Ordination of 139th Rabbi

Sim Shalom Online Synagogue grants smicha to nine JSLI-trained Rabbis on July 1, 2018. As part of a deeply spiritual ordination and shabbaton weekend in Stony Point, New York Rabbi Steve Blane and the Bet Din welcome new Rabbis from across the US and Canada to the family of Rabbis trained by the Jewish Spiritual Leaders’ Institute. This new class hails from the DC area, Arizona, Massachusetts, New York, Florida, Minnesota, Texas and Nevada. JSLI is the only fully online rabbinic program for Jewish professionals.

This newest 15th Class reflects the diversity and richness of the Jewish Spiritual Leaders’ Institute and includes a law professor, pulpit Rabbi, and a CPA. JSLI provides opportunity to those like this dynamic group to fulfill lifelong dreams. The nine brought their wealth of life experience to the program and along with Rabbi Blane and other teachers explored contemporary topics facing the modern Jew – many of whom are unaffiliated and disconnected from Judaism.

“We have a mandate to help the unaffiliated connect to their Jewish heritage and welcome them and interfaith partners with a Jewish Universalist vision for the future,” notes Blane. “The new group of Rabbis are excited to fulfill this mandate and pursue their individual paths to creating Tikun Olam, “repairing the world.”

Additionally Rabbi Blane attended a follow up celebration for one of the new Rabbis in Great Barrington, MA and skyped into another celebration in Arizona this past week. The ability to connect virtually as well as in person has made JSLI a pioneer organization that meets our candidates and their congregants where we live in the modern world.