rabbinic transitions

[cellio]

An observation from perhaps too little data (so further data welcome): if a rabbi leaves his congregation and is seeking other employment, then it seems that one of the following things is true: (1) his next job is not with a congregation; (2) he's helping to found a new congregation; (3) he's leaving town. It appears that trying to move to another established congregation in the same city is awkward in several ways and thus rarely done.

Just something for someone thinking about the rabbinate to keep in mind: congregational life implies nomadic life.

Comments

Re: Similar to Christians

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

The Methodist pattern is as you describe. A minister will have a couple of assistant pastor positions, in increasingly large/difficult places, then senior pastor. He might stay at one church for 10-20 years, and if he's quite good, he might become District Superintendent or Bishop eventually. Many seem to settle in to one charge (church) for life or nearly so once they achieve senior pastor.