RABBINIC AUTHORITY- POWER SHARING

who had only the scantiest Jewish background and who were not accustomed to the restraint of tradition. If we restrict our view to the Reform community, we shall see that in an effort to gain a broader hold on the community Isaac Mayer Wise founded The American Israelite which quickly became an influential paper. As an astute organizer he strengthened the rabbinate through the Hebrew Union College and the Central Conference of American Rabbis. He also recognized the need for lay leadership by earlier establishing the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. The same kind of pattern can be traced in the Conservative and Orthodox Jewish communities.

As the lay leadership acquired power in the general community, they sought it in the Jewish community as well. This was accomplished through new organizations like the Board of Deputies , the American Jewish Committee , as well as the Zionist organizations. Lay leaders like Jacob Schiff , Felix Warburg and Louis Brandeis emerged. They, however, continued to find strong resilient rabbinic leadership. For example, Abba Hillel Silver , Stephen S. Wise , Judah Leon Magnes and Barnett Brickner-all Zionists - emerged as powerful national figures. Here we, however, see the rabbinate entirely outside of its traditional role which was judiciary, ritual or legal. It now played a major political role in matters of both national and internal Jewish policy.

In the latter part of the twentieth century we see the Jewish Federations and similar organizations emerge as planners for the broader Jewish community. Power sharing is the model. Although elected lay leaders are usually at the helm of the organization, the structure is often in the hands of the rabbis who have achieved that position both through their knowledge of tradition and their leadership position. This means that the ongoing guidance is often in the hands of the rabbinate and provides considerable powers to these individuals as well as to other rabbis allied to them.

93