Affirmed by the MBR Membership January 2018
I. Criteria for Membership
The Massachusetts Board of Rabbis welcomes any rabbi/rabba/maharat to apply for membership who meet the following criteria:
- They have been ordained in a program of rabbinic study of no less than three years which involves in-person supervision and study; and
- They are a member in good standing of a recognized rabbinic association that has an ethics committee and a process for adjudicating ethics violations.
The MBR recognizes that on rare occasions, exceptional cases to the above criteria may exist. In such cases, the MBR Executive Board reserves the right to request additional information about the candidate’s qualifying criteria, and the Executive Board will consider the application for membership on an ad hoc basis.
II. Application for Membership, Membership Renewal, and Suspension
In accordance with the criteria for membership, rabbis seeking membership in the MBR will submit their application to the MBR Executive Board along with the appropriate dues.
All members in good standing can renew their membership by submitting dues for the new year.
If an MBR member is suspended or expelled for an ethical violation from their primary rabbinical association, the member will be suspended automatically from MBR membership.
III. Responsibilities and Privileges of Membership
MBR members are required to pay $115 annual dues (dues rates are adjusted to $36 for retired rabbis). Financial hardship shall not be a barrier to membership, and all members are encouraged to contact the Treasurer to make alternative arrangements if the stated dues rate is prohibitive.
A primary benefit of MBR membership is becoming part of a community of rabbis that gathers regularly for collegial learning and exploration of relevant issues, as well as being part of a larger rabbinic voice in the Greater Boston Jewish community.
MBR members receive regular notices of MBR meetings and events, as well as notification of significant events in the lives of other members. Members in good standing can vote on policies and public policy statements and in MBR leadership elections.
Members are eligible to join any of the committees of the MBR or to be nominated to the Executive Board. MBR members will be listed in the MBR directory and will have access to the members-only section of the MBR website (massrabbis.org).
MBR members are encouraged to attend meetings of the MBR and to vote on policies and leadership decisions as those votes arise. Prospective members are welcome to attend most MBR events.
To become a new member online, complete this online form.
Massachusetts Board of Rabbis
160 Herrick Road
Newton Centre, MA 02459