Spring Break
New rabbi search to commence
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 8/26/08
Posted online at 2:16 AM EST on 8/26/08
University administrators will form a new search committee this fall to locate a Jewish chaplain for the University after Rabbi Allan Lehmann vacated the position last summer, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy said.
Two search committees failed to find a suitable candidate for the rabbi position. The first committee, headed by Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams, formed last fall but was unsuccessful in finding a part-time rabbi after narrowing the search to five candidates.
Another committee formed last spring by Eddy and headed by Prof. Steven Burg (POL) also failed to find a suitable candidate to be full-time rabbi.
"We are re-launching the committee within the next couple of days," Eddy said. She explained that Burg would continue to chair the new committee. Some members from the old committee would be on the new one as well, she added. "We didn't have as broad a search as we hoped we could."
Last spring's committee included Profs. Jacob Cohen (AMST), Sylvia Fishman (NEJS) and Reuven Kimelman (NEJS) as well as Benjamin Bechtolsheim '10, Esti Schloss '09 and Bryan Wexler '09.
Eddy explained that the delays arose because the University waited until students returned to campus last fall to start the search. She added that after hiring Rabbi Elyse Winick '86 as an interim rabbi at the end of January, "we didn't feel a sense of urgency."
Eddy said she would like the new committee to be more inclusive of all aspects of the Brandeis community, including a University staff member.
"Last year we had three students, all of whom were Jewish," she said. The students should "be representative of the groups on campus."
Two candidates who visited campus last May did not find enough support among members of the search committee, Father Walter Cuenin said, referring to Rabbi Avi Orlow of Washington University in St. Louis and Rabbi David Sandmel of Kehilath Anshe Maarov Isaiah Israel Congregation and the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago.
Two search committees failed to find a suitable candidate for the rabbi position. The first committee, headed by Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams, formed last fall but was unsuccessful in finding a part-time rabbi after narrowing the search to five candidates.
Another committee formed last spring by Eddy and headed by Prof. Steven Burg (POL) also failed to find a suitable candidate to be full-time rabbi.
"We are re-launching the committee within the next couple of days," Eddy said. She explained that Burg would continue to chair the new committee. Some members from the old committee would be on the new one as well, she added. "We didn't have as broad a search as we hoped we could."
Last spring's committee included Profs. Jacob Cohen (AMST), Sylvia Fishman (NEJS) and Reuven Kimelman (NEJS) as well as Benjamin Bechtolsheim '10, Esti Schloss '09 and Bryan Wexler '09.
Eddy explained that the delays arose because the University waited until students returned to campus last fall to start the search. She added that after hiring Rabbi Elyse Winick '86 as an interim rabbi at the end of January, "we didn't feel a sense of urgency."
Eddy said she would like the new committee to be more inclusive of all aspects of the Brandeis community, including a University staff member.
"Last year we had three students, all of whom were Jewish," she said. The students should "be representative of the groups on campus."
Two candidates who visited campus last May did not find enough support among members of the search committee, Father Walter Cuenin said, referring to Rabbi Avi Orlow of Washington University in St. Louis and Rabbi David Sandmel of Kehilath Anshe Maarov Isaiah Israel Congregation and the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago.
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