Would you characterize belief in rebirth as a central component of Buddhism?
I notice that "rebirth" isn't listed among the answers to, What teachings do all schools of Buddhism share?What teachings do all schools of Buddhism share? ... so, to the extent that Buddhism has a centre, perhaps that belief isn't "central".
How is this concept understood, i.e., what does rebirth mean (in as much detail as possible) to a Buddhist?
There were several good (long) answers to that in this topicthis topic.