October 9, 2013

The following chaverim were in attendance or on the conference call: Daniel Alter, Hanan Balk, Shalom Baum, Gedalyah Berger, Binyamin Blau, Nasanayl Braun, Yisrael Ciner, Mark Dratch, Joel Finkelstein, Dov Fischer, Arie Folger, Barry Freundel, Shmuel Goldin, Jonathan Gross, Basil Herring, Shlomo Hochberg, Ariel Konstantyn, Barry Kornblau, Doniel Kramer, Ira Kronenberg, Chaim Marder, Leonard Matanky, Elazar Muskin, Ari Perl, Steven Pruzansky, David Rabhan, Mitchell Rocklin, Andrew Rosenblatt, Benjamin Samuels, Fabian Schonfeld, Yoel Schonfeld, Yerachmiel Seplowitz, Adam Starr, Eliyahu Teitz, Etan Tokayer, Reuven Tradburks, Brahm Weinberg, Shlomo Weissman, Howard Wolk, David Wolkenfeld, and Michoel Zylberman.

At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America, held at the RCA office on Wednesday, October 9, 2013, President Leonard Matanky in the chair, and Reuven Tradburks acting on behalf of the secretary, the following items were decided:

A motion to accept minutes of the June 30, 2013 Executive Committee meeting and of the August 15, 2013 special Executive Committee meeting passed unanimously. A motion for Brett Oxman to serve a one-year term until 2014 on the Executive Committee (replacing Andrew Rosenblatt who resigned his Executive Committee seat upon being elected to serve as RCA Treasurer) passed unanimously.

A motion to approve the membership applications of Eliezer Bercuson, Michael Bleicher, Aryeh Leib Bolel, Ezra Goldschmiedt, Avi Kilimnick, Yiroel Perelson, Daniel Rosenfelt (conditional upon receiving no untoward feedback from RCA membership after announcing his application in forthcoming Bemaga), and Yehoshua Singer passed unanimously. A motion to appoint Yona Reiss as the new chairman of the GPS Committee passed unanimously. Thanks to Barry Freundel for his chairmanship. The request to begin Vaad Hakavod proceedings against Michael Broyde has been withdrawn.

Shmuel Goldin will serve as the head of the Vaad HaKavod pertaining to Marc Schneier.

A motion to appoint Kenneth Auman, Jack Bieler, Asher Brander, Ari Perl to the Semicha Standards Committee passed unanimously. Additional matters discussed:

Treasurer Andrew Rosenblatt reviewed RCA expenditures so far in 2013 and presented a projected budget for the remainder of 2013. Israel Representative Reuven Tradburks reviewed Israel Region activities, including announcing a conference for chaverim in Israel, February 24 – 26, 2014. The 2014 Convention is being planned for June 30 through July 2.

Publications Editor-in-Chief Basil Herring reported that the RCA Siddur is ready for publication upon completion of contractual agreement with Artscroll. Executive Vice-President Mark Dratch reported on: Forthcoming release of an RCA app for iPhone and Android users.

Forthcoming conference calls for selected small groups of chaverim with Hershel Schachter and Gedalia Dov Schwartz
Progress on implementing 2013 RCA Resolutions pertaining to sexual abuse prevention and prenuptial agreements.
Drafting, by Hanan Balk and others, of proposed policy to regulate members use of their RCA membership or RCA committee membership as identifiers.