Rabbi Paskind’s Column November – December 2026 Bulletin

A Convention for Rabbis

Every profession has its professional organization. Doctors have the American Medical Association,
teachers have the National Education Association, lawyers the Bar Association, Synagogue Executive Directors the National Association of Temple Administrators. And Conservative rabbis have the Rabbinical Assembly.

Membership in professional organizations, as you know, offers a sense of belonging and kinship with
one’s colleagues. Very often, the organization serves to professionalize the profession itself,
setting standards for all sorts of things, including ethical standards of practice and behavior for
members.

The Rabbinical Assembly represents 1600 Conservative/Masorti Rabbis around the world. We work in
all sorts of rabbinic roles–congregational rabbis, school directors and rabbis and teachers, camp
directors, hospital and military chaplains, Hillel rabbis, and a variety of entrepreneurial roles.

My membership in the Rabbinical Assembly has offered me professional development webinars, small groups, classes, and support groups. When the Jewish world is in crisis, this is the body that
pulls rabbis together to process, learn, and think through how to lead. It offers opportunities for
in-person gatherings for study, renewal, and deepening relationships. And all of these things are
meant to help us better serve the Jewish people.

I’ve been a proud member of the Rabbinical Assembly (RA) since my ordination in May 2010, and was glad to attend my first RA Convention as a rabbi the next month, held at the Jewish Theological
Seminary (JTS) in New York. Super convenient, since I had just been ordained there. (I say “my
first RA Convention as a rabbi” because I’m told I went to RA Conventions with my parents as a
toddler. Those all took place at the Concord Hotel!)

This month, I have the honor of serving as co-chair of the 2026 Rabbinical Assembly Convention in
Philadelphia. I was invited to take on this role in June 2025 and have been working with my
co-chair, Rabbi Andy Markowitz, and the professional staff of the RA (yes, most of them are rabbis,
too!) to create the vision and program for the special gathering. After several conventions focused
on self-care and connection, we determined it was time to offer our colleagues a variety of tools
and skills to have the difficult conversations of the day. Over the course of 4 days, my colleagues
and I will learn from experts in a variety of fields. And we will have chances to apply the skills
we learn to the specific issues of democracy, antisemitism, Israel, and–admittedly, a much more
localized issue–interfaith marriage. At present, 227 rabbis from around the world are coming, and I
believe we will experience something powerful together that we can all bring home to our
communities.

My latest Pop-Up Rabbi podcast episode (episode 8) serves as a companion piece to this article;
there I chat with 2 of my RA colleagues about planning this Convention. Have a listen! I am
grateful to our Congregation Beth El for the flexibility in my rabbinic work here to be able to
take on the co-chairpersonship of the Convention, and I look forward to bringing home new skills
and learning to share with you.

Rabbi Ita Paskind