Rabbi Ron Segal becomes President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis
Greene Family Camp is “Shepping Naches” these days. That is Yiddish for “crowing with pride!” Our very own Rabbi Ron Segal has become President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis – The CCAR. It is one of the pillars of the Reform Movement, representing our rabbinic community. The other two pillars are the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the owners of Greene Family Camp and the organization of the movement’s synagogues, and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, our seminary.
Ronnie, as he was known at GFC, is ascending to the presidency following another GFC faculty member, Rabbi David Stern, of Temple Emanuel in Dallas. Other GFC alumni on the CCAR Board include rabbis Judith Siegal, Carla Fenves, Barry Block, David Stern, and David Lyon.
Rabbi Segal grew up in Bryan/College Station where his parents decided, early on, to give their children access to the Jewish community outside their small town. Allan and Sandy Segal sent all of their kids to camp, and all were involved as adults. Ronnie went that extra 15 steps. He became a counselor then unit head, and went on to join the team in a full-time capacity as GFC Assistant Director and TOFTY Regional Advisor. Following his time at GFC, he went to HUC-JIR to fulfill his dreams and serve the Jewish people as his career.
You can read a bit about his journey and his dreams for the Conference in his rabbinic sermon from this past Shabbat.
It must be unusual for someone from a small town in Central Texas to become the leader of the reform movement’s rabbinic community. Neither Bryan nor College Station are known to be hotbeds of Jewish life, community, and memory. But Sandy and Allan, the Segal family, TOFTY and GFC were part of what it took to make a Jewish Leader.
And boy can he sing and dance!!