September 17, 2014

The following chaverim were in attendance or on the conference call: Daniel Alter, Shalom Baum, Gedalyah Berger, Jack Bieler, Binyamin Blau, Kenneth Brodkin, Steven Burg, Yisrael Ciner, Daniel Cohen, Dovid Cohen, Judah Dardik, Mark Dratch, Ira Ebbin, Fischer Elli, Zvi Engel, Dov Fischer, Arie Folger, Barry Freundel, Shmuel Goldin, Avrohom Gordimer, Shlomo Grafstein, Yonah Gross, Shlomo Hochberg, Jerold Isenberg, Benjamin Kelsen, Barry Kornblau, Daniel Korobkin, Doniel Kramer, Elly Krimsky, Aaron Liebtag, Akiva Males, Jonathan Morgenstern, Yechiel Morris, Elazar Muskin, Ari Perl, Chaim Poupko, Steven Pruzansky, Myron Rakowitz, Mitchell Rocklin, Benjamin Samuels, Mordechai Scher, Yoel Schonfeld, Jonathan Schwartz, Yerachmiel Seplowitz, Shmuel Silber, Ze’ev Smason, Adam Starr, Chaim Strauchler, Reuven Tradburks, Mark Weiner, Elie Weissman, Shlomo Weissmann, Howard Wolk, and David Wolkenfeld

Minutes for September 17, 2014 meeting of the RCA Executive Committee
At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America, held in the offices of the RCA, NY, NY, on Wednesday, September 17, 2014, 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, 2014, Executive Committee meeting passed unanimously.
• A motion to approve private masmich, R. Dovid Koenig (of Kollel Halichos Yerushalayim) passed (16 Y, 6 N, 10 A).
• A motion to approve Gershon Albert, Michael Broder Friedman, Jacob Seth Gibber, Moshe Goldfeder, Chaim Moskowitz, Yitzchak Shamba, Chaim Zvi Wecker, and Deon Nathan as new members passed unanimously.
• A motion to approve nominations of Daniel Yolkut, Zvi Engel, and Shalom Baum to Membership Committee passed unanimously.
• A motion to nominated Ira Ebbin as Chairman of 2015 Elections Committee passed unanimously.
• A motion to nominate Shmuel Silber to Semicha Standards Committee passed unanimously.
• A motion to submit an amendment to the RCA Constitution (“In Article XI Section 2, the words ‘December 31, 2014’ shall be replaced with ‘June 30, 2015.'”), to be voted on between Nov. 3 and Nov. 8, 2014, passed unanimously.
• A motion to nominate Andrew Rosenblatt as Chairman of Code of Ethics Committee and members Michael Bleicher, Reuven Bulka, Asher Bush, Shaanan Gelman, Jonathan Schwartz, Kalman Topp, Tzvi Hersh Weinreb passed unanimously.

• Leonard Matanky noted that the RCA Siddur contract negotiations with Artscroll are in their final stage but that Artscroll exclusivity is at issue.
• Tradition archives are being opened to the public as a way of increasing readership.
• Mark Dratch discussed dues collection efforts, budget, and the positive relationship with the Rabbanut.
• William Herskowitz presented an update about the Pension Plan.
• Reuven Tradburks encouraged people to attend the RCA Midyear Conference in Israel on Dec. 29-31, 2014. The event is in conjunction with World Zionist Organization.
• Michoel Zylberman reported that GPS recently reconstituted the Atlanta Beit Din le’Giyur.
• Shlomo Weissmann highlighted the accreditation of the BDA’s continuing education program for lawyers. David Kaminetsky has assumed the position of President of the Board of the BDA.