While Georgetown’s Rabbi Harold White officially retired from his full-time position at the University at the end of last spring semester, the process of finding his replacement is just getting started.
On Wednesday, Andrew Levine (COL ’11) and Merav Levkowitz (SFS ’11) held an open house at the Jewish Community house on 36th Street and invited students to come and share their opinions on the ongoing search for White’s replacement.
Rabbi White led GU’s Jewish community for 41 years before his recent retirement.
White was the first rabbi ever to be appointed to a full-time ministry position in a Catholic university and he served as the Senior Jewish Chaplain for 41 years. White performed a difficult job with enormous skill, Levine said, and made important contributions to interfaith dialogue on campus by making himself available to students.
“The new rabbi is going to have a lot of work to do to live up to his legacy,” Levine said.
White also played an integral role in the establishment of the Program for Jewish Civilization, which was founded in 2003.
Levine and Levkowitz are the two student members of the University search committee that will eventually choose the new rabbi. The group will meet for the first time in early November, Levine said.
“The search committee … [is focused on] listening to the student point of view,” said Levine, who was nominated to the committee by the Jewish Student Association. “They’re doing an excellent job in that capacity.”
While student input is important, the hiring of a new rabbi is a decision that will eventually come from the higher levels of the administration.
“It’s a major hiring decision, and it’s being treated like one,” said Levine.
Levine estimates Georgetown’s Jewish population at somewhere between eight and 12 percent of the student body. According to Levine, Jewish students at the University come from many different Jewish religious traditions and have a wide variety of opinions on what type of rabbi they would be comfortable having at Georgetown.
Roughly 10 students came to Wednesday’s open house to offer their thoughts about the selection process. One of those was Lili Bayer (SFS ’13), who also currently serves on the board of the JSA.
“The number one thing I’m looking for is a rabbi who can relate to students and work well with students,” Bayer said.
At the end of last year, students were allowed to interview the candidates for the position of interim rabbi, which was ultimately given to Rabbi Bruce Aft.
“I think it’s a really wise decision on the administration’s part, on Campus Ministry’s part more specifically, to involve the students,” Bayer said. “We’re really glad our voices are being heard.”
Asked about how Jewish students find a niche at a nominally Catholic and predominantly Christian university, Levine emphasized the importance of the full-time rabbi.
“I wouldn’t say that [having a full-time rabbi] is everything, but it’s almost everything,” Levine said.
