Rabbinical Assembly

What Rabbinical Assembly does

The Rabbinical Assembly (RA) is a non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1901 that serves as the global professional association for Conservative/Masorti rabbis. The organization provides rabbinic placement services, halakhic guidance through its Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS), ethical standards enforcement via its Code of Conduct and Va'ad HaKavod Committee, social justice coordination, and authoritative liturgical publications. It serves Conservative/Masorti rabbis (primary, individual members) and affiliated synagogues and congregations (secondary, institutional users) primarily in the United States, with reach into global Masorti communities.

The RA's core products are its Lev Shalem series of liturgical publications: Siddur Lev Shalem (2016) for Shabbat and festivals, Mahzor Lev Shalem (2010) for the High Holidays, and Pirkei Avot: The Wisdom of Our Sages (2018), alongside supplementary texts such as The Observant Life and Siddur Tishah B'Av. Digital products include the Teshuvot Database (a searchable CJLS responsa archive) and the Gittin Database (for Jewish divorce documentation managed by Mesaddrei Gittin). These assets are distributed through the RA Bookstore (rabookstore.org) and the main website. The organization does not operate proprietary technology platforms; its digital footprint is conventional web delivery of scholarly and religious content. In January 2024, the RA issued its Standards Working Group Report addressing the role and impact of RA standards, with particular focus on intermarriage and interfaith couples.

The business model combines recurring membership dues from ordained rabbis, one-time publication sales through the RA Bookstore, and charitable donations (a "Donate" option is prominently featured). Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed; book pricing is itemized (e.g., The Observant Life at $36.00). The RA also offers a Community Health Insurance Program to congregations, with stated savings of up to 42%. The organization is led by elected officers including Vice President Rabbi Gerald C. Skolnik, with no parent organization, and maintains core partnerships with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) and the Jewish Theological Seminary. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Rabbinical Assembly

Legal name

The Rabbinical Assembly

Website

https://rabbinicalassembly.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Rabbinical Assembly, founded in 1901, is the global professional membership organization for Conservative/Masorti rabbis, providing halakhic guidance, rabbinic placement, ethical oversight, and authoritative liturgical publications to its rabbi members and affiliated synagogues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Professional Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Jewish Theological Seminaries & Rabbinical Colleges (EDAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Rabbinic membership organization
• Conservative judaism resources
• Jewish law guidance
• Liturgical prayer publications
• Halakhic teshuvot database

Headquarters

HQ city

West New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Rabbinical Assembly membership is acquired through an application process where prospective members agree to abide by administrative directives, placement policies, standards, and Code of Conduct. Members receive access to resources, placement services, and professional support.
2. Bookstore Sales: The organization operates a bookstore (rabookstore.org) selling religious publications including Siddurim, Machzorim, and educational materials. Example: The Observant Life is priced at $36.00.
3. Donations: The website prominently features a 'Donate' option, indicating charitable contributions are part of the revenue model supporting the organization's operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Rabbinical Assembly is the international professional membership association for Conservative/Masorti rabbis, founded in 1901. It provides rabbinic placement services, halakhic (Jewish law) guidance through the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS), ethical standards enforcement, and produces authoritative liturgical publications such as Siddur Lev Shalem, Mahzor Lev Shalem, and Pirkei Avot. The organization also operates an online bookstore (rabookstore.org) selling religious publications to individuals and congregations.

Product overview

The Rabbinical Assembly is a religious organization serving the Conservative/Masorti movement. Its core products are liturgical publications centered around the Lev Shalem series: Siddur Lev Shalem (2016) for Shabbat and festivals, Mahzor Lev Shalem (2010) for High Holidays, and Pirkei Avot (2018). Supporting publications include The Observant Life and Siddur Tishah B'Av. The RA also maintains digital resources including the Teshuvot Database and Gittin Database for halakhic queries, distributed through the RAbookstore.org e-commerce platform and as downloadable PDFs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Siddur Lev Shalem for Shabbat & Festivals

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe RA and USCJ frequently collaborate on statements and initiatives, including joint statements on Iran attacks and celebrations of hostage returns. USCJ represents the congregational arm of Conservative Judaism while RA represents the rabbinic professional association.
• Jewish Theological SeminarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Jewish Theological Seminary is referenced as a place of ordination for RA rabbis. As the academic institution training Conservative rabbis, it is a key partner in the Conservative/Masorti movement ecosystem.
• Hadassah (along with 27 other organizations)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe RA participated in a coalition led by Hadassah calling on Congress to prioritize funding for women's health research during National Women's Health Week, demonstrating inter-organizational advocacy collaboration.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Hadassah: Hadassah is a major Jewish women's organization that has co-led coalition advocacy with RA (e.g., on women's health research). It is comparable as a large Jewish membership non-profit, though its mission, membership, and programming differ substantively from RA's rabbinic focus.

Direct peers

• Rabbinical Council of America: The RCA is the professional rabbinic association for Modern Orthodox rabbis, structurally identical to RA in mission (member services, ethical standards, placement) but for the Orthodox movement. It is the most direct comparative reference point for member services, conventions, and rabbinic placement.
• United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism: USCJ is the congregational arm of Conservative Judaism and RA's primary strategic partner. While USCJ serves synagogues and RA serves rabbis, the two organizations share members, governance overlap, and joint programming, making them functionally a paired leadership pair.
• Central Conference of American Rabbis: The CCAR is the professional rabbinic association for Reform Judaism, the closest direct peer to the Rabbinical Assembly. Like RA, it provides ethical standards, placement, publications, and teshuvot/responsa for its movement, serving as the analogous professional body in a neighboring denomination.
• Cantors Assembly: The Cantors Assembly is the professional association for Conservative/Masorti cantors, affiliated with the same movement as RA. It provides nearly identical professional services (placement, ethics, publications) to a parallel clergy cohort within the same congregational ecosystem.
• Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association: The RRA serves Reconstructionist rabbis and, like RA, combines professional association functions with movement governance and publishing. Its smaller scale and overlapping halakhic/pluralistic positioning make it a closely comparable peer for professional services delivery.

Regional players

• World Council of Conservative/Masorti Synagogues (Masorti Olami): Masorti Olami coordinates Conservative/Masorti congregations outside North America, particularly in Israel, Europe, and Latin America. It is comparable to RA as a movement-wide umbrella but focuses on international congregational development rather than North American rabbinic professional services.

Emerging players

• American Jewish Committee: AJC is a broad Jewish advocacy and community organization that collaborates with RA on policy statements and resolutions. While not a professional rabbinic body, its scale and policy infrastructure make it a comparable Jewish communal organization in adjacent advocacy space.

Broad incumbents

• Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion: HUC-JIR is the academic and rabbinic training institution for Reform Judaism and a parallel to JTS for the Reform movement. It is comparable in function (ordaining rabbis, scholarly publishing) and indirectly comparable to RA via the CCAR ecosystem.
• Jewish Theological Seminary of America: JTS is the academic and ordination engine that feeds RA's membership pipeline. While JTS is an educational institution rather than a membership body, its role in training Conservative rabbis makes it the most important institutional counterpart and partner for RA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RabbinicalAssembly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rabbinical-assembly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Rabbinical Assembly