From Washington Jewish Week:
How influential
Three local rabbis have made it onto a list of the 50 most influential rabbis in America. (We’re kvelling, but shouldn’t there be more from the nation’s capital?).
This list, which appears this week in Newsweek, was put together by Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton, Newscorp’s Gary Ginsberg and JTN Productions’ Jay Sanderson, with a system that gives points for such questions as: Are the rabbis known nationally/internationally? (20 points); do they have a media presence? (10 points); do they have political/social influence? (20 points); and have they made an impact on Judaism in their career? (10 points).
The three admit their judgments are subjective.
Making the list from Greater Washington are, at No. 10, Bruce Lustig, Washington Hebrew Congregation; No. 16, David Saperstein, director of the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center; and No. 41, Sid Schwarz, founder and president of Panim: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values.
Lustig says he’s flattered to be not just on the list, but ranked so highly. He credits the opportunities he’s had working with both Washington Hebrew and the Abrahamic Dialogue he created with Episcopal Bishop John Chane and American University Islamic studies chair Akbar Ahmed for leading to his rank.
And, he says, he doesn’t know the three people who created the list, but he found the scoring very interesting.