RA Ethical Guidelines
The Rabbinical Assembly takes its members’ obligation to hold to the highest ethical standards very seriously. To that end, the RA has established a Code of Conduct and Procedures for its Ethics Committee (Va'ad HaKavod).
The Va'ad HaKavod is responsible for upholding the RA’s established standards and ensuring that RA members comply with the Code of Professional Conduct, thus safeguarding the individuals and communities that members serve. It is an internal body of the RA and addresses complaints of misconduct regarding RA members.
Questions and Inquiries
If you have an ethical concern about a member of the Rabbinical Assembly, or a question about the Code of Conduct, we encourage you to email the Va’ad HaKavod. Messages are viewed by the RA Professional Ethics Staff and Va’ad HaKavod Co-chairs. If you prefer, you can email the Rebecca Chagall, the RA Ethics Coordinator directly. Rebecca Chagall is a member of the professional staff of the Rabbinical Assembly and is not a rabbi nor a member of the Rabbinical Assembly.
To submit a complaint please use this English form or this Hebrew form. Complaints are forwarded to the Va’ad HaKavod and viewed by both RA Professional Ethics Staff and Va’ad HaKavod Co-chairs.
Code of Conduct The current RA Code of Conduct can be read in English, Hebrew or Spanish.
Complaints of misconduct prior to March 1, 2025 were reviewed by the VHK using the previous code of conduct which can also be viewed in English, Hebrew, or Spanish.
Va’ad HaKavod Procedures
To view the current Va’ad HaKavod Procedures, click here. A graphic flowchart of the Complaint Review Process can be found here.
Committee
A list of the members of the Va’ad HaKavod can be found here.
Revision Process: The Rabbinical Assembly is currently engaged in a process of updating our Code and procedures. For more information about that process, click here.
Information regarding Rabbis who have been suspended or expelled due to violations of the Rabbinical Assembly Code of Conduct can be found in two categories:
Ethics Violations. This is a broad category, since Jewish ethics deal with many types of behavior. These are embodied in our Code of Conduct, and include, but are not limited to, financial malfeasance, addiction, violation of confidentiality, abuses of rabbinic power, and sexual boundary violations. The list of expelled and suspended rabbis in this category can be found here.
Violations of Membership Responsibilities. The Code of Conduct requires Rabbinical Assembly members to fulfill the administrative policies and the halakhic (Jewish law) standards established by the Assembly. Administrative policies include following the required procedures of placement. The halakhic Standards of Religious Practice, enacted by our member Rabbis, obligate an RA member to follow halakhic practices regarding conversion to Judaism; requiring a get (Jewish divorce) in order to officiate at the wedding of someone previously married; and prohibiting officiating at a wedding between a Jew and a non-Jew. The list of expelled and suspended rabbis in this category can be found here.