Rabbinic statement on deviation from Torah by “Orthodox” rabbis and institutions
To sign, one must be accepted as a rabbi by a recognized Orthodox authority or institution.
For several centuries, the term “Orthodox Judaism” has been synonymous with Torah observance — commitment to following the 613 Commandments and Rabbinic enactments as described in our classical sources. We, the undersigned Orthodox, observant rabbis, deplore efforts to confuse the Jewish and greater public regarding the beliefs and practices that may rightly be described as Orthodox.
Neither media outlets nor the public should be duped by messaging designed to mislead. No Orthodox rabbis have officiated at same-sex weddings, have ordained women, or have “revisited” whether the Torah was given by G-d to Moses. No Orthodox rabbi ever shall, and any reports to the contrary serve no purpose other than to misrepresent authentic Torah Judaism.
Whether or not an individual attended an Orthodox rabbinic seminary, one who spurns what the Torah requires is not an Orthodox rabbi condoning departure from Torah, but is, at most, someone who forsook Orthodoxy despite rabbinic training. Similarly, no seminary, group or institution which teaches, endorses or abides these deviations can be genuinely termed Orthodox. Such individuals and groups do not represent Orthodoxy, and cannot accurately be depicted as such.
Though tragic, leaving Orthodoxy after even advanced rabbinic study is hardly a new or particularly noteworthy phenomenon. Any such individual removes himself from the community of Orthodox Judaism for all purposes. He cannot function as an Orthodox rabbi in any context, and any such function he performs is inherently invalid.
We call upon them, like all of our brethren, to reclaim the beautiful and permanent heritage that is theirs.
Your IP Address: 13.58.39.23
Join the growing list of rabbis who have already signed:
The officers of the CJV
Rabbi Pesach Lerner, President
Far Rockaway, NY
Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld, Vice President
Queens, NY
Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer, Chairman of the Rabbinic Circle
New York, NY
Rabbi Dov Fischer, Western Regional VP
Irvine, CA
Rabbi Ze’ev Smason, Midwestern Regional VP
St. Louis, MO
Rabbi Moshe B. Parnes, Southern Regional VP
Hollywood, FL
Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Israel Regional VP
Modi’in, Israel
Rabbi Yaakov Menken, Managing Director
Baltimore, MD
And the following rabbis from the United States and around the world
Rabbi Shalom Abramczyk
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Moshe Abramowitz
Elizabeth, NJ
Rabbi David Adatto
Valley Village, CA
Rabbi Eitan Allen
Chicago, IL
Rabbi Moshe Averick
Bet Shemesh, Israel
Rabbi Yaakov Azose
Chicago, IL
Rabbi David Bassous
Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Mordechai Becher
Passaic, NJ
Rabbi Yochanan Bechhofer
Far Rockaway, NY
Rabbi Yisroel Bendelstein
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Ephraim Berger
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Yehoshua Berger
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Sam Biber
Chicago, IL
Rabbi Eli Biegeleisen
Far Rockaway, NY
Rabbi Chesky Blau
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Yaakov Bleich
Kyiv, Ukraine
Rabbi Ephraim Blumenkrantz
Far Rockaway, NY
Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky
San Diego, CA
Rabbi Asher Brander
Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Yehuda Brick
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Dov Brisman
Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Azriel Brown
Carteret, NJ
Rabbi Bruce Bublick
Passaic, NJ
Rabbi Ira Budow
Yardley, PA
Rabbi Nesanel Cadle
Yardley, PA
Rabbi Elya Caplan
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Pinchas Chatzinoff
Cedarhurst, NY
Rabbi Elie Cohen
Baltimore, NY
Rabbi Judah Cohen
Woodmere, NY
Rabbi Matisyahu Cohen
Far Rockaway, NY
Rabbi Michoel Cohen
Cleveland Heights, OH
Rabbi Mordechai Cohen
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Mordechai Cohen
Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
Rabbi Robert Cohen
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Yaakov Cohen
Toronto, Canada
Rabbi Hershel Cukier
Scranton, PA
Rabbi Baruch Cywiak
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Obadia Dabbah
Long Branch, NJ
Rabbi David Daniel
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Jochanan Davis
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Yisroel Diamond
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Yossef Dinim
New York, NY
Rabbi Mordechai Dixler
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Adam Dubin
New York, NY
Rabbi Baruch Efrati
Efrat, Israel
Rabbi Elchonon Ehrman
Givat Zeev, Israel
Rabbi Avrohom Eichenthal
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Naftoli Eisemann
Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Eliezer Eisenberg
Chicago, IL
Rabbi Rabbi David Elbaz
Hollywood, FL
Rabbi Avrohom Yehuda Elefant
Miami Beach, FL
Rabbi Mayer Elefant
Scranton, PA
Rabbi Ayson Englander
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Ephraim Epstein
