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The rabbinate isn’t in crisis because of text — it’s about leadership

JL;DR SUMMARY Rabbi David Baum argues that the challenges facing the contemporary rabbinate are not rooted in insufficient textual mastery, but rather in a lack of leadership training suited to today's complex realities. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish LeadershipEmotional ResilienceCrisis ManagementRabbinical EducationCommunity ManagementRabbi TrainingOrganizational SkillsContemporary ChallengesAdaptive LeadershipTextual Mastery

Places mentioned

Boca Raton, Florida, United States
"He has served as Congregation Shaarei Kodesh of Boca Ratons first full-time rabbi since."
Florida, United States
"the Great Recession that began in 2008 and hit South Florida harder than any other area of the country"
Parkland, Florida, United States
"the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School just miles from our synagogue"
Israel
"the ongoing war in Israel, which have reverberated through Jewish life worldwide"

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Cairo Item ID 73240
Cairo Source ID 34
Retrieved 2026-01-22 05:30:28 UTC
Curated 2026-01-22 08:31:10 UTC