New York – At its recent convention, the Rabbinical Council of America selected Rabbi Leonard Matanky from Chicago to replace outgoing president Rabbi Shmuel Goldin.
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The JEWISH DAILY FORWARD (http://bit.ly/154H6ce) reports that Matanky, who previously served as vice-president under Goldin, currently serves as spiritual leader of Congregation K.I.N.S. of West Rogers Park in Chicago, and is dean of the Orthodox high school Ida Crown Jewish Academy.
Matanky, who served as Rabbi Goldin’s deputy throughout his presidency, said, “We need to stand up for the values we have in the Orthodox world, and we need to be able to communicate those values, which are values of beauty and respect and commitment to the rest of the world,”
The selection of Matanky comes at challenging point in time when the RCA finds itself spill between reformist and hard-line Orthodox.
“it’s a very challenging job,” said outgoing president Goldin, “particularly at a time where Centrist or Modern Orthodoxy continues to define its borders and limitations.”
Asher Lopatin, a leading voice in left-wing Modern Orthodoxy and president of Yeshiva Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School, praised Matansky’s past successes in keeping “everyone in the big tent.”
In reiterating his willingness to remain “open” to some of the more liberal aspects of left-wing Modern Orthodox, Matanksy cautioned that there are “limits” to his openness.
“We have a very large tent in the RCA,” Matansky said referring to thousand-plus rabbis included in the RCA. “There are people, unfortunately, who will choose to move outside the protective shade of that tent… sometimes we will have to define boundaries.”
Why don’t these Rabbi’s indentify themselvs with their Jewish first names?
How about a Jewish first name as a start?
Is he wearing a yarmulka ? He refers to “values of the Orthodox world.” Does that include the Torah or Shulchan Aruch. I hate to say this, but we can see where he and the RCA are going. He will find a “Heter” for women rabbis, same gender marriages, and abortion. Either one believes in the Torah, or not. The RCA just defined their position. HaShem Yeracheim.
He is dean of the Orthodox high school Ida Crown Jewish Academy – that is the yeshiva that Rabbi Finkel attended after learning in Mir.
About his first name… I would bet it is something like Label or Laybish – a Yiddish name rather than a Hebrew name.
I suspect that in some ways he is in the class of Rabbi Shteinman – people at the anti share the burden rally in NYC recently didn’t refer to him by his title and those same people probably wont refer to Rabbi Matanky by his title either¿ (>.
Maybe if we focused on substance and not on style like names or where he wears his yarmulka (he is wearing one), places like Chovevei would have less traction. Who would be attracted to an Orthodoxy where we act like nitpickers and kvetches.
RCA seems moving to the left, while Chareidi society is moving to the right. We are all out of sync.
As someone from Chicago I can tell you this: Rabbi Matanky is very welcoming to all Jews whether Modern Orthodox or not. Yes he in the head of a school and shul that are MO however he gets along VERY WELL with several of the VERY frum Rabbanim in Chicago. I have never known him to be over or accepting of ppl who are over on halachos, he just doesn’t encourage people to do chumros. Many Rabbanim of the 50 yr old generation use their English name so they can connect better with a broader community. I personally don’t call R’ Matanky my Rav because I’m Yeshivish not MO however I do respect him and the way he deals with his community.
Its really amazing to me how many people on here claim to be ‘learned’, and yet still reserve the right to type the, literally, most stupid things.
Rabbi Matanky is one of THE most respected and well-known for his TORAH….the same torah they learn in the MIR, BRISK, YESHIVA GEDOLA etc…
BTW – just because its typed, doesn’t mean its NOT loshon HORA –
and by the way – Midda Keneged Midda
I’m a Chicago chareidi who knows R’ Matanky very well. In fact I have asked him complicated shailos in the past. He is a big Talmid Chacham. In truth, he is very close to Dayan Feurst of Agudas Yisroel.
Long story short, he’s a big mentch and s leader of our community.