About The NYBR
The New York Board of Rabbis, for over 140 years, has importantly impacted Jewish life in New York, educated rabbis and the public, and responded to the changing needs of Jewish communities. We are a private, non-profit organization with more than 750 members, which makes The NYBR the largest rabbinic inter-denominational body in the world.
We provide opportunities for rabbis of different denominations to come together for study, comradery, professional development and ongoing education. We offer vital support and mentoring, which help ensure that the Jewish community is provided the highest level of rabbinic commitment. We also work with other faith communities to promote increased understanding and pursue avenues of common cooperation.
The NYBR is concerned about the welfare of the entire community, both Jewish and non-Jewish. We believe it is imperative to be a moral voice regarding global concerns of our world. We are proud that The New York Board of Rabbis serves as a bridge of strength and promise between individual rabbis, the greater Jewish community and other faith constituencies. We know that we are stronger when we stand together.
Our Mission
The New York Board of Rabbis, established in 1881, serves as the primary forum for rabbis serving congregations, organizations, chaplaincies, communal service agencies, and schools. The Board seeks to enhance and expand the role of the Rabbinate for the betterment of the Jewish people and the world at large by providing its members with a spiritual environment and opportunities to grow professionally, promoting Klal Yisrael, and building bridges across denominations and with other faiths.
The New York Board of Rabbis strives to:
- Work for the communal good of the Jewish people.
- Provide opportunities for rabbis of different denominations to come together for Torah study, professional development, and comprehensive ongoing education for personal and professional growth.
- Offer caring professional and personal support and mentoring.
- Advocate for its members’ professional needs and interests, both locally and nationally.
- Work to insure that the Jewish community is provided the highest level of professional pastoral care, counseling, and chaplaincy in the following areas: healthcare, behavioral health, long-term care, correctional, and other communal service settings.
- Strengthen its role as a respected rabbinic voice that advocates and mobilizes support on behalf of Israel and the Jewish community everywhere – locally, nationally, and internationally.
- Work with other faith communities to promote increased understanding of one another and pursue avenues of common concern.
- Attract new members of all denominations including newly ordained rabbis and rabbinic students in the year prior to ordination.
- Work with rabbis individually to strengthen their position within a congregation or organization.
