October 12, 2022
As we begin our New Year together, I want to give you a Rabbi Search Update.
First, I want to thank Rabbi Rudolph for giving our community the time to gather information and prepare his replacement. The time has been invaluable as it enabled us to survey and speak with you, to really listen and hear what is most important to our community, and report what we heard back to you. There has been a lot of other work done as well, important work, but listening and understanding what our members wanted was vital.
Second, the committee has been together for about a year! In anyone’s life, commitments change. As such, we have had some committee member changes. I want to thank Jeff Burger, Darien Kruss, Dominique O’Connor for their insight and help. Dr. Aaron Lazar, may his memory be for a blessing, was inspiring and invaluable to our committee.
The committee added Matt Biespiel, Deborah Friedman, Robyn Goldman, and April Haskell. The new members bring energy and insights to the work already being done to advance our effort.
Third, I am pleased to share that we are posting the position! The feedback from what we shared was very positive! We will continue to post the position in all the places we have identified. We are entering the recruitment season right when it starts!
If you know someone who might be interested in the position, let me or anyone on the committee know! We would be happy to send a direct communication to them telling them about the position!
Fourth, our work is not done! We are working on the interview process and weekend visits! The latter is where we need your help! When we have a candidate come to CBS, we need YOU to make yourselves available to experience the candidate and provide us with input! You will hear from us a lot when the visits are scheduled.
Fifth, our website is more inviting everyday! If you haven’t looked at it in a while, take a peak! Sue Prousa has done a great job making it more inviting to current and prospective members and Rabbi Candidates! After candidates read the job posting, they will google our website next! A big Thank You to Sue!
We are very ready to start meeting candidates. As with any search for any position, we do not control the stream of candidates. What we do control is how we prepare and meet with candidates! We are doing our very best to represent CBS accurately and with great pride!
Shalom,
Fran Kraemer
Matt Biespiel, Paula Fraser, Deborah Friedman, Robyn Goldman, April Haskell, Shira Isenberg, Lindsay Nathan, Mike Rabin, Sheri Rubin, Lewis Slawsky, and Lynda Stern
June 24, 2022
The Search Committee completed our formal surveying and focus groups of our community. Thanks to YOU the response was outstanding with around a 40% survey response rate and around 80 members (including teens B’nai Mitzvah and up) meeting with us in person or on zoom to share with us answers to the 3 following questions: Who Are We? Who Do We Aspire to Be? What are the talents and qualities we want in a new rabbi? Without your active participation, we could not have been successful. We are grateful that you took the time to speak when asked. The wealth of responses can be found in the results of the survey (click here), as well as a PowerPoint (click here) which was presented to the Board at their last meeting.
Next, we have connected with the various Jewish movements and Rabbinical schools to learn what we need to complete or submit in the recruiting process to secure a Rabbi for our community summer 2023. That effort will continue, along with refining interview questions we will have for the candidate and synagogue responses to interview questions Rabbis will have for us.
Additionally, we are planning (hotels, activities, etc.) for weekend visits with prospective Rabbis, when they occur. Your participation in services and/or other activities will be very important. Stay tuned for further updates.