Cherry Hill, NJ
Rabbi Aryeh Feigenbaum
Dallas, TX
Rabbi Emanuel Feldman
Atlanta, GA
Rabbi Ilan Daniel Feldman
Atlanta, GA
Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Abraham Florans
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Arie Folger
Vienna, Austria
Rabbi David Foster
Monsey, NY
Rabbi Yitzchok Frankel
Cedarhurst, NY
Rabbi Akiva Freilich
Glendale, WI
Rabbi Avigdor Fried
Staten Island, NY
Rabbi Yerachmiel Fried
Dallas, TX
Rabbi Alan Betsalel Friedlander
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Yaakov Gabay
Geneva, Switzerland
Rabbi Ari Galandauer
North Miami Beach, FL
Rabbi Yehuda Gelman
Far Rockaway, NY
Rabbi Jonah Gewirtz
Silver Spring, MD
Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
Monsey, NY
Rabbi Yaakov Gifter
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Beinish Ginsburg
Bet Shemesh, Israel
Rabbi Chaim Aryeh Z. Ginzberg
Cedarhurst, NY
Rabbi Chaim Glazer
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Shaul Gold
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Sander Goldberg
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Yosef Goldberg
Bayswater, NY
Rabbi Chaim Goldberger
Minneapolis, MN
Rabbi Peretz Goldstein
Borehamwood, United Kingdom
Rabbi Yitzchak Goldstein
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Yosey Goldstein
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Shlomo Grafstein
New York, NY
Rabbi Jonathan Green
Far Rockaway, NY
Rabbi Nosson Greenberg
Far Rockaway, NY
Rabbi Alan Gross
Wynnewood, PA
Rabbi Dovy Grossman
Palo Alto, CA
Rabbi Moshe Gruenstein
Surfside, FL
Rabbi Doniel Grunewald
Gateshead, United Kingdom
Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag
Manchester, United Kingdom
Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Guttentag
London, United Kingdom
Rabbi Yitzchok Gutterman
Passaic, NJ
Rabbi Pinchos Hecht
Far Rockaway, NY
Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht
Norwalk, CT
Rabbi Moshe Heyman
Denver, CO
Rabbi Avrohom Hoffman
New York, NY
Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister
Vienna, Austria
Rabbi Matisyahu Hollander
Memphis, TN
Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Homnick
North Miami Beach, FL
Rabbi Simcha Hopkovitz
Hewlett, NY
Rabbi Avrohom Horovitz
Atlanta, GA
Rabbi Hillel Horovitz
Beit Shemesh, Israel
Rabbi Jochanan Ivry
Staten Island, NY
Rabbi Gavriel Jacknin
Houston, TX
Rabbi Aaron Kagan
Lawrence, NY
Rabbi Moshe Kahan
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Moshe Kahan
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Yisroel Kahan
Monsey, NY
Rabbi Dovid Kapenstein
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Naftali Karp
Providence, RI
Rabbi Duvid Katz
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Eliezer Katz
Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Howard Katzenstein
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Moshe Kaufman
Boston, MA
Rabbi Saul Kelly
London, United Kingdom
Rabbi Shmuel Kimche
Bet Shemesh, Israel
Rabbi Jacob Klass
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein
Beitar Illit, Israel
Rabbi Shmuel Klein
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Shaya Klyne
Manchester, United Kingdom
Rabbi Zev Kogel
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Ari Kosterlitz
Southfield, MI
Rabbi Yehuda Kovacs
Clifton, NJ
Rabbi Ira Kronenberg
Passaic, NJ
Rabbi Eliezer Langer
Bet Shemesh, Israel
Rabbi Levi Langer
Pittsburgh, PA
Rabbi Daniel Lapin
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Mordechai Lebhar
Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Avi Lebowitz
San Jose, CA
Rabbi Boruch Leff
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Boruch M Leibowitz
Bet Shemesh, Israel
Rabbi Yonah Levant
Flushing, NY
Rabbi Yisroel Levi
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Peretz Chaim Levin
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi T. Mordechai Levin
Monsey, NY
Rabbi Menachem Levine
Chicago, IL
Rabbi Dovid Lewin
Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel
Rabbi Yehoshua Lewis
Highland Park, NJ
Rabbi Baruch Lichtenstein
Bala Cynwyd, PA
Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Lieberman
Edgware, United Kingdom
Rabbi Reuven Mann
Phoenix, AZ
Rabbi Eliezer Marcus
Buffalo, NY
Rabbi Daniel Mechanic
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Yaniv Meirov
Flushing, NY
Rabbi Michael Meir Melnicke
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Baruch Pesach Mendelson
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Zvi Menken
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Nisson Dov Miller
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Paltiel Joshua Mishkin
Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Yitzchak Moeller
Pomona, NY
Rabbi Yehudah Moller
New York, NY
Rabbi Dovid Mond
Silver Spring, MD
Rabbi Yerachmiel Morrison
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Yechezkel Moscovitz
Garnerville, NY
Rabbi Gidon Moskovitz
Houston, TX
Rabbi Daniel Nosenchuk
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Yaakov Novograd
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Shlomo Obstfeld
