Eric Yoffie

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Eric H. Yoffie is a Reform rabbi, and president of the Union for Reform Judaism the congregational arm of the Reform movement in North America. Yoffie has remained the unchallenged head of American Judaism’s largest denomination since 1996 due to his popular advocacy of political liberalism and religious traditionalism.^[1] Raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, he is a graduate of Brandeis University and received his Rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College. He is married to Amy Jacobson Yoffie and they have two children.

In 1999 The Forward named Yoffie the number one Jewish leader in America. Some of the many issues that he has been involved with are gun control, gay rights, the death penalty, and assistance on various Israel related issues.

In April 2006, evangelical pastor Jerry Falwell invited Yoffie to address the students at his very conservative Liberty University. Yoffie first spoke shared values of family and morality before defending church-state separation and gay marriage, which elicted boos from the students.^[1]

In June of 2006, Yoffie declined to meet with Israeli President Moshe Katsav after the President refused to address Yoffie by the title "Rabbi." Katsav explained that he was not the one who decides "on matters of ordination and titles in Israel.^[2] The Chief Rabbinate of Israel does not recognize rabbinic ordinations from non-Orthodox institutions.

On August 31, 2007, Yoffie gave remarks at the Islamic Society of North America's 44th annual convention in Chicago, IL.^[3] Yoffie speaks of "a huge and profound ignorance of Islam" by Jews and Christians in North America. He states that, "the time has come to listen to our Muslim neighbors speak, from their heart and in their own words, about the spiritual power of Islam and their love for their religion." He conversely asks the conference for more understanding of Judaism; "The dialogue will not be one way, of course. You will teach us about Islam and we will teach you about Judaism. We will help you to overcome stereotyping of Muslims, and you will help us to overcome stereotyping of Jews."