Don't call me rabbi

What do you call your rabbi?  Rabbi So and So, maybe even a So and So rabbi?  But whatever you call him (or her for our more liberal readers), do you think it is a bit stuffy in terms of addressing them. Many people do including rabbis themselves.

This in through Ynetnews via Detroit Jews News:

Nowadays, rabbis are taking positions both inside and outside the synagogue, working as educators, with youth groups and in Jewish agencies. Many are becoming more hands-on and available to their communities in new ways - and sometimes doing what once would have been unheard of.

One of the most noticeable changes is in the use of less formal titles.

“I’m an informal guy,” said Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberg, whose formal title is Rabbi Arnie. “A lot of people just call me Arnie. I think people feel closer to me when we’re on a first-name basis.”

Another rabbi offers this:

“For me, the title is situational,” said Rabbi Daniel Nevins of Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills, Michigan. “There are times when I would be uncomfortable being referred to without my title and times when I’d be unhappy with the title. Most rabbis of my generation struggle with this issue, and there is no uniform standard, in my mind.”

Personally, I find first name approaches work better. Sure, there are times when you need to keep things formal (like at a wedding or barmitzvah), but why be all stuffy when you don't need to be.  If a rabbi is happy to address you by your first name, then why not address them by their first name?

If we can call other leaders are on first name terms such as Tony, the prime minister of Britain and Ariel, the prime minister of Israel, then we should be able to call our rabbis by their first name too.

With declining synagogue membership and less people feeling they need to actually belong to a shul to be "Jewish", rabbis dropping some of the traditional formalities is a good way to try and reconnect with people on an everyday to day basis.

After all, being less formal is often a better way to connect with people on their level.

Comments

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