[3] The CCAR bylaws state that “the purpose of this Conference shall be to preserve and promote Judaism and to encourage all efforts for the dissemination of its teachings in a Liberal spirit; to advance the cause of Jewish learning; to foster fellowship and cooperation among rabbis and other Jewish scholars; and to serve the welfare of its members.”[4] Membership primarily consists of rabbis educated at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
Some examples include: The CCAR is led by a volunteer president who is elected from among members as well as a paid professional executive.
However, despite this step forward, investigations remained slow, and many offending rabbis faced little to no public consequences for their actions, often receiving private reprimands.
[21][22] A 1996 report by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) shed light on the sluggish investigative process and the lack of meaningful consequences for offending rabbis.
The first openly LGBTQ person to hold this prominent role, Rabbi Eger made ethics a central focus of her presidency.
In 2018, Rabbi Hara Person became the first woman to be the chief executive of the CCAR and also pushed for higher ethical standards and accountability.
This initiative resulted in several recommendations, including increased transparency regarding ethical infractions and a formal apology issued by the CCAR in September 2022, that included the following language:[22] [24] "With sincerity of heart and intention, the CCAR apologizes for the hurt that our organization and our ethics system have caused.
[27][28] For instance, concerns have been raised about the continued use of lay investigators and the reliance on fellow rabbis to determine the fitness of an offender to return to their role.