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January 11, 2002/27 Tevet 5762, Vol. 54, No. 17
Beth El rabbi to leave
LEISAH NAMM
Assistant Editor
After less than two years, Rabbi Michael Wasserman will be leaving Phoenix's Beth El Congregation because of what sources said are differences of opinion between him and lay leaders.
In a Dec. 26 letter to congregants, Wasserman wrote: "I and the lay leadership have had deep differences of opinion on questions concerning my role in synagogue governance. We have worked hard over several months in an attempt to resolve these differences, but have been unable to do so."
Wasserman will likely continue at the Conservative congregation until summer, but an exact date has not yet been set, said Steven Goldstein, Beth El executive vice president.
The congregation is forming a search committee for a new rabbi, he said.
"Both the rabbi and the leadership recognized that there were some fundamental issues on which we disagreed," Goldstein explained. "We felt that this was the right time to make this kind of decision.
"We're very sorry to see Rabbi Wasserman go. He brought a tremendous amount to the congregation."
Wasserman replaced Rabbi Rick Sherwin at Beth El in August 2000, moving to the Valley from Temple Beth El in Birmingham, Ala.
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