Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

May 3, 2023 –

Attendees:

Binyamin Blau, Zvi Engel, Mark Dratch, Adam Dubin, Daniel Alter, Gedalyah Berger, Yaakov Bindell, Ira Ebbin, Eli Eleff, Roy Feldman, Daniel Fridman, Daniel Goldberg, Ezra Goldschmiedt, Yaakov Jaffe, Wes Kalmar,  Benjamin Kelsen,  Judah Kerbel, Doniel Kramer, Ira Kronenberg, Yehuda Oppenheimer, Chaim Poupko, Yerechmiel Seplowitz, Yoseph Sharbat, Adam Starr, Yaakov Taubes, Jason Weiner, Michael Whitman, Dov Winston, Daniel Yolkut, Dovid Zirkind, Brahm Weinberg, Shmuel Lesher, Joel Landau, Moshe Kurtz, Shlomo Brody, Benjamin Samson, Daniel Sherman

At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America, held by conference call, on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, President Binyamin Blau in the chair, and Mark Dratch acting on behalf of the secretary, the following items were discussed:

A motion to approve the following new members passed unanimously: Michael Belgrade, Gavriel Rudin, Yehuda Halpert

Shlomo Brody reported on Ematai, a spinoff of HODS, an organization founded in 2001 to educate about organ donation in Jewish communities. In 2023, it relaunched as Ematai with a rededicated mission: To enable Jewish families to navigate an increasingly complex healthcare journey, particularly in the dilemmas of aging and end-of-life treatment.

Binyamin Blau spoke about initial plans to deal with the transition to a new Executive Vice President in light of current Executive Vice President Mark Dratch’s announcement to make Aliyah.  There will be a committee established to review the RCA mission and services provided as well as a search committee.  The Executive Committee will be informed and will be consulted as the matter proceeds.

Reuven Taragin gave a review of the recent World Orthodox Congress held in Jerusalem and discussed plans to continue networking and resource sharing with communities throughout the world.