December 1, 2015

The following chaverim were in attendance or on the conference call: Shalom Baum, Gedalyah Berger, Jack Bieler, Binyamin Blau, Nasanayl Braun, Mark Dratch, Zvi Engel, Ephraim Epstein, Joel Finkelstein, Dov Fischer, Arie Folger, Shmuel Goldin, Avrohom Gordimer, Yonah Gross, Rafael Grossman, Shlomo Hochberg, Jerold Isenberg, Benjamin Kelsen, Barry Kornblau, Elly Krimsky, Chaim Marder, Leonard Matanky, Yechiel Morris, Yehuda Oppenheimer, Mitchell Rocklin, Elchanan Schulgasser, Yerachmiel Seplowitz, Yechiel Shaffer, Ze’ev Smason, Adam Starr, Chaim Strauchler, Gil Student, Eliyahu Teitz, Reuven Tradburks, Elie Weissman, Shlomo Weissmann, Michael Whitman, Howard Wolk, Howard Zack, and Michoel Zylberman.

At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America, held in person at the RCA office and by conference call on Tuesday, December 1, 2015, President Shalom Baum in the chair, and Reuven Tradburks acting on behalf of the secretary, the following items were decided:

• A motion to approve minutes of the meeting of October 13, 2015 passed unanimously. (There was discussion about how expansive RCA minutes should be.)
• President Baum’s nomination of Daniel Yolkut to serve as a member of the Membership Committee passed unanimously.
• A motion to approve the membership applications of Zsolt Balla, Zev Eleff, Mayer Freedman, Noam Friedman, Nuriel Klinger, Michael Kramer (associate membership) and Kenneth Schiowitz was approved unanimously, with one abstention.
• A motion to approve Rabbinerseminar zu Berlin as an approved semicha passed unanimously, with one abstention.
• A motion to amend the RCA’s Semicha Standards passed unanimously, with one abstention.
• A motion to reject the request for certain employees of Kushner Academy to participate in the RCA Pension Plan passed unanimously.

Additionally, President Baum reported on the following:

• RCA efforts to counter BDS actions in Europe, in keeping with 2015 BDS Resolution.
• Following up on actions required by the 2015 Maharat-related resolution:

1. RCA members will be surveyed regarding present roles of women in educational or other leadership positions in their communities.
2. Shmuel Silber and Josh Flug are interviewing roshei yeshiva and other relevant parties to determine their views about the range of allowed leadership positions for women.