January 11, 2012

The following chaverim were in attendance or on the conference call: Shalom Axelrod, Shalom Baum, Gedalyah Berger, Jack Bieler, Aaron Borow, Nasanayl Braun, Daniel Cohen, Ira Ebbin, Joel Finkelstein, Dov Fischer, Shmuel Goldin, Uri Goldstein, Avrohom Gordimer, Barry Hartman, Basil Herring, Shlomo Hochberg, Shmuel Jablon, Benjamin Kelsen, Yaakov Kermaier, Moshe Kletenik, Sam Klibanoff, Doniel Kramer, Elly Krimsky, Ira Kronenberg, Akiva Males, Chaim Marder, Leonard Matanky, Yehuda Oppenheimer, Ari Perl, Mitchell Rocklin, Fabian Schonfeld, Yoel Schonfeld, Yerachmiel Seplowitz, Ze’ev Smason, Chaim Strauchler, Ari Sytner, Eliyahu Teitz, Reuven Tradburks, Elie Weinstock, Richard Weiss, Michael Whitman, Neil Winkler, Daniel Yolkut, Sol Appleman, Yosef Blau, Shlomo Grafstein, Simcha Green, Barry Kornblau, Aryeh Oberstein, Emmanuel Ravad, Shlomo Weissman, Michoel Zylberman.

The following minutes were approved at the March 14th, 2012 meeting of the Executive Committee:

At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America, held at the RCA office on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, the President, Shmuel Goldin in the chair, and Barry Kornblau acting on behalf of the secretary, the following items were decided:

1. In October, 2011, Executive Committee member Zev Schostak resigned his position. In December, a motion to elect Eliyahu Teitz as an interim (until the 2012 Convention) Executive Committee member was voted upon and approved by email. On behalf of all present, President Goldin welcomed Eliyahu to the Executive Committee and thanked him for his willingness to serve.

2. A motion to accept the minutes of the November, 2011 meeting passed unanimously.

3. A motion: a. to thank Ari Perl and Efrem Goldberg for their service on the 2012 Convention Committee to date; and b. to nominate, in their stead i. Daniel Cohen, Daniel Friedman, and Kalman Topp as 2012 Convention Committee Chairmen; and ii. Ira Ebbin, Shlomo Hochberg, Shaul Robinson as 2012 Convention Committee members (alongside existing Committee member, Mitchell Rocklin) was approved unanimously.

4. A motion that the 2012 Convention (its new format having been approved at the November, 2011 Executive Committee Meeting) should take place from Monday, May 7th to Wednesday, May 9th in Los Angeles, CA, hosted by local chaverim Yosef Kanefsky, Elazar Muskin and Kalman Topp passed with 26 yes votes, 5 no votes, and 7 abstentions.

5. A motion to appoint a Nominations Committee, consisting of Chairmen Moshe Kletenik and Kenny Hain; members Yaakov Kermaier and Kalman Topp, and three additional members (to be approved by Convention Committee) who are not full-time pulpit rabbis passed nearly unanimously, with 1 no vote.

6. A motion to accept the application of new member Joel Zeff passed unanimously.

7. A motion to accept the application of new member Barry Dolinger passed nearly unanimously, with 1 no and some (not counted) abstentions.

8. A motion to approve an RCA operating budget for January through June, 2012 was approved unanimously.