March 6, 2019

At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America, held by conference call, on Wed., March 6, 2019, President Elazar Muskin in the chair, and Reuven Tradburks acting on behalf of the secretary, the following items were decided:

The minutes of Executive Committee meeting of Jan. 30, 2019 were approved.

Elazar Muskin, President, reported on:
• Jeff Saks has begun as the new editor for Tradition with positive new initiatives including website enhancement.
• The series of conference calls with major Jewish leaders continues with the next one with Rabbi Menachem Penner from YU.
• The pre nup
• AIPAC Conference is upcoming and we will have an RCA get together at the Conference.
• The BDA sent out a survey to RCA members concerning Pre Nup use. Please fill out this survey.
• The Convention Chairmen Noah Chesis and Yaakov Trump are putting together a wonderful program. Please plan to attend.

Mark Dratch, Exec. VP reported on:
• Artscroll has published a Synagogue Siddur. This Siddur, though it does not contain any indications that it is an RCA Siddur, has the same pagination as the former RCA Siddur and bears the same graphics. Please make sure to order our new RCA Siddur Avodat Halev which we feel speaks more to our constituencies and is the RCA Siddur.

A motion to approve the Elections Committee of Wes Kalmar, Daniel Alter and Brett Oxman passed unanimously.

A motion to approve the Nominations Committee of Leonard Matanky, Hanan Balk, Zev Goldberg, Idan Scher and Kalman Topp passed unanimously.

Mrs. Abby Lerner, Director of Conversion Services of the GPS Conversion Batei Din reported on her activities including many conversations to help individuals with various things they need help with. The Handbook for Sponsoring Rabbis has been posted online. Some of the challenges in the GPS system include Batei Din that have backlogs due to short staff, seeming inconsistency in standards and procedures, funding shortages for the staffing of the batei din that hurts the candidates. Shuls can be helpful in funding particular needs of candidates.

Ira Kronenberg reported that Michael Bram will be receive the Military Chaplaincy award this year at the Convention.

Doniel Kramer reported that David Keen will receive the Health Care Chaplaincy award.

Rabbi David Berger reported on IJCIC- The International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC) serves on behalf of, and as an instrument of, its constituent member organizations to maintain and develop relations with the Vatican’s Commission on Religious Relations with the Jews, the Orthodox Christian Church, the World Council of Churches, and other international religious bodies. Dr. David Berger, one of the RCA representatives to IJCIC, will discuss the effort and the RCA’s role in it.

Good and Welfare