Strategic Exploration

During the past spring and summer ACRE’s Executive Committee and Board held a series of discussions designed to prioritize the focal areas of ACRE’s work this year. A consensus was reached that one priority would be to convene a diverse group of representatives of ACRE constituent organizations, along with thought leaders from related fields, to examine a “big picture, future issue.” that no one else was exploring. And the added goal was to have this discussion in a different way, using a new tool, a new methodology that was worthy of experiencing by itself, but also one that could catalyze real action for ACRE and its constituent organizations.

Towards those ends, ACRE invited a select group of individuals, representing more than 20 organizations that care deeply about the future of the rabbinate, to engage in a Strategic Exploration.

ACRE Research Study: Capturing a Snapshot of Today’s Rabbinate

ACRE’s Research Committee commissioned a research study designed to provide us with a “snapshot” of the rabbinate today. The study asked the following research questions:

• Who are todays’ rabbis ? (i.e. basic demographic information, such as age, gender, denomination, years in the rabbinate, etc.)
• In what venues are rabbis working?
• What are the positions these rabbis hold (primary, secondary and others)?
• What are the primary responsibilities rabbis have in their current jobs?
• In what CRE experiences have the rabbis participated over the last five years?
• What do rabbis perceive as their top CRE needs?
• What do rabbis perceive as obstacles to pursuing CRE?

To read the Summary Report of the research findings, click here. The CCAR, independently, distributed this survey to its membership and we invite you to read their Executive Summary of the results they gathered. (click here)