50 Influential Rabbis

This list is intended to provoke a global conversation about the role of our religious leaders in today's world. Although this is a well-thought-out list, it is by no means scientific and is not connected to any religious movement or agenda. Our criteria:

• Are they known nationally/internationally?
• Do they have political/social influence?
• Do they have a media presence?
• Are they leaders within their communities?
• Are they considered leaders in Judaism or their movements?
• Size of their constituency
• Have they made an impact on Judaism in their career?
• Have they made a "greater" impact?

The Rabbis

1. David Saperstein (2008 Ranking #5)  Saperstein jumps to the top spot because of his role as Washington insider and political powerbroker and Friend of Obama.  He is the Director of the Religious Action Center and the Co-Chair of the Coalition to Preserve Religious Liberty.

2. Marvin Hier (2008 Ranking #1)  Hier is a major player in national and world politics and has built one of the world's leading human rights organizations, the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

3. Mark Charendoff (2008 Ranking #10)  Charendoff is President of the Jewish Funders Network, an international organization of family foundations, public philanthropies and individual funders.

4. Yehuda Krinsky (2008 Ranking #4)  Krinsky's impact continues to grow as the global leader of the Chabad movement.

5. David Ellenson, Ph.D. (2008 Ranking #8)  Ellenson is charged with training tomorrow's leaders as the President of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the nation's oldest institution of higher Jewish education.

6. Robert Wexler, Ph.D. (2008 Ranking #3)  Wexler is the President of American Jewish University.

7. Shmuley Boteach(2008 Ranking #9)  Boteach calls himself "America's Rabbi." He continues to promote himself and his perspective on his daily radio show, on television and in his long list of books, including the recently published "The Broken Male and How to Fix Him."

8. Eric Yoffie (2008 Ranking #2)  Yoffie is the leader of the Reform movement, representing 1.5 million Jews in over 900 synagogues.  He has pioneered dialogue programs with Christians and Muslims nationwide. 

9. Uri D. Herscher, Ph.D. (2008 Ranking #6)  Herscher is the Founder and President of the Skirball Cultural Center.

10. Irwin Kula (2008 Ranking #7)  The Co-President of CLAL and bestselling author continues to raise his profile nationally as an innovator committed to reshaping America's spiritual landscape. 

11. David Wolpe (2008 Ranking #12) Wolpe is considered one of the most dynamic pulpit rabbis in America

12. Peter J. Rubinstein (2008 Ranking #15)  Rubinstein is the spiritual leader of New York's Central Synagogue. 

13. Yehuda Berg (2008 Ranking #11)  Berg is the world's most popular authority on the Kabbalah. 

14. Norman Lamm (2008 Ranking #43)  Lamm is Chancellor of Yeshiva University. 

15. Joseph Telushkin (2008 Ranking #21)  Telushkin is a best-selling author and speaker. 

16. J. Rolando Matalon (2008 Ranking #13)  Matalon is the spiritual leader of Congregation B'nai Jeshurun.

17. Menchem Genack (NEW)  Genack is the CEO of the Orthodox Union's Kosher Division.

18. Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus (NEW)  Dreyfus is the new head of the CCAR.

19. Jeffrey Wohlberg (2008 Ranking #18)  Wohlberg is Rabbi at Washington, D.C.'s Adas Israel Congregation. 

20. Steve Gutow (NEW)  Gutow is the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. 

21. Harold M. Schulweis (2008 Ranking #19)  Schulweis is considered the leading Conservative Rabbi of his generation and the Founder of Jewish World Watch. 

22. Haskel Lookstein (2008 Ranking #22)  Lookstein is head of New York's Ramaz School and Rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun.

23. Dan Ehrenkrantz (2008 Ranking #20)  Ehrenkrantz is the President of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. 

24. Michael Greenbaum (2008 Ranking #37)  Greenbaum is Vice Chancellor and COO of the Jewish Theological Seminary.