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Sunday, 30 Adar I, 5784
  |  March 10, 2024

Chabad, Reform Compose Op-Ed

A Chabad rabbi and a Reform 'rabbi' penned an op-ed for J. - the Jewish news weekly of Northern California - together. Titled "Building a bridge between Chabad and Reform Jews," Rabbi Gedalia Potash of San Francisco’s Chabad of Noe Valley and Jonathan Jaffe, assistant rabbi at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco, find common ground. Full Article

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SF resident
May 6, 2009 10:27 am

I really appreciated hearing about this experience, and the open-mindedness that the meetings displayed.

Shliach in Australia
January 10, 2009 3:01 am

Thank you for your comments, but the question if the Rebbe would approve of it. As erliche chasssidim we should always look for the Rebbe’s hoyro’os (even if it’s uncool…)

baron karp
January 9, 2009 2:58 am

id love to beileve this is breakthrough

that we can divest the reform community of its azus panim and just become comfortable progressive in their yiddishkeit at a good comfort level progressing in shalom and simcha

NAYE BIRURIM
January 8, 2009 7:52 pm

I remember when Rabbi Fogelman from Worcester brought the head of the reform movement to a Yud Beis Tamuz farbrengen. After the farbrengen, before the Rebbe went into his car to go home, the Rebbe told Rabbi Fogelman ‘NAYE BIRURIM’,while swinging his hand in the air.
To have a Shaliach teach Chassidus for 8 weeks in Temple Emanuel is truly, yemos hamoshiach.
Indeed this was such an unbelievbable breakthrough in “Naye Berurim”.
A Shaliach from Northern California

Dear Concerned Shliach
January 8, 2009 1:51 pm

Maybe Rabbi Gedalia Potash did in fact have the honest chat you suggest? Maybe he’s more responsible than you would like the readers of this site to think… Maybe you need to pick up the phone and verify before you start posting deprecating remarks at whim.

Rabbi Potash is a responsible shliach and you should be dan l’kaf zchus even if you can’t find your way to offer him a Yasher Koyach.

From my part, Gedalia, kol hakavod!!

baron karp
January 8, 2009 1:42 pm

honestly i wonder first of all how much chassidus this rabbi knows and how much he is on top of the issues and how adamant he is regarding are own individual own lonely postions – opinions if u truly know and are energized and bisimcha then ultimately u can seriously SOLELY by virtue of ure charisma and security sincerity “devarim hoyotzim nichnasim” talmidei chachomim binachas nishma…. and if they (the refrom) accept the responsibilty of being honest about being jewish then its tinoik shenishbah instead of trying to deny the validity and urgency of living according to torah fully in… Read more »

Concerned Shliach in Australia
January 8, 2009 12:26 pm

I am sure it was a policy of the Rebbe that we should avoid doing joint services, programs with Reform clergy. As a matter of fact Rabbi Dovid Hollander (a former Chairman of RCA) told me personally that the Rebbe told him in Yechidus not to refer to Reform clergy as ‘Rabbis’ especially in public. Of course we work with all the Jews but doing joint peulos such as this one can cause more harm in the long run… Gedalia Potash should have an honest chat with the older shluchim who have received Rebbe’s directive regarding this matter (I am… Read more »

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