Israel’s president referred to a leading Conservative rabbi as “Rav,” or rabbi, the clergyman told JTA. Rabbi Jerome Epstein, executive vice president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, said that during a 45-minute meeting in Moshe Katsav’s office on Wednesday, the Israeli president began referring to him with the honorific. He said he believes Katsav’s move will extend to other Conservative rabbis, adding that he did not know if Katsav differentiated between Conservative and Reform rabbis.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.