The Rabbi Oscars

by: Rabbi Jill Jacobs

Tue Apr 15, 2008 at 21:38:22 PM EDT

Mik has been bugging me to weigh in on Newsweek's second round of the top 50 rabbis in America list and its brand new top 25 pulpit rabbis list.  I could say much in praise of the people I respect who made it onto the list, question Newsweek's choice of a few questionable picks, or ask again why women are still not better represented.

But it's all been said before.  I'm fascinated, though, by Danya Ruttenberg's question on Jewschool --why is no one making lists of the top Episcopalian clergy? 

There are a few easy answers:

 1) The Jews really do control the media.  Or at least, we're disproportionately represented among writers and readers of national media.  Also doctors, who are the only people I know who subscribe to Newsweek (for the waiting rooms, that is).

2)  Because we're such a small community, we all have a better chance than your average Protestant would of knowing, being related to, or at least of having heard of someone on the list (OMG!  My friend Betsy's cousin's rabbi made it!)

3) We're neurotic, high achieving, and never satisfied (fill in your favorite joke ending "well, one of our boys made it" here.)

 But I'd like to broaden the question a bit-- what is it with the American Jewish community and exclusive clubs?