After declining to renew the contract of its senior rabbi following a months-long inquiry into his workplace conduct, Rodef Shalom announced it will move him into a new position instead of letting him go from the congregation entirely.
Matthew Falcone, the congregation’s board president, said in a letter to members last week that Rabbi Aaron Bisno “will remain a part of the Rodef Shalom family, focusing his energies on teaching and writing, and being available to members.”
The congregation said in March that it would not renew Rabbi Bisno’s contract following an independent review of his workplace conduct. The results of the investigation were never released, and the decision caused upset among congregation members who supported the rabbi.
“It is no secret that these have been difficult days at Rodef Shalom,” Mr. Falcone wrote in the letter obtained by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We have struggled to make sense of, and to repair, a deep divide within our congregation, and we have sought — with only modest success — to be the type of community to which we all want to belong.”
The congregation placed Rabbi Bisno on administrative leave and launched the investigation in late 2021 after several synagogue employees raised workplace culture concerns against him.
The board said it could not share details of the allegations because it needed to protect employee confidentiality, but it initiated the investigation because it felt “the pattern and tone of these allegations were concerning enough that the most just and best path forward was to place Rabbi Bisno on paid administrative leave while we gathered more information.”
When the board said it would not renew Rabbi Bisno’s contract, it acknowledged that it would be difficult for members to accept the decision.
Mr. Falcone said he spent three full days in mediation with the rabbi in the past few weeks that “saw significant progress.” While critical details are still being worked out, he said, they continue to work toward a new arrangement.
“There is, of course, much yet to be determined, including the exact definitions of these new roles and the timing of these transitions,” Mr. Falcone said.
In a statement included in Mr. Falcone’s letter, Rabbi Bisno said he was proud of the friendships and relationships he has built as the congregation’s spiritual leader since 2004.
“And now, as I anticipate transitioning from my day-to-day responsibilities as Rodef Shalom’s senior rabbi to the next chapter of my professional life, I look forward to continuing to share in your lives and that of Rodef Shalom Congregation, more generally,” Rabbi Bisno said. “May our beloved Temple be strengthened by our good actions towards one another always.”
Neither Mr. Falcone nor Rabbi Bisno could be reached for further comment.
The board said it will continue to search for an interim rabbi to assist Rabbi Sharyn Henry, the congregation’s other spiritual leader.
Update, posted Aug. 4, 2022: Rabbi Aaron Bisno took on a new role as the Frances F. and David R. Levin Rabbinic Scholar at Rodef Shalom this summer. The congregation released a statement regarding the earlier issues between the two parties, saying “those were limited to staff and supervision issues and did not relate to illegal conduct, sexual misconduct, or financial wrongdoing, nor did they touch on his interactions or relationships with Rodef Shalom congregants.”
Andrew Goldstein: agoldstein@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1352.
First Published: June 3, 2022, 6:03 p.m.
