Wiener Zeitung, February 24, 2020
German original: https://www.wienerzeitung.at/meinung/blogs/juedisch-leben/2051751-Ein-neuer-Oberrabbiner.html
The Swiss-born Jaron Engelmayer was named new Chief Rabbi by the board of the Jewish Community Vienna – he will begin his work for Vienna’s Jewish Community in August.
The leadership of the Jewish Community Vienna (IKG) took its time. They wanted to find a Rabbi that fits the -very heterogenic- Community and not rush things. First, a search committee was formed, followed by fine-tuning the tender’s language, and finally the wait for the incoming applications. At the end it was a total of six, all highly qualified, as IKG President Oskar Deutsch emphasized. Three Rabbis were eventually invited to Vienna for a hearing, and one was unanimously recommended by the search committee to the Community’s board as their favorite candidate.
His name is Jaron Engelmayer (born 1976 in Zurich) and on Monday he first answered questions by the board’s mandataries, but also by the numerous Community members who turned up. Subsequently, Rabbi Engelmayer was unanimously named the new Chief Rabbi of the Viennese Community by the board. He currently lives and works as Rabbi in Karmiel, Israel and will move to Vienna in August.
After the withdrawal of Rabbi Arie Folger from his post as Chief Rabbi, the position has been vacant for many months. For the High Holidays during the fall, the IKG invited a guest Rabbi – and that was Rabbi Engelmayer. Apparently his Draschot have left an impression. Soon after, he was asked to travel to Austria to celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of a boy from the Viennese Community at the City Temple. When his application was received – the deadline was at the end of November – he no longer was a stranger in Vienna. But most of all, the commission was probably impressed with his diversity.
Multilingual and Diverse
Not only does Rabbi Engelmayer speak several languages (German, Yiddish, Hebrew, French, English, Italian, and Russian), but was also ordained as a Rabbi by both the Ashkenazic and the Serfardic Chief Rabbis. He has experience as a teacher, as well as a Rabbi. Before his occupation in Karmiel, he served as Rabbi for two communities in Germany; in Aachen and in Cologne. One of the reasons he left Germany was the absence of a higher Jewish school for his children (he has a total of five, from three to 15 years old). Compared to many German Jewish Communities, Vienna has a comprehensive Jewish infrastructure – among it two Jewish schools that lead to the Matura (the Austrian high school diploma). He himself went to a non-Jewish high school after attending a Jewish elementary school in Zurich. He received his rabbinical education in Israel, where he also performed his military service.
During Monday’s hearing, he emphasized that the different stages in his life have educated him to deal with diverse groups of people. Specifically, he was asked by the board’s mandataries how he plans to incorporate secular Jews and young people into Community life. Here, the Rabbi appeared as open as he appeared restrained: these are important issues to him, but first he wants to settle into the Community before determining what the specific needs of the Community members are – also, for example, by employing a “citizen parliament.” He does not want to force his ideas on the Community, but prefers to see what is needed and what can be accomplished. Asked whether he could see a strengthening of the role of women, he affirmed, but this also has to fit with the Community. Bat Mitzvah – celebrations for girls, which have been done in the Vienna City Temple for some time, could also be expanded if wanted.
Supervision of the Vienna City Temple is the chief objective of the IKG’s Chief Rabbi and is handled according to orthodox rites. This is why the search committee looked for an orthodox Rabbi. Still, Rabbi Engelmayer appears cosmopolitan and experienced in his dealings with the non-Jewish majority society, much like Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister, who has been working in Vienna for many years. Paul Chaim Eisenberg, Rabbi Engelmayer’s pre-predecessor, has shown how one can be a darling of both the Community and the non-Jewish public as he fills event halls with evenings of Jewish jokes and humor even today.
Not every Rabbi has to be able to sing well or tell jokes – but it doesn’t hurt to be a good speaker. This is exactly what the designated Chief Rabbi seems to be. With his Draschot on the occasion of the High Holidays, he engaged both observing and secular Community members as could be heard during the weeks after. Some are on a quest for spiritual leadership, others are looking for a small dose of Judaism. The strengthening of Jewish self-esteem, however, is important to Rabbi Engelmayer. For example, he likes going to kindergartens and then he is more “actor than Rabbi.” That, of course is one way to become an approachable Rabbi, a Rabbi that children are familiar with from the start, a Rabbi who is being trusted and valued by his Community. That would be an ideal scenario anyway. Time will tell if these expectations will be met.