The New Rabbi: A Congregation Searches for Its Leader

Author Fried purports to tell the story of how a large and wealthy conservative congregation on the Philadelphia Main Line went through the process of replacing its retiring rabbi. It's actually quite some time before he gets into the essence of the story, and I found myself thinking, when is he going to get to the search? But he gets there and leaves no stone unturned. It is a truly ugly story and it made me feel grateful that I didn't belong to that congregation. My own congregation recently went through a search for a new rabbi when ours left for a promotion after 14 years with us. This book is more than just the search for a new rabbi. It is a look at the inner workings of the conservative movement and the politics involved when this congregation decided to play hardball with the movement powers that be. I will not detail the end of the story (which, unfortunately is not in the book), but I will tell you it is not a pretty story, but I could not put the book down. Anyone who cares about this sort of thing should find the book endlessly fascinating as I did.

I loved the book. It reads like a mystery, so that you can't wait to find out what happens next, as the decision making process takes unexpected twists and turns with every chapter.As a Catholic accustomed to pastoral appointments, I finished the book with a sense of awe at the responsibility and spirituality within the process.

Fried's "The New Rabbi" is an engaging and insightful look not only at the lives of rabbis today but also at the hiring process, part of the greater whole he terms "the retail business." Having been involved in any number of job searches over the last number of years, I can attest that even in smaller congregations where less is at stake than Har Zion, emotions on both sides can - and do - run high.If there is one lesson to be taken from this book, it is this - that synagogue life is, at heart, a business. The search committee, it seems, allowed itself to be swayed by the cult of personality which pervades our small profession. In the process, they failed to articulate a sense of what they were looking for, rather than whom they were looking for. Hence they passed up many suitable candidates, and in the process wound up hurting many people.One hopes this is a story where "all's well that ends well." I personally harbor my doubts. Only when large organizations behave in a more professional manner will they will become successful once again.

I became interested in reading Steven Fried's book after I heard him interviewed on National Public Radio. Having just participated in the "new rabbi search" at my own synagogue in the Western suburbs of Chicago, I was curious to see if the experiences documented by Mr. Fried mirrored my own experience. Although Har Zion, the synagogue followed in Mr. Fried's book is much larger and more influential than my own, I have to report that the rabbi search process seems to have some universal themes common to the process. We too "fell in love" with a candidate who ultimately "rejected" us...leaving the committee feeling like a jilted suitor at the altar. Our committee also harbored deep suspicions that the Rabbinic Movement was somehow keeping all the really qualified candidates from applying for our opening. And, of course, there was the usual political manipulating and jockeying for position to be appointed to the search committee and to be on the inside track for information on the candidates. Mr. Fried documents this process with sensitivity and wit.I also identified with Mr. Fried's search for new meaning and connection with Judaism after the death of his father. His discussion of his emotional and intellectual growth made a perfect counterpoint to the new rabbi saga, never overwhelming the main story line.Although I knew the outcome of the Har Zion search process from Mr. Fried's NPR interview, knowing the ultimate outcome of the search was not an impediment to enjoying the book. Mr. Fried's writing style never bogged down in tedious detail and the delineated the major players in the story while avoiding confusing the reader. While the book documents an actual rabbi search, Mr. Fried's pacing keeps the story moving like a novel. I found myself rooting for Har Zion and am curious to know if their new rabbi has lived up to expectations.I've been recommending this book to everyone who participated in my synagogue's rabbi search. It's good to know that it wasn't just us.

Having sat on a rabbinic search committee in my own shul, as well as three cantorial search committees, I found this book fascinating and on the mark. Our synagogue is much smaller than Har Zion, but the political travails, the ego clashes, and the resulting ruffled feathers seem to be the same across all sizes and denominations of synagogues. Fried has an easy literary style which places you in the middle of the action. Sharing his own personal insights and experiences may annoy some readers, but I found that they made the story more accessible. Hands down, I recommend this book, particularly to those who are active in their congregations.