Bill…how wonderful to hear from and of you. I just read your blog and was and am touched by it. I have to go to Torah study now, but will reenter to fill you in and hear from you…Brooks

Oy, Bill, those days that you briefly sideswipe when you and I were on the front lines together at Hillel in Detroit. Those were some fast times. Oy Oy Oy! I must admit, I didn’t get you then, but I really do now. Mick Jagger has become SO MAINSTREAM, for God’s sake, he even does the Super Bowl. You would be so proud to see my impression of his “Sympathy for the Devil,” which, parenthetically, I learned from some pimply faced Orthodox kid who learned it from some other kid who learned it from you! I was just so afraid to tell you at the time, and. let’s face it, I had a Board to please.[Is Mick Jewish?...I didn't think so]. I just wanted to check in and tell you I’m still doing it and now I’m a little looser: you’d love me baby! Pass the…oh, you know what I mean…
-capoostin’

Dear Bill, to echo Brooks it is great to catch up with you and your family. I enjoyed your article and it helped me belatedly understand what happened to me at HUC back in the old days. I too am still married to the same person, one son is a Rabbi in Tucson and the other is preparing to be an X-ray tech. As they say on the internet, GLYASDI, Bob

Dear Bill,
I remember you as very bright and as a mensch. Obviously,both qualties continue to run strongly within you. Rabbis open the way for other folks to move toward wholeness. As you know so thoroughly, some of us do so mostly among Jews, others do so in more diverse settings. You have done both and you continue to do so. Not bad! Toby sends her greetings too.
L’shalom,
Bruce

Thanks for writing all this. I am also going through a ‘transition period’ in my life, rabbinic career and much else besides. I find that writing short stories on rabbinic themes is my therapy – the Meaning of Life would be a little too ambitious for me. I am also finding that the way rabbinic careers is not the way we think they might, when we are at rabbinical colleges! One needs to stay flexible, and believe in God, because one cannot – alas – always believe in God’s People.

Thanks for mentioning Cat-Rabbi and Dog-Rabbi. My wife and I read your autobiography with great interest. You have certainly had a fascinating career. The rabbinate is certainly very difficult. I was hopeless at it. And am eternally grateful to the British University system for rescuing me. I also think your comments on rabbinic training and lack of spirituality are pertinent. I hope the College has adressed these issues, but am out of touch. Best wishes,
Dan

I like the layout of your site. Nice soothing colors to the observant and curious mind. May all be well with you.

Well, you caught me off guard again! So that’s where the integrity comes from – defrocking of the body in exchange for redemption of the spirit. You caught me in your many safety nets as usual. But I was just in the right mood for it — listening to Raggae Klezmer music with my earphones on to drown out all the chaff coming my way lately. You’re really you, and that’s a true rarity.

I was surprised by your story. Why would you refer to God as “She”. God is our Father. Why would you become involved in tarot and other pagan practices. Maybe that is why the mainstream Jewish congregations have rejected you and you feel empty. I am a Christian–and I not know very much about Judaism, except I know the old testement quite well, and God told the Isralites not to have anything to do with pagan practices (including some of the stuff it appears you became involved in). So, I don’t know… I guess you will delete my comment because I am a gentile. But I found fulfilment in Jesus. We just worship God and sing praises to Him and we feel his presence in our spirits as we do this. This brings me fulfilment. I feel the reality of God. It is real and He is an awesome God!!

Thank you so very much for writing this essay. I think it must have taken a lot of courage to lay yourself out there so publicly, to be honest about your pain, and even use the word “failed.” I think many of us Jews use a lot of energy to “save face” and at least make it look to the world like everything that happens in our lives is our own choice, and honest self-disclosure and admission of feelings of failure are so very rare in the liberal rabbinate! (I suspect a LOT of rabbis, even ones with apparently successful careers, have experienced some rejections, and harbor some secret feelings of inadequacy and failure).

I think we have a lot to learn in the Reform community… I have no doubt there are MANY wasted resources… I’m sure we could do a much better job of maximizing the contributions of professionals and lay alike.

I haven’t read MeaningofLife yet, but hope to. So, at least you are still contributing in this way. Again, thanks for sharing this with the world.

When a priest is defrocked, he loses his collar. So when a rabbi is defrocked, does he get back his foreskin?