Small Congregations Eligible to be Served by Small Congregation Clergy Collaborative

To continue to meet the needs for clergy presence within our smaller congregations, the URJ, CCAR, and ACC, in consultation with HUC-JIR, have created the Small Congregation Clergy Collaborative. This joint effort has brought together ordained rabbis and cantors to ensure that congregations of 100 or fewer households will continue to be served by part-time, limited-service clergy. The rabbis and cantors who have joined the collaborative are excited to make themselves available to these congregations without increasing expenses for congregations that have previously been served by HUC-JIR students, or those that lack the resources for full-time clergy coverage.

For decades a lot of our smaller congregations have been served by student rabbis and cantors from Hebrew Union College's campuses in Cincinnati, New York, and Los Angeles. These relationships mutually benefited the congregations and the students; the students honed their skills in the pulpit, and congregations' Shabbat and holiday celebrations were enhanced by the students' enthusiastic presence. Many rabbis and cantors maintain warm relationships with the communities that nurtured them during their education. With the addition of the HUC low-residency rabbinic program and an upward trend in students enrolled overall, many of our congregations are still served by the students. However, we still have a handful of smaller congregations that are seeking limited-service ordained clergy to assist them in building their Jewish life that cannot be matched with students. The Small Congregation Clergy Collaborative is designed to assist these congregational needs

To join the Small Congregation Clergy Collaborative, congregations with 100 or fewer households and clergy interested in providing very part-time service to these congregations, can express their interest to the CCAR by contacting Rabbi Alan Berlin, the director of Congregational Search Services. Congregations are then given access to the clergy that have shared their materials for consideration. This process is different than conventional placement, offering the synagogue the opportunity to reach out to clergy on their own timeline and appreciating the more limited time they may have for the process. The matching process is streamlined to allow interested congregations and clergy to freely choose with whom they would like to cultivate a relationship for the year without engaging in a full-scale search.

There are several options for clergy and congregational leaders to meet your unique needs. Some congregations choose to engage clergy for High Holidays and monthly Shabbat visits, some focus exclusively on High Holidays, and others request a few Shabbat visits throughout the year. These visits may also include teaching opportunities and life cycle events. Some clergy might also be able to teach remotely and also provide some pastoral support. The timing and frequency of visits will be mutually determined by the congregation and the clergy member. Congregations are not required to offer a set number of opportunities for clergy visits.

Following its official launch in 2023, 15 congregations throughout North America have been served by rabbis and cantors through the Small Congregation Clergy Collaborative. If you want to learn more, please join us for an informational meeting on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. ET. You can register for the meeting now. 

You can also reach out to Emma Osborn or Rabbi Matt Reimer at the URJ or Rabbi Alan Berlin and Rabbi Leora Kaye at the CCAR with questions about participating in the Small Congregation Clergy Collaborative placement process. Cantors with questions about participating are welcome to reach out to Cantor Mary Thomas at the ACC.