Why does B’nai Israel have a Para Rabbinic leader and not a Rabbi?
It is much too early for us to have a Rabbi. Since we are a Reform congregation, we would want, as our Rabbi, a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR). To utilize their search services, we will have to become a member of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). Before we can be considered for admission to either of these organizations, we have to show evidence of our permanence, of our financial responsibility, and evidence that we meet other requirements of these organizations. In addition, we will need to grow before we can afford to pay a Rabbi’s salary. We may decide to hire a rabbi as soon as we meet the necessary conditions, or we may decide to start with a student Rabbi. This will be a decision made by the congregation at the appropriate time.
