Rabbi Eric Silver, 1986

File — Box: 5, Folder: 5

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Silve (b. 1942) was the subject of seven interviews conducted by Leslie Kelen. In the first interview, Silver talks about his family background, his father's Hasidic upbringing, the pre-World War II immigration of his parents, talks about his own childhood. The next two interviews contain information on Silver's education, his seven years of Naval service (beginning in 1963), his experiences at Hebrew Union College, the spiritual responsibility involved in the rabbinate, and what it meant to go to a reform, rather than conservative or orthodox college. The remainder of the interviews focus on Silver's experiences as a rabbi and on the congregations and people he has served. Topics covered include interfaith marriages, how rabbis are placed, conflicts between reform and conservative components of the community, the "lost generation" of children veering away from their Jewish roots, his evaluation by the board of Kol Ami, the differences between being a rabbi and being a leader, and his decision to leave the congregation Kol Ami after five years. 210 pages.

Dates

1986

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.