinon
Marvin Raab
Helene Raush
Sarah Zanger