How to find a rabbi?

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amother

Brown

Mon, Oct 08 2018, 5:19 am

The rabbi we turned to for almost two decades is hard to reach, and we are going through something where we need to be able to ask questions at least every other week. Our community rabbi is great for asking halachic questions but not for general family guidance questions. In short we are looking for a new rav, but don't know how to find one.

We live in Israel, but would be willing to call someone on the phone to ask questions to.

Our hashkafa is chardal-sefardi, but the main thing is to find a rav who is available and has openings for new "talmidim".

Any ideas?

amother

Maroon

Mon, Oct 08 2018, 6:19 am

No advice just wanted to emphasize that it is hard. I am in Israel too, once was invited to a rabbis house for Shabbat lunch, thought he seemed nice and competent so I asked for his number and called him, asked him if I could ask him a question and he said sure, started describing the situation and he told me that it's more of a job for a family counselor or therapist than a rabbi. I don't blame him, but it was a disappointing answer. No one in my family had major issues that needed counseling, I was just hoping I could get advice for a family issue which was centered around Judaism (a non Jewish counselor wouldn't have understood). It would have been nice to have found someone to answer that sort of question, but I never did.

I don't have a rabbi to ask personal questions to. I have another rabbi who I asked a straight up halachic question to once when it was complicated and I couldn't find the answer online.

Best luck to you.

amother

Maroon

Mon, Oct 08 2018, 6:22 am

If you have a straight halachic question like "I accidentally cooked meat in my dairy microwave, what do I do?", it is very easy to find a rabbi to answer.

But for questions like "such and such practice which is causing some Shalom Bayit issues, what should we do?" it is a lot harder to find a rabbi who wants to delve into that.

amother

Brown

Mon, Oct 08 2018, 2:50 pm

Thanks for the validation. That's exactly the type of issue we need help with.

amother

Brown

Tue, Oct 09 2018, 3:10 am

No one?

naturalmom5

Tue, Oct 09 2018, 3:36 am

Are you Moroccan or Syrian... I know someone who has lots of life experience and very very wise, but he only speaks to Moroccans or Askenazim

amother

Brown

Tue, Oct 09 2018, 5:09 am

Will PM you

amother

Chartreuse

Tue, Oct 09 2018, 5:28 am

Keep looking its a great thing. My husband does not think its important and we all lose out. Meanwhile for small kids things if you have kids, use Eitza

rakcna

Tue, Oct 09 2018, 6:30 am

Depends on for what. Where are you located? And what kind of questions? My husband was a Talmud of yechaveh daat until he had to return to America. There are some great people affiliated.

If you have specific types of questions, I can try to get you more names, but have you spoken to Hacham Gideon ben Moshe?

amother

Maroon

Tue, Oct 09 2018, 9:50 am

I had a friend -- young single woman, Morrocan, Israeli, dati leumi/torani -- and she had a rabbi who would give her dating advice, and when she moved out of her parents house they discussed where she should move to, and they'd discuss what kind of career would be right for her.

I'm so jealous! Where does one find a rabbi like that? Is it possible if you are modern orthodox (not torani) and Ashkenazi? Do you just have to get lucky? I don't know the details, so maybe this rabbi happened to be her dad's best friend since childhood and that's why she has such a close relationship with him, and it wouldn't be like that for his other shul members -- I have no idea.

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