By: Jesse Sherer
Elected by his peers, Greenspan will hold the post for two years. As R.A. president, he will oversee the rabbis and their congregations and represent their interests in the community.
Rabbi Perry Rank of the Midway Jewish Center, international president of the R.A., installed Greenspan. "First of all, Rabbi Greenspan is a very talented rabbi," said Rank. "He has earned the esteem of his colleagues, which is why he has been named to this position.
"Furthermore, the Rabbinical Assembly functions as a support group for rabbis to help them in their professional lives, whether they have a pulpit or are in educational or chaplain roles. The assembly is made up of 1,600 rabbis from around the world, and the Nassau and Suffolk branch is one of our largest and most active."
"Part of the organization is professional. I have to keep rabbis abreast of what is going on in terms of programs and news," said Greenspan. "The assembly is also an opportunity to be together with a sense of camaraderie. No one understands [a rabbi's concerns or thoughts] better than another rabbi."
The Rabbinical Assembly, founded in 1901, is an international association of Conservative rabbis. It promotes the cause of Conservative Judaism and works to benefit the Jewish community. It publishes scholarly texts and other works of Jewish interest.
The assembly also administers the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards for the Conservative movement. The committee is elected by United Synagogues, the Jewish Theological Seminary and the R.A. The committee determines the Jewish legal parameters of modern issues such as stem-cell research.
Though the number of Conservative congregations has slowly declined over the years, Greenspan sees Conservative Judaism as a strong institution on Long Island and the R.A. as a way to promote it. "There was a time when Long Island was largely Conservative, though some [synagogues] are closing up," he said. "But I think it is still a powerful force. The amount of talent and devotion we have from these rabbis is tremendous."
An active member of the R.A. for many years, having served as treasurer and second vice president, Greenspan replaces Rabbi Howard Stecker of Temple Israel in Great Neck.
"I love being a rabbi," said Greenspan. "It is the greatest opportunity to do what you enjoy. I love being a part of the community at large."
The position of assembly president is not new to Greenspan, who served in the same capacity while a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania chapter. "In Eastern Pennsylvania we were small, with about 15 congregations from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. Here we're very large, and have an active congregation in every town. This chapter also meets every month."
Greenspan was born in 1954 in Far Rockaway, but grew up in Miami. He graduated from Columbia in 1975 with a degree in anthropology, and also has a degree in the Talmud from the Jewish Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1980. Before coming to OJC, he served at congregations in Harrisburg, Pa., and Knoxville, Tenn.
OJC has 600 member families and an active 200-member Hebrew school, adult education programs and a nursery school. Last year the congregation was part of the pilot "Re-Imagine" program for Hebrew schools, which re-examines those schools' educational methods in order to develop interesting and creative new ways to teach students. "We are on the cusp of exciting changes," said Greenspan. "The congregation is a roll-up-your-sleeves-get-things-done kind of congregation."
Known for his outreach in the Oceanside community, Greenspan has just completed a two-year term as president of the Oceanside Interfaith Council, and is associate chaplain of the Oceanside Fire Department as well as a certified firefighter himself.
As assembly president, he hopes to continue working to improve and strengthen the organization, and strengthen its bonds with other organizations, such as the Long Island Board of Rabbis. He would also like to work on the status of kashrut in food, promoting it more to congregations as well as safeguarding the standards.
"The perception that this is only an Orthodox domain is not true," he said. "We have a strong commitment to this. I am looking forward to the next two years. There are no grandiose plans but to bring rabbis closer and strengthen the connection between congregations."
Also inducted at the Oct. 31 ceremony were Rabbi Ian S. Jacknis, first vice president; Rabbi Scott Hoffman, second vice president; Rabbi Marvin Richardson, treasurer; Rabbi Alan Lavin, corresponding secretary; and Rabbi Howard Hoffman, recording secretary.
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