AJN report: "New Chief Rabbi for Victoria"

Guest Post from a Victorian Rabbi:

Like others in the community, I too was surprised to see that front page banner in last week’s Jewish News telling us the earth-shattering news about our new Chief Rabbi.

Of course, when turning to page 13, we soon realised that this was another AJN beat-up in their usual cavalier and careless editorial approach. New boy Zeddy obviously has yet to make any impact towards creating a believable and responsible newspaper out of this rag.

Having attended the reported AGM, I must say that I was quite disappointed that a prominent and long-serving member of Melbourne’s rabbinate, Rabbi Philip Heilbrunn was so easily defeated for the position of president by a relatively inexperienced youngster. (I have no doubt that Rabbi Glasman will eventually emerge as a respected rabbinical figure, but at age 30, the presidency is a bit premature.

Of course Rabbi Heilbrunn didn’t have a hope, seeing that the majority of RCV members are Chabadniks and they weren’t going to allow an “outsider’ have the top job. We knew this all along. By standing and losing, simply Rabbi Heilbrunn proved it again.

It was extremely “charitable” of them to allow Rabbi Ralph Genende win the consolation of vice-president. They and we all know how little that means. After all, ask anyone who the previous vice-president was and you’ll get blank stare. That position means nothing and does less than nothing.

Despite all I this, I personally think that Glasman is a ‘good bloke’ and will hopefully do our community proud. I wish him all the best.

A few comments on the published remarks of the outgoing president Rabbi Kluwgant:
“We are the envy of rabbinical associations across the world...”

Please, MS, don’t exaggerate. There are dozens of cities in the US where there are far more successful and productive rabbinical groups than our RCV. And have you been reading about the achievements of European rabbis groups? If not, check it out.

As to your comment: “That killed me” (regarding the so-called abuse claim in the community); as far as the average person is concerned that was a joint AJN-RMSK campaign against a non-member which eventually came to nothing. I for one would not have mentioned it. (And even if I had, I would not have used the language like: “That killed me”.

Anyway thanks for your efforts – the $190,000 government funding is not to be sneezed at – and you can take life a bit easier now.