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W
e joke in my family about the fact that I used
to
‘
bat mitzvah’
my sister’s stuffed animals,”
says Marc Katz, reflecting on his childhood aspira-
tions to be a rabbi.
His quest brought him to the Year-In-Israel Program,
where he met his future wife, cantorial student
Julia Katz, and learned more about “the transition
from being a Jew in the pew, to being a leader in
a community.” Working at Tzur Hadassah, a new
congregation founded by Rabbi Ofer Sabath Bet
Halachmi, J ’05, on the outskirts of Jerusalem,
“
gave me an insight into Reform Judaism in Israel
and a passion to make my story a part of the greater
Jewish narrative that lives in Israel.”
Now in his fifth year, Katz is busy at work writing his
thesis, with Rabbi David Ellenson as his advisor.
“
My research examines the Jewish legal concept
of
lo titgoddedu
which has come to mean “don’t
make factions,” from its biblical roots through the
modern period. Looking at a number of primarily
orthodox scholars, I am examining how different
communities have negotiated the tension between
allowing legal variation in Jewish law and forcing
communities to all behave the same way. Once I
have fully developed the scope of this legal concept,
I want to examine whether
lo tigoddedu
has any
place in Reform Judaism, which puts a premium
on personal choice.”
Rabbinical student Marc Katz meets
regularly with Rabbi David Ellenson,
his senior thesis advisor, to study
Jewish legal texts.
Marc Katz
Rabbinical Student/New York
