Vermont synagogue, rabbi in bitter legal fight

©By Ted Cohen/Patch.com©

Just hours after planning to announce the details of an unfolding crisis at Vermont's largest synagogue, temple officials ran for cover.

Board President Jeff Potash sent a shocking but tantalizingly-vague email to members Thursday about a synagogue crisis

Potash had promised to disclose details within 24 hours.

But Friday he pulled back, claiming that now he can't talk out of required "confidentiality."

The most he would say was that both the board and rabbi have now hired lawyers and are "in constructive dialogue."

Translation: we'll see you in court.

The legal battle comes in the wake of a synagogue membership that has been bitterly divided over the rabbi's unwavering defense of Israel, with influential members offended by his hard line.

The board has refused to draw a defining line on Jewish sovereignty, calling for compromise with Palestinians.

The debate has spilled over to the rabbi's belief that the temple's school is soft-peddling Zionist teachings.

The dispute is further sharpened by the rabbi's stance that the pre-school needs new direction - if it's to remain at all.

Potash told members to "trust us," then used another pedantic, arrogant board of trustees official to lecture temple members not to dare question the board's sudden, unexplained decision to go silent about "a very difficult situation."

In the earlier cryptic email, Potash wrote that "the board is working through a complex and sensitive situation with our rabbi."

He never explained - and still won't discuss - the origins of the bitter feud between the board and Rabbi Aaron Philmus.

The synagogue has been burning through rabbis, one after the other, in the wake of the 41-year tenure of longtime Rabbi Max Wall.

The question is why.

The synagogue has gone through at least three rabbis since Wall retired in 1987.

Rabbi Aaron Philmus