Congregation Beth Torah has begun searching for a new rabbi educator. The person hired will replace Rabbi Vered Harris, the congregation’s education rabbi, when her contract expires at the end of June 2012. She informed the congregation this summer that she planned to seek a new position.
Rabbi Harris joined the Reform congregation, which now has 650-plus member units, in 2000 following her ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati that same year. She also earned a Master of Arts degree in Jewish education in 1998 from the Rhea Hirsch School of Education, and was awarded the title of Reform Jewish Educator in 2002. Rabbi Harris and her husband, Benjamin, are the parents of three children.
John Spector, the congregation’s president, said this is a natural transition in a rabbi’s career path and that Rabbi Harris told the board that this is a good time for her family to make such a change. While he’s happy for Rabbi Harris, he said Beth Torah is going to miss her.
“We were very lucky to have her for 10 years. Our religious school and our adult education programming are top quality in large part because of her effective leadership,” Spector said. “We clearly understand why she is leaving and we wish her the best of luck.”
The job description, which has been posted on the Central Conference of American Rabbi’s website as well as Beth Torah’s (www.beth-torah.org) is detailed. In part, the congregation is seeking an innovative rabbi educator “who will facilitate lifelong learning among congregants, oversee various congregational programs, participate in outreach efforts and serve as rabbi to the congregation.”
Spector said before the congregation compiled the job description, it first met with Rabbi Harris and several focus groups.
“We worked with Rabbi Harris to determine what her role is now and how it has grown since she came here,” Spector said. “A variety of congregants from various demographic groups also provided their feedback, which was factored into the job description.”
The search committee will be led by Michelle Cole and it will include congregants from a variety of different age groups and family responsibilities such as parents with young children, seniors and young adults.