408 Rabbi Irwin Kula: Retraining clergy for challenges outside congregations

“YOU'RE ONTO SOMETHING really, really important with ReadTheSpirit. … What you’re working on is a new way to connect people. The ways Americans connect are going to change in the next two or three years and you’ve got a chance to help shape that new way we talk to each other about faith and culture and values.”
    Rabbi Irwin Kula, President of the National Center for Jewish Learning and Leadership (CLAL)

You’ve probably seen Rabbi Irwin Kula on “The Today Show,” where he is a regular guest. He’s called upon to talk for a few minutes on the show—from time to time—about all sorts of ways that Judaism is important to contemporary life. In one appearance, he might offer tips about helping kids with conflicting holiday seasons in a diverse neighborhood. Or, most recently, he was on the popular NBC show talking parent-to-parent about the spiritual treasures involved in blessing our children.
    Network television is a venue open to precious few American clergy, so the way Kula uses his few minutes is important. Of course, not everyone sees this as a healthy challenge. Many shy away from the connective power of media.
    So, just before Passover started, Kula and I talked about this emerging challenge. And, let me clarify the challenge as both of us see it: We’re talking about reaching people to make a positive difference in their lives. The goal is to help people make spiritual connections and build healthy, diverse communities. This is the glue that holds ReadTheSpirit together—and it’s the passion behind CLAL as well.

    Right now, Kula is excited about one particular CLAL program he calls Rabbis Without Borders—an effort to build a trained corps of hundreds of clergy who are attuned to the new opportunities in reaching people through media—and in speaking and teaching in public venues.
    Neither one of us is pushing conversion. Nor are we trying to build empires.
    We are talking about reaching people to encourage spiritual reflection, compassion and civility. We are talking about the same theme that Dutch Minister Frans Timmermans talked about Monday here at ReadTheSpirit—the importance of “sharing our stories” with others.
    For clergy, we’re talking about an awareness that, as John Wesley put it centuries ago, “the world is … our congregation.” (Wesley actually said “our parish,” but “our congregation” makes the point in a more inclusive way.)

    Through his new program, Kula hopes to train 200-300 rabbis in ten years. CLAL is looking for rabbis, in CLAL’s words, “who are already primed to make Judaism meaningful in the public sphere—a group that will represent Rabbis Without Borders at its best. This pioneer group will serve as role models and teachers both inside and outside of the Jewish community.”
    The challenge isn’t only that clergy are shy about media, Kula argues. The other challenge is that most clergy are trained to focus foremost on congregants—not on the larger world surrounding the congregation.
    “In the past, we thought our goal in preparing rabbis was exclusively to make Jews more Jewish,” Kula said as we talked.
    While that remains an important calling within congregations around the world, “the new challenge is whether Jewish wisdom can be made accessible to anyone who is seeking meaning, purpose and social development.
    “Right now, the assumption in almost all Jewish education is that the people coming into our buildings to see a rabbi are Jews who want to be more Jewish. What I’m talking about is something different. I’m talking about looking at our ancient wisdom tradition as a way to help the larger community with social and moral and spiritual development. That’s a major shift.”