I just completed a two part speaking engagement for one of the most exciting Modern Orthodox initiatives to appear in the past few years. It'd called Torah in Motion and its the brainchild of four bright, dedicated, energetic and devoted individuals in Toronto: Rabbi Jay and Ilana Kelman and Dr. Elliott and Leah Malamet. They describe their mission as follows:
The mission of Torah in Motion is to inspire Jewish living and learning in an open and supportive environment. Our mandate is to organize dynamic and thought-provoking programming through conferences, symposia, special speaker series, and educational seminars, in order to foster a higher level of inquiry and spiritual development. Such programming addresses critical issues of pressing relevance and concern in the Jewish community. We aim to foster a community of passionate Jews sensitively engaged with the modern world through the prism of Jewish law, values and traditions.
Over the past few years, they have put togethe a devoted core-group that has gelled into the nucleus for A Modern Orthodox resurgence in Toronto, where it is very much needed. The intellectual quality of the programs that TIM has hosted and the incredible people it has attracted should make it the envy and model for other such projects throughout the Orthodox community. It is far too rare that one encounters the ideal mixture of Yirat Shamayim, Shmirat Mitzvot and intellectual breadth and sophistication as I encountered during my visit here.
May HaQadosh Barukh Hu help them go from strength to strength. God knows we need many more TIMs in our midst.
Query: I don't know R. Jay Kelman-so I googled a few minutes-found he is son of the Rabbi emeritus of adjacent apparently conservative synagogue-the present Rabbi is a JTS grad. Of course a Maimonides guy like you would appreciate he is also a Maimonides grad. I never heard of Torah in Motion and I have heard of Jeffrey Wolff.
ReplyDeleteOf course Kelman is a famous Rabbinic name Wolfe Kelman A"H leading Conservative Rabbi and his daughter Reform Rabbi. What is Torah in Motion a Canadian Edah?
Jay Kelman is the son of a RIETS musmach, as he is also. He is a Talmid Muvhaq of Rav Herschel Schechter shlita and I can testify that he is a fine lamdan, mehanekh and Rav. TIM is a forum for the exposition and advancement of responsible Modern Orthodoxy, in the finest YU tradition.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, read my blog and you"ll se who I am.
I'm confused. From the web: "Joseph Kelman, is the founding Rabbi of Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue in Bathurst Manor, Toronto's third largest Conservative congregation. Coming from a rabbinic family reaching back eight generations, Rabbi Kelman has devoted his life and career equally to scholarship and to the mentally handicapped. His two sons, Jay and Maury are now ninth generation rabbis" and "Rabbi Kelman was married to the late Ruth Friedman for over 45 years. They had 3 children.... Rabbi Jay Kelman is both a Rabbi at the neighbouring Beth Jacob Synagogue, a
ReplyDeletend also a chartered accountant. Jay and his wife Elana...
From the Torah in motion web site "He and his wife Ilana" I assume Ilana and Elana are the same person. If the two Rabbi Jay Kelman's are the same-his father was the founding Rabbi of Toronto's 3rd largest Conservative Cong. Coincidence or am I right.
I've had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Wolff a couple of times. Wish I heard you more often.
Rabbi Kelman SR is a RIETS Musmach and a frum Jew. His distibguished rabbinical career reflects the exigencies of the rabbinate when he entered it and RIETS was forced to send rabbis to mixed seating synagogues. Enough said.
ReplyDeleteIts a sad commentary on us that we are looking for people's bona fides and examining their yichus before deciding if we agree with them or want to affiliate.
ReplyDeleteDr. Wolff: You were close to the Rav ZT"L-did the Rav ever accept Rabbis spending careers at mixed pew synagogues?
ReplyDeleteWould appreciate a post by you about the period -middle third of 20th century and what was Orthodoxy?
Were there Rabbis in good standing in the RCA who affiliated with the United Synagogue. Is the change now due to JTS producing enough of their own students for the jobs?
Dilbert: I agree with you that Yichus should be irrelevant-I was more intrigued by the identification of Rabbi Kelman by growing up 3 blocks from his present shul etc. One of the advantages of YU is the comparatively little yichus at play-other than of course knowing the Prez of YU for a long time.
ReplyDeleteshame on me for not being dan l'kav zichut. sorry.
ReplyDelete