The 278 Smicha PR fraud

[zale]

Sorry, I hate to do this, but this just agitates me. If this is not the right place to sound off then I apologize in advance.

It has recently been in the news that 278 Rabbis received Smicha at the Rabbinical college of America.

This is very misleading and a total PR stunt. (That's putting it nicely)

They invited guys who ALREADY got Smicha in the last FIVE years (that's right, FIVE years) to come to this event.

There are only 50 guys in the RCA Smicha program, and they are the ONLY ones who actually got Smicha, and they got Smicha WITH OR WITHOUT this ceremony.

I was one of the 280 invited, and I got my Smicha 5 years ago.

How they can blatantly lie is mind-boggling.

[yhakak]

Sorry, I hate to do this, but this just agitates me. If this is not the right place to sound off then I apologize in advance.

It has recently been in the news that 278 Rabbis received Smicha at the Rabbinical college of America.

This is very misleading and a total PR stunt. (That's putting it nicely)

They invited guys who ALREADY got Smicha in the last FIVE years (that's right, FIVE years) to come to this event.

There are only 50 guys in the RCA Smicha program, and they are the ONLY ones who actually got Smicha, and they got Smicha WITH OR WITHOUT this ceremony.

I was one of the 280 invited, and I got my Smicha 5 years ago.

How they can blatantly lie is mind-boggling.

don't most smicha programs do this? i am almost certain YU/REITS also has a chag hasmicha once every few years and everyone who finished since the last one is invited and formally gets smicha? If i'm not mistaken YU does it every 4 years...

[zale]

don't most smicha programs do this? i am almost certain YU/REITS also has a chag hasmicha once every few years and everyone who finished since the last one is invited and formally gets smicha? If i'm not mistaken YU does it every 4 years...

Quote from the "news":

"An unprecedented number of 280 Chabad students received their rabbinic ordination in Morristown on Sunday"

Is this misleading or not?

[Dan]

In LA there's one every year.  Why should it be every 5 years anyway?

[Achas Veachas]

 

In LA there's one every year.  Why should it be every 5 years anyway?

It's cheaper to bring down Rabbi Lau once in 5 years perhaps? 

[Ergel]

don't most smicha programs do this? i am almost certain YU/REITS also has a chag hasmicha once every few years and everyone who finished since the last one is invited and formally gets smicha? If i'm not mistaken YU does it every 4 years...

Correct. Its a whole big deal party and easier to put together once every four years

[whYME]

They invited guys who ALREADY got Smicha in the last FIVE years (that's right, FIVE years) to come to this event.

Ah, I was wondering where they got the 280 guys...