After several months of planning, searching and conducting interviews, the search committee has narrowed the list of candidates to a small number of well-qualified and menschlich individuals. We’ve entered what might be called the due-diligence phase: We’re checking the candidates’ references and visiting the individuals at their synagogues so that we can observe them as they conduct services and interact with congregants. It has been a somewhat drawn-out process, because committee members have had to plan their visits according to when the candidates are conducting services.
The congregational gathering last month, on March 14, was a constructive and helpful meeting – the committee heard a range of opinions and concerns from TOS members. One question that came up at the meeting, and that has been raised in other conversations, is whether the final few candidates will be presented to the TOS community for a vote.
Community input is a vital element of the rabbinic search process, but the committee has had the benefit of weighing many factors that are not available to the community, such as interviews, references, observations, and reviews of written materials. We therefore feel that the committee has a responsibility to propose just one candidate.
While our goal continues to be to have rabbinic leadership for TOS in place by July 1, we are committed to finding the right individual for the position – our priority is making sure that the person we bring before the congregation is truly an excellent choice.
