On the first day Rabbi Nicky Liss started as the inaugural director of the Centre for Rabbinic Excellence, he telephoned Jacqueline Feldman, Senior Rebbetzin of Bushey Synagogue.

He had been tasked with a mission to “attract, retain and develop outstanding leaders” - which meant not just rabbis, but rebbetzins too.

He told her: “We’re here for you. What can we do to support you?”

Two years on, Rebbetzin Feldman now chairs the new Rebbetzins’ Representatives of the United Synagogue and earlier this year, she and her colleagues held the first rebbetzins-only conference, which took place in Brighton.

Rebbetzin Jacqueline Feldman chairs the new Rebbetzins’ Representatives of the United Synagogue (Photo: United Synagogue)

For the US, nurturing models of women’s leadership has been a key priority over the past decade - and the role of a rebbetzin is recognised in that most US communities appoint a rabbinic couple nowadays, rather than simply a rabbi.

While over the years, various training schemes have come and gone to enhance the professionalism of US rabbis, the inclusion of rebbetzins in the CRE’s programme reflects the importance attached to their work for the community.

Some may have careers elsewhere, combining that with a few hours’ weekly service to the synagogue, others may work full-time on pastoral care, education or in other areas in the synagogue. “There is an enormous range of styles across communities,” said Jo Grose, who became the US’s first female chief executive last year.

But the idea that the rabbinate involves a team at the top rather than a solo pilot in the pulpit has taken root.

United Synagogue rebbetzins at their first conference in Brighton (Photo: United Synagogue)

When Grose assumed office, the US was in the throes of a rabbinic exodus, with a number of experienced ministers leaving for other ventures.

“If the impression [was that] we were teetering on a crisis, that is definitely over,” she said.

While eight may have left, eleven have joined. The US believes investment in professional recruitment and support is paying dividends.

The Centre for Rabbinic Excellence, which was launched by the Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis a couple of years ago, has strengthened links with rabbinic academies in Israel and the USA, from where new talent may emerge. Its rabbinic intern programme, bringing couples over to serve in communities during the peak High Holy Days, has proved successful as a pipeline.

Rabbi Liss said: “We know there was a global phenomenon post-Covid of ‘the great resignation’ - things had stagnated for a few years before. We have got a lot of talented people who have given a lot to the rabbinate over time and some of them want to pursue other avenues.

“The good news is that most, if not all, of those pulpits have now been filled, and from the trips we’ve done and the interviews we’ve been doing, people are interested in joining.”

In France for a conference recently, Rabbi Liss was approached by a European-based rabbi who was keen on crossing the Channel for a job.

Rabbi Nicky Liss, the inaugural director of the Centre for Rabbinic Excellence (Photo: United Synagogue)

An onboarding programme for new rabbinic couples introduces them to the US before they start at their new synagogue, followed by a year induction programme. There, they get to meet other new rabbinic arrivals, which “becomes a nice cohort that can work together and share challenges and ideas and be creative together”, he said. A mentoring scheme is also due to be rolled out by the CRE.

And after they have come through their induction, there are regular training days and professional enhancement, including group supervision, which includes a meeting with a psychotherapist every few weeks to share challenges.

The idea for that originated in a master’s dissertation on rabbinic burnout written by one US rabbi, Barry Lerer of Central Synagogue.

From the group sessions, “we are able to learn about some of the themes that come through and that helps us to better support the rabbis”, Grose said. “It is invaluable as ongoing feedback.”

United Synagogue's CEO Jo Grose has been putting structures in place to give rabbis and rebbetzins more support (Photo: United Synagogue)

Among outside speakers brought in has been firefighter Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, who has talked about coping with stress.

One recent training day was on suicide awareness - rabbinic couples will be called on to help congregants in time of tragedy and that, Grose said, entails “not just the time of the incident but the support they give the family for weeks after”.

Another session was about “vicarious trauma” – the psychological impact of dealing with people in distress. “Particularly post-October 7,” Rabbi Liss noted, “not only were we reeling in our own pain, but we had to carry our community members and our communities, so the toll on rabbis and rebbetzins over the last eight months has been enormous.”

The CRE aims to develop rabbis and rebbetzins throughout their career. To that end, one of the objectives of an annual review meeting is to set new goals.

“The CRE will help find a course for the rabbi and rebbetzin to go on, whether it is counselling, or public speaking, or help preparing shivah,” Rabbi Liss said.

Another objective is to plan with their local community a project to achieve for the year ahead.