Tikvah
Subscribe
MosaicImage of Mosaic
Editor's Pick

January 15, 2025

To Solve the Rabbi Shortage, Start with Synagogues and Schools

“We cannot innovate our way out of this problem.”

Reflecting on the growing shortage of Conservative and Reform clergy, Rabbi Joshua Rabin argues that the problem is unlikely to get any better. At its root, he explains, is the diminishing number of “potential non-Orthodox Jews”—that is, children attending synagogues and educational programs—of whom only a small percentage will go on to become rabbis. The solution, therefore, can’t be to change rabbinical seminaries, but to focus on synagogues, schools, and youth programs:

Subscribe to Continue Reading

Get the best Jewish ideas and conversations. Subscribe to Tikvah Ideas All Access for $12/month

Login or Subscribe
Save

January 15, 2025

  1. Is the Incoming Trump Administration Pressuring Israel or Hamas?

    All hell to pay.

  2. Only Foundational Change Can Free Lebanon from Hizballah

    Lessons from the battle of Ayn Dera in 1711.

  3. Memo to Marco Rubio: Get the Hamas Supporters Out of the State Department

    The latest 60 Minutes report exposes the rot.

  4. To Solve the Rabbi Shortage, Start with Synagogues and Schools

    “We cannot innovate our way out of this problem.”

  5. Music Forms the Rich, Diverse, and Contested Heart of Jewish Custom

    Melody and minhag.