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi David Okunov
Brighton Beach, NY
Rabbi Daniel Olgin
University Heights, OH
Rabbi Yaacov Orimland
Margate, NJ
Rabbi Noach Peled
North Miami Beach, FL
Rabbi Yoel Phillip
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Menachem Pinck
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Avrom Pollak
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Yosef Pollak
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Gavriel Price
Passaic, NJ
Rabbi Yosef Rabinowich
Bala Cynwyd, PA
Rabbi Eli Rabinowitz
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Aaron Reichel
Kew Gardens, NY
Rabbi Eli Reidler
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Chaim Reiss
Boca Raton, FL
Rabbi Refael Ribacoff
Hewlett, NY
Rabbi Meir Riber
Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Yaakov Rich
Dallas, TX
Rabbi Dovid Roberts
Berlin, Germany
Rabbi Moshe Robinson
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Avraham Rogin
New York, NY
Rabbi David Rose
Edgware, United Kingdom
Rabbi Tzvi Rosen
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Yitzchok Rosenbaum
Kiryat Yearim, Israel
Rabbi Mordechai Rosenberg
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi David Rosenthal
Manalapan, NJ
Rabbi David Roth
Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Jeremy Rovinsky
Phoenix, AZ
Rabbi Arez Rozen
Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Chagie Rubin
Waterbury, CT
Rabbi Evan Rubin
Sacramento, CA
Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Rubin
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Barak Saffer
Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel
Rabbi Meir Salasnik
Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Steven Saphirstein
Flushing, NY
Rabbi Nachum Sauer
Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Daniel Sayani
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Ben-Zion Saydman
Lake Forest, CA
Rabbi Aryeh Scheinberg
San Antonio, TX
Rabbi Avi Scheiner
Clifton, NJ
Rabbi Marvin Schneider
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Ariel Schochet
Spring Valley, NY
Rabbi David Schochet
Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
Rabbi Raphael Schochet
Providence, RI
Rabbi Dov Schreier
Woodmere, NY
Rabbi Laib Schulman
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Tsvi G Schur
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Abraham Schwartz
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Chaim Schwartz
Kew Gardens, NY
Rabbi Hayim Schwartz
Flushing, NY
Rabbi Moshe Schwartz
Beit Shemesh, Israel
Rabbi Jonathan Aryeh Seidemann
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Mendel Senderovic
Milwaukee, WI
Rabbi Yerachmiel Seplowitz
Monsey, NY
Rabbi Daniel Shaliehsaboo
Great Neck, NY
Rabbi Adam Shasha
Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Jay Shoulson
Long Island City, NY
Rabbi Yaakov Shulman
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Shimon Silver
Pittsburgh, PA
Rabbi Rashi Simon
London, United Kingdom
Rabbi Berel Simpser
Deerfield Beach, FL
Rabbi Yehoshua Singer
Bethesda, MD
Rabbi Rabbi Zecharia Sionit
Dallas, TX
Rabbi Rephael Skaist
Far Rockaway, NY
Rabbi Yonah Sklare
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Ephraim Slepoy
Passaic, NJ
Rabbi Betzalel Sochaczewski
Lakewood Township, NJ
Rabbi Dovid Sochet
Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Yakov Sonnenschein
University Heights, OH
Rabbi Shmuel Spero
Toronto, Canada
Rabbi Yaakov Spivak
Monsey, NY
Rabbi Mordechai Stareshefsky
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Yisroel Stein
Norfolk, VA
Rabbi Glenn Stelzer
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Reuven Stepsky
Edgware, United Kingdom
Rabbi Elchanan Stern
Cleveland Heights, OH
Rabbi Eli Stern
Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Menachem Stern
Fort Belvoir, VA
Rabbi Moshe Stern
Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel
Rabbi Yonah Stern
Inwood, NY
Rabbi Gil Student
Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Yitzchok Summers
Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Shlomo Swartz
Monsey, NY
Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum
Woodmere, NY
Rabbi Aaron Tendler
Pikesville, MD
Rabbi Hillel Tendler
Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Menachem Tendler
Saint Louis, MO
Rabbi Brian Thau
Bet Shemesh, Israel
Rabbi Dovid Tugendhaft
London, United Kingdom
Rabbi Benzion Twerski
Milwaukee, WI
Rabbi Michel Twerski
Milwaukee, WI
Rabbi Avrohom Union
Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Martin Van Den Bergh
Beit Shemesh, Israel
Rabbi Mark Weiner
Chicago, IL
Rabbi Moshe Zev Weisberg
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Chesky Weiss
Bala Cynwyd, PA
Rabbi Shimon Weiss
Pittsburgh, PA
Rabbi Ben Weitz
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Yehuda Wiener
Pomona, NY
Rabbi Avraham Wineberg
West Bloomfield, MI
Rabbi Moshe Wischogrodski
Far Rockaway, NY
Rabbi Isaac Yagod
Bethlehem, PA
Rabbi Shimon Zehnwirth
Buffalo Grove, IL
Rabbi Moshe Zeines
Lakewood, NJ
Rabbi Aharon Zerbib
London, United Kingdom
Rabbi Eliyahu Zukierman
Brooklyn, NY