The Top 50 Rabbis in America

Newsweek has published a list of the top 50 American rabbis. Go and take a look here.

And here is my count (I get a kick out of counting everything under the sun, composing statistics and then drawing conclusions):

Orthodox: 15 (30%)

Conservative: 10 (20%)

Reform: 18 (36%)

Reconstructionist: 3 (6%)

Renewal: 2 (4%)

Hasidim: 1 (2%)

Lubavitch: 1 (2%)

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Reform Jews make up approximately 35% of the American Jewry, and their rabbis represent 36% of the top 50 rabbis in America - which is fully within the norm.

Conservative Jews make up approximately 26% of the American Jewry, but their rabbis constitute only 20% of the top 50 rabbis - some nerve-racking food for thought for our Conservative friends, although the difference is hardly cause for serious worry.

The Orthodox make up approximately 10% of the American Jewry, yet their rabbis are more than just pulling their weight, making up 30% of the top 50 rabbis.

The Reconstructionist are also big winners: They are 2% of the American Jewry, but they have managed to sprout 6% of the top 50 rabbis.

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