Rating the Clergy

While I have no official title of any kind at my synagogue, indeed even held uncomfortably at arms length by the influential of the baalebatim, I've been included in the people asked to comment for upcoming performance reviews that the key VPs or President are contractually obligated to present to and discuss with each of our clergy.  It's tempting to read into the officers' request, which have taken similar formats by two officers.  First did the clergyman fulfill his part of the contract: leading services, sermons, classes, and pastoral work for the Rabbi, Torah reading and musical presence for the Cantor?  Those contractual boxes always get their checkmarks.  Even if as a spectator I get Hebrew School flashbacks, the sermons were given and the Torah was read.  No breaches.  And our congregation's financial iffiness pretty much assures no bonuses for exemplary achievement.

The second part is less focused but more revealing.  Basically, what is it like to be in the sanctuary, in a Zoom session, ask a question of the clergy, or reflect on an individual encounter?  Those do not have contractual boxes to fulfill but offer a lot more feedback to how well the Search Committee, often years past, really did.  It is the individual experiences aggregated by as many members, both nominal and active, that we have, which frames the monthly discussions our Board of Governors needs to have on the difficult realities, from the social and financial impacts of attrition, the breadth or restriction of member engagement, committees that really aren't committees, and addressing minyanim that do not always materialize.

All of those depend on what the hired clergy do that enhances or detracts from how effectively we engage with internal development of our membership and how well we interface with a larger Jewish community, the only realistic source of expanding membership.  

My comments were candid.  Though a congregational nobody, assigned as consumer rather than creator, I have familiarity with what clergy are supposed to do and assess how well they do it.  I do not know the breadth of those polled on this.  I would hope the sampling includes people with less engagement with the Rabbi and Cantor, maybe people who really have titles and influence directions.