Distance Smicha/Rabbinic Ordination Mentoring Program

Distance Smicha/Rabbinic Ordination Mentoring  Program

We mentor students for the smicha program of Rabbinical Seminary International.

Email Judaism36@gmail.com with questions or for the enrollment form

A program of Divine Wisdom and Spiritual Guidance for men and women who wish to serve the Jewish community and the general community as spiritual leaders.

          The Rabbinical Studies Department of the Institute for Personal Religion offers a unique individualized program for the training of the Modern Rabbi. This program helps the student cultivate practical skills and knowledge that can enable him or her to serve as a teacher, counselor, worship facilitator, spiritual healer and teacher of faith.

The program includes instruction in the practical aspects of Rabbinical service as well as extensive education in the Bible, Jewish History, Philosophy, theology and varieties of Jewish Spiritual experience. Students work privately with experienced Rabbis and tutors providing as many opportunities as possible to practice their skills in actual situations.

          The most important qualification of the Modern rabbi is his or her own spiritual and ethical value system. Candidates for Rabbinical Studies should be committed to a life of spiritual development and service to God and Humanity. Ongoing spiritual work is seen as an integral part of the program of study.

A Rabbi For All Ages

          Historically, Jewish communities have offered persons who were called to spiritual service myriad opportunities to serve. The Modern Rabbi Program of the Rabbinical Seminary International is in keeping with a tradition that has been alive in the Jewish community for thousands of years.

          The Modern Rabbi is distinguished from the traditional Rabbi in two important ways. First, the main emphasis of the learning experience of the Modern Rabbi is on a personal and practical spiritual ministry. The curriculum of the RSI does not call for intricate technical studies of Jewish law that no longer guides the lives of the majority of Jews today.

          Second, the traditional Rabbi has the authority to act as a judge in matters of Jewish ritual and civil law. The Modern Rabbi is not a judge or an interpreter of law. Instead, he or she serves as a spiritual guide for people searching for a greater spiritual consciousness in Judaism.

          Along with traditionally ordained Rabbis, Cantors and educators, there is a need and place for the Modern Rabbi to offer his or her own contribution toward the spiritual renewal of the human community.

A certificate-semicha-is granted to the students of the Jewish faith upon successful completion of all requirements.

Rabbinical Seminary International

The Rabbinical Seminary International has, for nearly twenty years, followed the most traditional method of training Rabbis. Traditionally, there were no seminaries. Everyone studied and, when students were ready, the students asked their Rabbis to examine them. When their Rabbis determined they were ready, they were sent to two additional Rabbis to be examined and who would then issue smichot (certificates of ordination.)

At the Rabbinical Seminary International, each student is provided with a course of study, reading lists and study guides. Under the auspices of one or two mentoring Rabbis, each student studies Jewish history, ethics and philosophy as well as the Tanakh (complete Torah, the Prophets and the Writings) and lessons from the Talmud, Mishna and Gomorrah, Students must be proficient in liturgical Hebrew and have the ability to lead services and conduct all life-cycle ceremonies.

The Rabbinical Seminary International is committed to paths of traditional Judaism, and, therefore, does not admit Messianic Jews or Jews for Jesus.

In order to qualify for graduation, students must prepare and present to the faculty book reports, sermons, divrei Torot (explanations, commentaries and implications of weekly Torah portions,) a course end thesis as well as a complete Shabbat (Sabbath) service both in writing and recorded in either .mp3 format, on CD, or on tape.

The course is self guided as to pace, and since most students are mature adults who are working in the business world and are entering this program to begin a new path in their lives, the length of time it takes to be ready for graduation varies. Some students have been ready in one year, and some have taken 3 to 4 years with the average time being 2 years. When a student and the faculty agree that a student is ready to apply for ordination, he or she then presents himself or herself to a Beit Din composed of three Rabbis who have been receiving and evaluating that candidate's course work.

There is a comprehensive three day intensive in New York City, which consists of oral testing of each candidate by the three Rabbis of the Beit Din. Only after the Beit Din is satisfied that the candidate is sufficiently accomplished to become a Modem Rabbi, is the candidate ordained and granted Smicha, a Diploma of Ordination.

Under no circumstances is the Rabbinical Seminary International a "mail-order" institution where someone simply sends in money and is sent a certificate. While some students who live at a distance from NYC indeed mail their assignments to the faculty board, no candidate can qualify without completing the program and the intensive with the Beit Din here in NYC.