Thoughts from the President - Rabbi Goor to make Aliyah
It is hard to imagine Temple Judea without Rabbi Goor as our Senior Rabbi, but 18 months from now he will make Aliyah and move to Israel. He has been the major force at the temple for more than a quarter of a century. Clearly, there is great sadness at his leaving. However, knowing that he is fulfilling a lifelong dream, there is great joy here as well. I hope you join me in congratulating him. Importantly, Rabbi Goor has picked a propitious time to move as the Temple is a very good place. We are in our new buildings, membership is up – we are thriving.
So, what will this mean for our future?
We have formed a Rabbinic Search Committee to look for our next Senior Rabbi. This committee will be co-chaired by Executive Vice President Andy Keimach and by former Board Member, Steve Poretzky. Additional members of the committee will be chosen over the next few weeks. To ensure a broad cross section of the Temple membership, the search committee will consist of both Board members and other congregants.
We will launch a national search to find the individual best suited to be the spiritual leader of our congregation. Our current Associate Rabbis, Karen Bender and Dan Moskovitz both have indicated their interest in the position. So, they will be included as candidates in the search.
This search is expected to take approximately 12 months. That means that we should have a decision as to who will be the next Senior Rabbi about this time next year. That individual will assume the Senior Rabbi position effective July 1, 2013.
The congregation will be very involved in the search process. We plan to convene focus groups to provide input as to the qualities which the congregation feels are needed for the new Senior Rabbi. In addition, I promise that there will be a great deal of communication about the process and opportunities to share your feelings in town hall meetings. Moreover, ultimately, it will be up to the congregation to approve the new Rabbi. This will take place at an annual meeting which will be scheduled for some time in early 2013.
As of July, 2013, Rabbi Goor will have Rabbi Emeritus status. He’s keeping his home here and plans frequent trips to Los Angeles. So, Rabbi Goor will continue to be an active part of our community and, of course, we are pleased to accept his participation.
Please join me in congratulating Rabbi Goor.