Personal Announcement: New Job, New Career, New Country

By an unusual and unexpected set of circumstances, I have been offered a new job in a completely different direction than one I had imagined for myself and in a different continent than the one I planned to reside in.

To make a very interesting story short (that I plan to write about one day), I’ve been offered to take on the role of the next Chief Rabbi of Uruguay. (Yes, I’ve provided a link for all those who are unsure as to what and where the country is).

I will be starting effective May 1^st and my wife will be following with the children some time in the summer (Northern Hemisphere summer. Uruguay is in the Southern Hemisphere and now they are entering the fall season).

For a very short summary of how it came to be, a work colleague of mine from several years ago had returned to Uruguay and is currently one of the lay leaders of the Jewish community. He was tasked with the job of finding candidates for the position. He thought of me and approached me. My friend recalled that I had grown up in South America and had passable Spanish. My initial reaction was that I thought he was joking. That was followed by disbelief and shock. My friend though was serious and urged me to consider.

After a series of interviews and a visit to Uruguay we were offered the position and we have accepted it.

I’ve been told I will have flexibility to continue to work on and pursue other projects, but I expect I will be mostly focused on the multiplicity of responsibilities that the Rabbinate entails. I’ve been warned though that attending soccer (football) matches is one of the job requirements and I plan to fulfill at least that responsibility religiously.

I will be based in Montevideo, the capital, where the overwhelming majority of the Jewish population lives. Down the coast, however, is the beautiful resort town of Punta del Este, which I understand I need to oversee during the summer vacation (January/February). For those looking for new travel destinations, please keep Uruguay in mind. We will assure you a warm welcome.

I’ll likely blog about The Adventures of a Chief Rabbi, so stay tuned!

Ben-Tzion