By Zach Mann
In the middle third of the 20th century, most congregational rabbis received some sort of academic training from the seminary where they studied, and some of them also received graduate degrees at American universities. Even as they led congregations, many of these men maintained connections with institutions of higher education. Some taught on a part-time basis at colleges or universities near their synagogues or were invited to do so at the seminary from which they had graduated; others published books and scholarly articles. Few if any of these pulpit scholars remain household names, but they made solid contributions to American Judaism, on the local level and beyond. Among the most important of them was Jacob B. Agus.
The Decline of the Rabbi-Intellectual
On March 21, The Daily Beast released its list of the top 50 rabbis in America. The overwhelming majority of the honorees earned this accolade by creating innovative organizations, engaging in social action, or successfully building spiritually fulfilling communities. Only a very few had risen to prominence through intellectual or scholarly achievement, though many are learned, some are published authors, and others are pioneers in the field of Jewish education. This is not surprising. Today’s American rabbi must preside over religious services, attend committee meetings, balance budgets, officiate at all sorts of life cycle events, and participate in social action, and consequently has time for little else. But was this always the case?
