May 13, 2015

The following chaverim were in attendance or on the conference call: Daniel Alter, Gedalyah Berger, Jack Bieler, Binyamin Blau, Mark Dratch, Arie Folger, Avrohom Gordimer, Shlomo Grafstein, Yonah Gross, Jerold Isenberg, Wesley Kalmar, Barry Kornblau, Doniel Kramer, Elly Krimsky, Leonard Matanky, Jonathan Morgenstern, Elazar Muskin, Ari Perl, Shmuel Silber, Ze’ev Smason, Adam Starr, Chaim Strauchler, Reuven Tradburks, Brahm Weinberg, Shlomo Weissmann, Howard Wolk, David Wolkenfeld, Howard Zack, and Michoel Zylberman

At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America, held by conference call, on Wednesday, May 13, 2015, 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 March 25, April 20, and April 27, 2015 meetings of the Executive Committee passed unanimously.
• A motion to approve Steve Burg, Yisroel Ciner, Arie Folger, and Ariel Rackovsky as members of the 2015 Resolutions Committee passed unanimously.
• A motion to approve a new yeshiva, Beit Hamidrash le’Hora’ah Torat Shlomo, passed unanimously.
• A motion to approve Abraham Bleich, David Kupinsky, and Jeffrey Benjamin Landau as new members passed unanimously
• A motion to accept new Semicha Standards (click here) passed unanimously. These entirely replace the 2004 Resolution which previously governed RCA Semicha Standards.

Additional matters discussed:

• Mark Dratch reported on the upcoming convention.
• Lenny Matanky reported on ongoing discussions on the issues of women in clergy roles.
• Lenny Matanky reported on the near completion of the GPS Review Committee’s recommendations and the intent to announce the findings at the convention.