Rabbi Jacks leaves Toorak shul
MELBOURNE Hebrew Congregation (MHC) and Rabbi Avrohom Jacks, its chief minister, have gone their separate ways, a little more than three years into the rabbi’s five-year contract.
MELBOURNE Hebrew Congregation (MHC) and Rabbi Avrohom Jacks, its chief minister, have gone their separate ways, a little more than three years into the rabbi’s five-year contract.
In a brief statement to congregants on December 24, MHC president Dr Victor Wayne announced that Rabbi Jacks had advised the shul he was leaving but the statement gave no reasons for his departure. Contacted by The AJN, the MHC president said the rabbi’s exit “was a mutually suitable solution”.
Responding to speculation about tensions between Rabbi Jacks and longstanding MHC rabbi Dovid Rubinfeld, Wayne said: “You can draw your own conclusions.”
Rabbi Jacks confirmed to The AJN that he was bound by a confidentiality agreement relating to his decision to leave Melbourne’s flagship synagogue, which was established in 1847 and currently has a membership of some 1300. However, he said that MHC and he “have parted ways by mutual agreement”.
“The Melbourne Jewish community is an extraordinary community, and our intentions are to stay. I have potential avenues which I am pursuing at the moment, consistent with my practice of offering the inspirational, meaningful and fulfilling,” he said.
Belgian-born Rabbi Rubinfeld, who has been with MHC since arriving in Australia in 1989, was chief minister from 2002 until the appointment of Rabbi Jacks to that role in 2011, and is a rabbi and cantor at the shul.
In his 2012-13 annual report to the MHC board, Wayne pointedly stated: “As in any such organisation, both rabbonim have their supporters and proponents, as well as their critics. Each plays a role, but frankly it is a problematic situation when an ‘ex-CEO’ remains in place, which has the potential to undermine the activity and morale of the new CEO, while at the same time the ex-CEO remains popular with many members who may specifically continue to nominate him for their simchot.”
However, Rabbi Rubinfeld told The AJN this week: “There was no animosity, friction or anger between us. He had some fans, I had some fans. Whatever he now does, I wish him good luck, hatzlachah.”
Rabbi Jacks was born in South Africa, studying in Israel and Canada. He was a pulpit rabbi for almost 12 years in Montreal when he was recruited by MHC, arriving with his wife and five children to take up his post of assistant rabbi in September 2010. A sixth child was born in Australia.
He was promoted to chief minister of MHC in April 2011, a position he held almost to the end of last year.
PETER KOHN
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