Rabbinical Council of Victoria
The Rabbinical Council of Victoria is a body representing the state's Orthodox rabbis established in 1967.[1] Their main focus is "to foster positive relations with leaders of other communities and to enhance community participation among members of the Jewish community." They also have an oversight role over the Melbourne Beth Din.
They have made statements that has courted controversy in the community and has led to a diminishing of their standing. These statements include trying to gain exclusive rights to the word kosher[2], opposing same sex marriage[3], and the Open Orthodox movement. The Australian marriage equality survey created a split in the organisation after a group of rabbis distanced themselves from a statement directing Jews to vote No.[4]
They were also criticised for their slow response to the child sex abuse that occurred in a number of their institutions[5]. They eventually did respond, and a number of their members were forced to resign over their implication in the scandal after it was brought to light in the royal commission into institutional sex abuse.[6]
Notable members
- Chaim Gutnick - founder of the council, and president until his death in 2003[7]
- Meir Shlomo Kluwgant - former president
- Yitzchok Dovid Groner
- Mordechai Gutnick
- James Kennard
- Sholem Gutnick
- Josef Gutnick
References
- ^ "rcvic". rcvic. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
- ^ Gottlieb, Rabbi Yaron (2010-05-27). "Copyrighting kosher a sectarian minefield". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
- ^ "Same-sex marriage statement rocks rabbinate - The Australian Jewish News". The Australian Jewish News. 2017-09-14. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
- ^ Karp, Paul (2017-09-15). "Same-sex marriage: many synagogues reject rabbinical council's 'no'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
- ^ Kleinman, Rachel; Lee, Jane (2015-02-21). "Jewish community failed over abuse". The Age. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
- ^ Mannix, Liam (2015-02-17). "Sex abuse inquiry leads to call for rabbis implicated in testimony to resign". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 2017-12-26.
- ^ "rcvic". rcvic. Retrieved 2018-01-03.