EPSTEIN, GILBERT

EPSTEIN, GILBERT (1927– ), U.S. Conservative rabbi. Epstein was born in New York City, educated at Yeshiva University (1948), and then moved to the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he was ordained in 1952. He then served in congregations in the New York suburbs of Woodmere (1952–55) and Hewlitt (1955–61) before moving to the Conservative synagogue on Fifth Avenue. He was among the first to lead teen tours to Israel and was the first director of Kefar Silver's summer camp in Israel (1962–64).   In 1965 Epstein joined the rabbinical assembly and headed its Joint Commission on Rabbinic Placement, the very sensitive job and highly political position of matching rabbis with congregations, thus enabling young rabbis to advance, successful rabbis to move to larger and ever larger congregations, and those whose careers have been difficult to find additional employment. It was a position that he handled with grace and tact. His task was to deal with rabbis and congregations in times of crisis and transition. During the years of major growth of the Conservative movement, the job was exceedingly demanding because there were so many positions to fill. As the rate of expansion declined and the need for rabbis settled down, his work became difficult in a different sense as he had to redirect rabbis to positions where they could succeed. He helped wolfe kelman and represented the Conservative Rabbinate in many national organizations including the National Conference of Soviet Jewry, the New York Board of Rabbis, and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. (Michael Berenbaum (2nd ed.)