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Columns: February 2004

What is a school rabbi? A teacher of many subjects

By Rabbi Todd Doctor

You're a school rabbi!? What exactly is a school rabbi? These are two common questions that come up when I meet new people or see old friends and, quite frankly, a difficult question to answer. Not many people know the various roles that rabbis play these days. As a matter of fact, one of the fastest growing rabbinical professions is that of school rabbi. But what exactly does that mean? Interestingly enough, when I talk to other rabbis in my position, we quickly realize that our jobs are not always that similar. In fact, most schools don't know the full impact of the role the rabbi will play until the rabbi arrives and starts interacting with the kids, family, faculty and community.

The gist of the job is teaching — teaching our heritage and culture, using them to define who we are as individuals and community. Now this, in and of itself, is a tall order, but that just begins to scratch the surface of what my job truly entails. I expected all of the teaching, leading t'filla, and creating programs to celebrate and commemorate the holidays. But I never realized how much more there is to this job.

As vital as all of the "classroom" teaching is, it is the "informal" teaching that I find to be not only the most challenging, but also the most rewarding. This informal teaching comes in many forms. Our teens today — they are no longer kids — face many different issues, some are issues that we never faced as teenagers. We must remember we live in an entirely different world, that, at times, can be a very scary and lonely place. Our teens are growing up fast, sometimes too fast. They can't always turn to their parents in their time of need, so they look for another outlet. I find that at Kehillah that other "outlet" is often the rabbi. This is an awesome position to be in, and one not to be taken lightly. I have learned so much from my students and their various perspectives on life. One of the most important of these lessons is that sometimes all a person needs is a friendly face and a shoulder to lean on – a person who will listen and validate their feelings without judgment. I would like to think, in some small way, that I, and my other colleagues, are making a difference, a Jewish difference, in our students' lives.

Another very important aspect of my job is being there for my students and their families, my "congregation," if you will, not only during school hours but after school as well. This gives me the opportunity to celebrate their simchas and to help them through the tough times we all encounter in life. It is through the spiritual counseling and mentoring aspect of my rabbinate that I feel I make the most difference. Whether it is comforting a family at a shiva call or moderating between two friends having an argument, as the school rabbi I am able to provide each teen, hopefully, a positive Jewish role model.

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