Less than a month after Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz officially resigned as senior rabbi at Kehilath Israel Synagogue, he has been hired as executive director of Valley Beit Midrash in Phoenix, Ariz. The Jewish News of Greater Phoenix posted a story on its website Wednesday, June 5, under the headline “Valley Beit Midrash hires one of ‘America’s top 50 rabbis.’ ”
According to its website, Valley Beit Midrash is a collaborative organization that brings new, exciting and relevant programs to the Greater Phoenix Jewish community in a diverse, welcoming, engaging and pluralistic setting. The Jewish News added that Valley Beit Midrash partners with a number of Phoenix synagogues and Jewish organizations to provide this programming.
There is no mention in the newspaper’s story, or on Rabbi Yanklowitz’s website, of the nine months he spent as K.I.’s senior rabbi. The article does state that in the past decade, he has been the director of Jewish life and senior Jewish educator at the Hillel at the University of California, Los Angeles; a chaplain in the U.S. Army; a hospital chaplain; and a congregational rabbi.
The Chronicle’s attempts to get a comment from Rabbi Yanklowitz via email were unsuccessful.
Rabbi Yanklowitz told the Jewish News in an email that he believes “Valley Beit Midrash offers one of the greatest models and vehicles in Jewish life to reimagine our individual and collective destiny.”
The newspaper reports he will take over his new position in July. The announcement that Rabbi Yanklowitz officially resigned from K.I. was made on Saturday, May 18, by Steve Osman, the congregation’s president. Rabbi Yanklowitz joined K.I. in August and stopped doing any official work for the congregation in late April.
