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DECEMBER 2004

Students Taking the High Road to Religion:
The Road to the Rabbinate
By Liza Young

Elie Kaunfer

Elie Kaunfer did not always have the aspiration to become a Rabbi. “As the son of a Rabbi and nephew to two out of three uncles who are Rabbis, I knew I wasn't going to be a Rabbi,” Elie reminisced.

This was of course his perspective when he was younger. After attaining his BA from Harvard in 1995, with a major in sociology and government, he embarked on different careers that included journalist and corporate fraud investigator at an investment bank. These past endeavors have become part of his repertoire of skills, which will be useful to him in his future career as Rabbi.

Elie's interest in pursuing the path of the Rabbinate was sparked through his involvement in the formation of a special prayer group, called Kehilat Hadar. It was in April of 2001 that Elie, together with two friends, decided that they wanted to create a different option for prayer, one that maintained the traditional prayers, but that had a more spirited approach as well as an egalitarian aspect. In other words, the prayer group would involve the introduction of new melodies to the traditional text and allow the participation of women in leading prayers. The group quickly exploded to include 60 people, and from there grew even further.

The formation of Hadar helped Elie attain the realization that he was interested in general community concerns and that he could best serve the community through becoming a Rabbi. He could not think of a better place to pursue this goal than the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). Having some background in Judaic Studies, he felt that the seminary offered a “fantastic array of courses that enrich his knowledge base.”

Elie, now a third year student at JTS, received a Fellowship from the Wexner Foundation, an organization that funds various areas of Judaic Studies, such as the Rabbinate, the Cantorate and Jewish education. The fellowship is awarded to students who in addition to academic excellence also demonstrate leadership qualities and a dedication to the Jewish community. Elie finds that the Wexner program provides him with the opportunity to be a part of a “great network of people to share experiences with.”

Among Elie's role models are his parents. His father, Rabbi Alvan Kaunfer, a Congregational Rabbi in Rhode Island, revealed to him how one can be a “caring as well as knowledgeable Rabbi within the community.” His mother, Marcia, was inspirational in the formation of Hadar. She believes firmly in the egalitarian approach to prayer and was a pioneer in women's involvement in prayer beyond traditional involvement.

In the future, in addition to his involvement with Hadar, Elie wishes to respond to community interests and concerns. He also expressed an interest in academia. He is completing a master's degree in Jewish Liturgy, studying the structure and history of prayer and may teach this in the future.

With respect to global concerns, Elie explained how it is a Jewish value to be hopeful for world peace and believes that communication between different cultures is a key element towards the path to peace.#
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