It would be nice, I suppose, if the world were as simple as portrayed by Adam Dickter in his article, “RCA Leadership Challenge” (June 15).
In a fashion that unfortunately has become all too common, he seems intent on casting all struggles and disagreements in the Modern Orthodox world as a reflection of ideological tensions between the “religious right” and the “religious left.”
The elections now unfolding on the leadership level in the Rabbinical Council of America reflect a much more complicated picture, as one would expect of a sophisticated, diverse and robust organization. To reduce the present competition to a controversy over the ideological leanings of a proposed new executive director is to ignore the many complex challenges that a multifaceted institution such as the RCA faces.
Perhaps The Jewish Week should begin by re-evaluating its grasp of basic facts. How telling that the article began by calling the RCA “the rabbinical arm of the [Orthodox Union].” While we attach great importance to our longstanding and recently strengthening partnership with the OU, we take pride in our being an independent organization and the largest Orthodox rabbinical body in the world.
President, Rabbinical Council of America Manhattan
Editor’s note: Our characterization of the RCA was based on the description on its website as “the rabbinical authority” of the OU. Rabbi Goldin notes that the organizations are partners but operate independently.
