December 1, 2025

November was an exceedingly busy month in our Search process. It is time consuming work and multifaceted. It requires us to readily communicate to candidates what is special about Temple Israel in an effort to attract the leader who will be the best fit for our us, while simultaneously evaluating each rabbi’s strengths and experience as it relates to our position. We are nurturing relationships with these rabbis in an attempt to reach a place where the rabbi and Temple Israel both feel there is a good match that will grow for years to come.

Here are some of the highlights:

• We have received and evaluated a total of 22 applications
• We conducted second round interviews with 5 candidates
• We have thus far invited 3 candidates to deliver a D’var Torah to our Executive Committee
• We have scheduled the in-person round of interviews with 2 rabbis so far, and have orchestrated a schedule that provides opportunities for the rabbi to meet with the Senior Staff and the congregation

The in-person round of interviews consists of:

• Bringing the rabbi (and their partner, if applicable) to New York City for 2 days and 2 nights
• Housing the rabbi in a hotel
• Hosting all meals for the rabbi with the Search Committee, the Executive Committee or the Senior Staff
• Organizing individual meetings for the rabbi with each member of our Senior Staff for them to learn more about Temple Israel and for us to evaluate how their skills and experience might benefit our community. We are soliciting feedback from everyone who meets with each rabbi.
• The candidate meets with a real estate broker to view options in the neighborhood, and to educate themselves about what it would feel like to live here.

Next Steps:

If you participate in any of the in-person events, please share your thoughts and observations in an email to getmom4@gmail.com so that your voices are heard. Rest assured that your identity will remain anonymous.

If we choose to advance a candidate beyond the in-person round, the next step will be to conduct reference checks. Following successful reference checking, we will arrange a “hometown visit” for us to observe firsthand how the rabbi envisions Shabbat services with their current congregation.

November 1, 2025

October was when the “search” portion of our work truly began. While we were surprised to receive 6 applications prior to the High Holidays, October began the evaluation process in earnest.

Here are some of the highlights:

• We received 13 applications (and counting!)
• We conducted screening interviews on Zoom with 9 candidates (and counting!)
• We invited 4 back for a second round of interviews on Zoom (and counting!)

Next steps:

• We anticipate beginning to conduct second round interviews on Zoom throughout November
• We will take a break from our work for the week of Thanksgiving
• December is an intentionally short month in the Search Process because all synagogues agree to refrain from interviewing December 23 – January 1

Please know that we are available to you if you have any questions about the process. The best way to contact us is to email us at searchcommittee@templeisraelnyc.org. We are happy to communicate with you directly.

October 1, 2025

September began the next phase of the Search process when we submitted our application to the CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis.) Included in the application were many questions that gave us opportunities to shine as a Congregation to attract our next Rabbi.

Here is a sampling of some of the questions:

• What three qualities are most important to your congregation in your new rabbi?
• What should be the three most important priorities of your new rabbi?
• What are the three primary goals of your congregation?
• What are your congregation’s core values?

We utilized data that we gathered throughout our numerous Listening Tour sessions to compose our answers, where relevant. Thank you to everyone who participated in that important exercise. Your willingness to communicate your preferences clearly, and to explain why you feel the way you do, was extremely helpful to us as a committee. We are grateful for your involvement in this process.

Here is an outline of the Search Process:

• Review Resumes
• Zoom Interviews
• Onsite Visit for selected candidates to TI to meet clergy and get to know the congregation better
• Reference checking
• Visits to see the Rabbi in action in their home congregation.

The CCAR has established guidelines for how much experience a Rabbi must have in order to be considered for a congregation, based on its size. Given our current membership, the CCAR will only accept Resumes and Personal Statements for our position if the rabbi has at least 5 years of experience.

Please know that we are available to you if you have any questions about the process. The best way to contact us is to email us at searchcommittee@templeisraelnyc.org. We are happy to communicate with you directly.

August 25, 2025

It has been a very busy summer for those of us on the Search Committee for our next Senior Rabbi. We are eager to share our progress with the community and will be posting news in both the Chronicle and on the Temple Israel Website.

You will be able to stay informed by reading our updates, or feel free to email us at searchcommittee@templeisraelnyc.org. Please know that we are happy to communicate with you directly.

We take this role very seriously and are working our hardest to best represent the Temple Israel community that we hold so dear.

THE LATEST:
Listening Tours: This summer, we hosted 14 Listening Tours (11 for Congregants and 3 for the Board). We are thrilled that over 100 people have attended thus far, sharing their priorities, hopes and values.

Survey: So far, 87 people have participated in our survey, which was another helpful vehicle for gathering information about what you, our community, deems important.

Search Committee Education: We have attended the required Anti-Bias Training Seminar, offered by the URJ (Union for Reform Judaism) to help train us for the interview process. Additionally, we have attended meetings held by the CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis) to direct us in the application process, which will be completed by the time of this publishing, and after which, rabbinical candidates will begin to consider our position.

The Rabbinic Search Committee
Heather Getman – Co-Chair
Neil Goldmacher – Co-Chair
Monica Cirlin, Ann Frisse, Keith Gross, Ken Kloner, Amy Landis,
Howard Morgan, Francine Neu, Josh Peirez, Carole Ross, Michael Werner