List of 50 most influential U.S. rabbis raises eyebrows - Haaretz

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Last update - 12:23 26/03/2007

List of 50 most influential U.S. rabbis raises eyebrows

By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent

NEW YORK, New York - The top ten places in a list of America's 50 most influential rabbis include four Orthodox rabbis, three Reform rabbis and three Conservative rabbis, but the rankings have raised eyebrows as to the criteria used for the rankings.

The list, a first-ever effort to rank U.S. rabbis by spheres of influence, was compiled by Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton, Newscorp's Gary Ginsberg and Jay Sanderson of JTN Productions.

The three used a system based on points: Are the rabbis known nationally/internationally? (20 points) Do they have a media presence? (10 points) Are they leaders within their communities? (10 points) Are they considered leaders in Judaism or within their movements? (10 points) Size of their constituency? (10 points) Do they have political/social influence? (20 points) Have they made an impact on Judaism in their career? (10 points) Have they made a "greater" impact? (10 points)

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The list, reported in this week's issue of Newsweek, does not mention weighing the rabbis' knowledge of Torah or halakha (Jewish religious law) and its sources. The argument for choosing the founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Marvin Hier, to lead the list is his association with "almost every world leader, journalist or Hollywood studio head."

Lynton, Ginsberg and Sanderson do not believe their system is scientific. However, with only three exceptions, all the rabbis asked for comment called the list objective before it was published.

The No. 2 slot on the list is held by Yehuda Krinsky, former aide to Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson and head of the Chabad movement's emissary program. Krinsky is not a practicing rabbi but Lynton and his friends justify his high ranking because he "truly built a shul on every corner and brought the Chabad movement mainstream prominence."

But a more controversial No. 4 is Yehuda Berg, founder of the Kabbalah Center in Los Angeles.

Rabbis and powerbrokers asked to comment on the list yesterday were skeptical. "How can you put Reform movement leader Rabbi Eric Yoffie, a religious figure esteemed by close to a million members of the movement, in twelfth place?" one Reform rabbi asked.

An Orthodox rabbi ridiculed a list that ranks at 44th place former Yeshiva University chancellor Norman Lamm, considered the leader of modern Orthodoxy in America and a role model for thousands of Orthodox rabbis. Orthodox Rabbi Marc Schneier, founder of two major Long Island and Manhattan congregations and a leader in Jewish-Black reconciliation, also deserves to rank higher than 33.

Top 10 rabbis
1. Marvin Hier (Orthodox)
2. Yehuda Krinsky (Lubavitch)
3. Uri D. Herscher (Reform)
4. Yehuda Berg (Orthodox)
5. Harold Kushner (Conservative)
6. David Ellenson (Reform)
7. Robert Wexler (Conservative)
8. Irwin Kula (Conservative)
9. Shmuley Boteach (Orthodox
10. M. Bruce Lustig (Reform)

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1.	what about the rest...?	13:26	\|	ravi	26/03/07

2.	Rabbis	14:07	\|	Choni Davidowitz	26/03/07

3.	top 10 minus 2	15:07	\|	peter	26/03/07

4.	Rabbis	15:17	\|	JK	26/03/07

5.	#1 - seen enough already!	15:26	\|	D Hirod	26/03/07

6.	Top 10 Rabbi`s	15:28	\|	Kirk	26/03/07

7.	I hate to tell you this	15:28	\|	margaret	26/03/07

8.	WHERE IS RABBI MARTIN COHEN	15:38	\|	Max Cohen	26/03/07

9.	Orthodox don`t represent anyone	16:01	\|	jessy	26/03/07

10.	clarification	16:06	\|	reader	26/03/07

11.	ravi you have nothing much to say	16:31	\|	dalit	26/03/07

12.	Orthodox Rabbis	17:24	\|	Sam	26/03/07

13.	the Orthodox Rabbi Races	17:25	\|	someoldyid	26/03/07

14.	If you consider Mikey Lerner and Arthur Waskow "rabbis"...	17:28	\|	MG	26/03/07

15.	Marvin Hier ?	17:36	\|	justajew	26/03/07

16.	"Most Influential" among whom? Jews?, Non-Jews?	18:10	\|	Dr. L. Brnd	26/03/07

17.	top 50	18:16	\|	mort sleuth	26/03/07

18.	Max Cohen	19:07	\|	Benlolo	26/03/07

19.	orthodoxy	19:23	\|	arnold	26/03/07

20.	Maz Cohen	19:40	\|	Benlolo	26/03/07

21.	#12 Dear Sam	20:32	\|	Reb Bahir	26/03/07

22.	#18 Dear Max	20:38	\|	Reb Bahir	26/03/07

23.	50 Most Influential	21:09	\|	Rabbi Arnold Stiebel	26/03/07

24.	#20 Dear Reb Arnold	21:24	\|	Reb Bahir	26/03/07

25.	What is next ?	21:53	\|	Frederique	26/03/07

26.	"Rabbi" Arnold Steibel, get your Smicha first...	22:57	\|	Scott	26/03/07

27.	Next year let rabbis choose the Oscar winners!	23:34	\|	Galuteus Maximus	26/03/07

28.	no broads	00:01	\|	DAVE	27/03/07

29.	to #10	00:39	\|	Marty Sandman	27/03/07

30.	SAM	00:41	\|	TOBIA	27/03/07

31.	Hillel, Yochanan ben Zakkai and Akiba ben Joseph	01:22	\|	Harry D	27/03/07

32.	What is the difference?	02:12	\|	Fatih	27/03/07

33.	chabad does not welcome all-not patrilineals	02:55	\|	jessy	27/03/07

34.	Rabbi Shmuley Boteach	03:38	\|	Gina	27/03/07

35.	G-d`s rankings	04:19	\|	RAB	27/03/07

36.	Rabbi Marvin Hier ranked #1 - definitely in agreement	04:30	\|	Smadar	27/03/07

37.	Yudl Krinsky powerful	04:41	\|	slegda	27/03/07

38.	Yudl Krinsky powerful?	04:44	\|	slegda	27/03/07

39.	Rabbis with the most	05:05	\|	Arye ben Yosef	27/03/07

40.	who cares ????	08:30	\|	david	27/03/07

41.	Offer	09:29	\|	Good offer	27/03/07

42.	Suddenly "influential" is a rabbi`s highest virtue? Why?	12:15	\|	Fortuna Benmayor	27/03/07

43.	Rabbi`s list	13:31	\|	Mike	27/03/07

44.	Mendel have idea	19:09	\|	Mendel the Mean	27/03/07

45.	And the award goes to.....	23:09	\|	Dani	27/03/07

46.	top rebbes	07:24	\|	Dima	28/03/07

47.	Most influential rabbis	13:09	\|	Shimshon Isseroff	27/11/07

48.	Most influential rabbis	13:22	\|	Shimshon Arye Issero	27/11/07

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