The second cycle of training the “Rabbinical Reserve of Europe” of the “Conference of European Rabbis” has begun. Thirty young rabbis from twelve countries have recently begun a comprehensive program for rabbis to address the challenges in the community. The first round was attended by thirty-eight young rabbis serving in luxury in nineteen countries.
As part of the unique program that takes place for the first time in the world of rabbinate in Europe, the rabbis study and train in depth in halakhah and practice for two years on many topics, including; Checking mikvahs, supervising supervisors in factories and restaurants, clarifying preliminary Judaism and more. In the same way, the rabbis receive professional training and tools for the development and management of the community in their fields; Communication, leadership, community building, managing and raising funds, performing in front of an audience and more.
In an impressive ceremony attended by the heads of the ‘European Rabbinical Conference’, members of the Grand Court of Europe and the Standing Committee, representatives of the partner organizations and donors; ‘Candle to a Thousand’ ‘Eternity’ and ‘Matanel’ and the young rabbis, some rabbis who graduated from the program presented an instructive and exciting presentation of the benefits and challenges of the program.
The European Rabbinical Conference began about two years ago with the implementation of a program; The ‘Rabbinical Reserve of Europe’ for the empowerment of the rabbis of the communities and their training as the rabbinical reserve in halakhah and approximation throughout Europe. The first round was attended by young rabbis serving as community rabbis in several cities, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Russia, France, Britain, Poland, Belarus, Latvia, Moldova, Sweden, Bulgaria, Poland, Greece, Romania, Austria, Georgia, Ukraine and Estonia.
The program is accompanied by the President of the Conference and Rabbi of Moscow, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, the Chairman of the Standing Committee and the Rabbi of London, Rabbi Menachem Gelli, a permanent rabbinical committee with extensive experience in the rabbinate and its leadership; Rabbi Moshe Lebel, Rosh Yeshivat Torat Chaim in Moscow and the rabbinical director of the conference, Rabbi Reuven Leuchter, head of the Mei HaDat Kollel and Rabbi Naftali Schiff, founder and head of the Netzach organization. Adjacent to twenty rabbis are members of the Standing Committee from all over Europe, members of the Chief Rabbinical Council of Israel and the Derchei Torah Court, and the professional part of the program is accompanied by Mr. Nir Aharon.
GP Goldschmidt gives a speech
Count Goldschmidt said at the ceremony: “The young rabbis act with devotion, taking advice from the elders and guiding the conference leaders and establishing communities of glory, out of nowhere, which have crystallized into centers of vibrant Jewish life, some of which have not been run for eighty years.” The challenges facing the community rabbi today, especially in Europe and in Europe in particular, are many, and the challenge must be met by the appropriate tools for today’s environmental conditions. The percentage of assimilation is very high and the rabbis of the communities are the spearhead and the main axis that stand as a wall in a way to protect, strengthen and expand the Jewish community, which, unfortunately, does not keep Torah and mitzvos. “
Rabbi Lebel said: “The rabbis whose training is Torah-based, come to the communities when they face huge challenges. Since these are not ultra-Orthodox communities but the general communities, in most communities it is a very distant approximation that their Jewish identity must be formed, Torah and mitzvos taught and brought closer to the Torah. “We are helping them get answers from the ash bureaus in the United States and give them the tools to deal with it to establish and expand the communities of Israel.
Lt. Gen. Lebel praised the conference’s chief of staff, Mr. Gadi Gronich, who runs the program under the kind auspices of the Patrick and Lina Drahi Foundation, the Pilgens Foundation, and Ms. Joel Aflalo, one of the leaders of the Matanel, and the conference’s secretary general, Rabbi Aharon Shmuel Baskin coordinated the program.