The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote took a share of criticism from students Talia Werber and Steven Goldstein in a Forward.com opinion piece titled “Anti-Zionism forced us to withdraw from Reconstructionist Rabbinical College“.
The article, which was written by Werber and Goldstein, alleges that “RRC fosters a culture of intimidation that dissuades students from expressing any positive connection to Israel” and that the institution is a de facto “training ground for anti-Zionist rabbis.”
The authors said they withdrew from RRC earlier this year.
The piece was given mention today by The Jewish News of Northern California in an article titled “At Reconstructionist Rabbinical College ordination, divisions over Israel share stage with 11 new rabbis“, which discusses the controversy surrounding Israel’s war in Gaza and the subsequent divisions within the denomination.
RRC’s president, Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., reportedly referenced Forward.com’s op-ed—which was published on Friday—during the ordination ceremony on Sunday.
“This year, the attacks of Oct. 7, the war between Hamas and Hezbollah and Israel, and the terrible situation in Gaza has been at the forefront of the RRC community,” she said. “It has been incredibly challenging. I wrote these words before last Friday.”
During her speech, she said that RRC supports Israel’s right to exist but is open to ordaining rabbis who hold a different position.
“The stance of the Reconstructionist movement since the time of Mordecai Kaplan to this day is that Israel has a right to exist and is a vital center for Jewish life and the Jewish people,” Waxman said. “We care deeply about the Jewish people across geography, and we stand in solidarity with Israelis. And at the end of the day, any litmus test we have in the Reconstructionist Movement is not about particular stances around Israel.”
The article notes that the ceremony was not disrupted by booing or visible anger, unlike many university graduations as of late.
According to RRC’s Facebook page, the college is the only seminary affiliated with Reconstructionist Judaism and is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. For a history of the college by Rabbi Waxman, you can click here.
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