I'm trying to read between the lines
My puzzlement began with this announcement. All three founders (and U.S.-based presidents) of Hadar have strong ties to the Jewish Theological Seminary, having studied, been ordained as rabbis, and/or taught there. Why would they want Hadar to go into direct competition with JTS by ordaining its own rabbis?
Then I read this article about a JOFA Conference, which gave me at least a little insight, perhaps, into something else that I've found puzzling, namely, why Dena Weiss is the only member of Hadar's faculty who does not have s'michah (rabbinical ordination), despite being eminently qualified for the title. Judging by what she said in this article, she's averse to being labeled.
And she's not the only one from Hadar who's averse to being labeled. Rabbi Ethan Tucker is on the same page (both figuratively and literally--his opinion follows hers in the linked article.)
Then there was this. Apparently, Rabbi Daniel Landes, of Yashrut, is interested in "returning to a pre-denominational Judaism." And Rabbi Elie Kaunfer agrees with him so strongly that he got a second s'michah from Yashrut.
I'm beginning to see a pattern here.
Then I read this article about a JOFA Conference, which gave me at least a little insight, perhaps, into something else that I've found puzzling, namely, why Dena Weiss is the only member of Hadar's faculty who does not have s'michah (rabbinical ordination), despite being eminently qualified for the title. Judging by what she said in this article, she's averse to being labeled.
And she's not the only one from Hadar who's averse to being labeled. Rabbi Ethan Tucker is on the same page (both figuratively and literally--his opinion follows hers in the linked article.)
Then there was this. Apparently, Rabbi Daniel Landes, of Yashrut, is interested in "returning to a pre-denominational Judaism." And Rabbi Elie Kaunfer agrees with him so strongly that he got a second s'michah from Yashrut.
I'm beginning to see a pattern here.
Labels: Hadar--https://www.hadar.org/
posted by Shira Salamone at 3:14 AM
4 Comments:
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Lanie Bergman
Very clearcut mission statement: "It will provide an alternative for rabbinical students who want a rigorous, traditional curriculum of Talmud and Jewish law study in a gender-equal environment."
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Shira Salamone
And how is that different from JTS? The only difference I see is that JTS is clearly denominational--it's Conservative--whereas Hadar has no denominational affiliation.
Lanie Bergman: Perhaps the key is in "rigorous, traditional curriculum of Talmud and Jewish law study?"
Shira Salamone: Rabbi Held taught halachah at JTS, and Rabbi Tucker earned a doctorate in Talmud and Rabbinics there. Were they really so unimpressed? Maybe I'm asking the wrong question. Maybe I should be asking why Hadar wants to compete with the unaffiliated/non-denominational Academy for Jewish Religion (which has a campus In Yonkers, NY, just north of New York City) or with Hebrew College (Newton Center, Massachusetts), which, I believe, is also unaffilated/non-denominational. Since this post seems to have disappeared from my home page, I'm hoping a tag will bring this comment to the attention of Lanie Bergman.
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