Temple Oheb Shalom’s board of directors voted unanimously on Aug. 22 to begin termination proceedings against its spiritual leader of 19 years, Rabbi Steven M. Fink, due to allegations of sexual misconduct and ethical violations.
In response, Rabbi Fink said he is innocent of all charges and will fight measures to remove him from the pulpit.
Amy Rotenberg, a temple spokesperson, said the termination process could take weeks. “We intend to follow the process as set forth in the rabbi’s contract and the bylaws,” she said.
The vote came in the wake of a vote by the Central Conference of American Rabbis’ ethics committee to suspend Rabbi Fink from the rabbinate due to the alleged violations. The CCAR is the Reform movement’s national rabbinic organization.
Read more about the allegations against Fink and his response over at Jmore.
