What should a good rabbi know? Some would say she should write great sermons. Others might say he should be able to aptly navigate Jewish law. Others might say they should really know how to tap into the Divine.
Of course, every rabbi needs a little bit of each, and more. When I decided to become a rabbi, I wanted to learn everything I could. I wanted to be that perfect, knowledgeable, authoritative, creative, compassionate rabbi. But what I really wanted most of all was to be someone who could be truly present at the most intense parts of people's lives. ...
This Wednesday, 10 future/current clergy came to CBST learn with Rabbi Kleinbaum in our first session of Topics in LGBTQ Pastoral Care. Largely from the Conservative movement, and one from the Orthodox movement, the group discussed the nature of pastoral care, where it happens, when it happens, how it happens, etc. One perspective Rabbi Kleinbaum shared was the importance of expanding our understanding of what pastoral care actually is. For many people who do pastoral care, it involves active listening, text study, ritual, etc. While this is entirely accurate and essential, the scope of pastoral care is much broader. It ...
