When you enroll at JSLI, you become part of our community- now more than one hundred and eighty Rabbis and Cantors strong.
We are a vibrant, forward-thinking group of Jewish professionals who are always available to help one another through our private Facebook Page and our online continuing education Lunch and Learns. We offer an optimum environment for study for the modern Jewish Rabbinate. One of the richest parts of our program is the combined shared life experiences of the members of each cohort.
During our fully participatory Zooms, we will explore all of the subject areas below. In conjunction with our video conferences, all of our course materials and assignments are available via an online Learning Management System.
Courses which include readings from our JSLI required texts, document downloads, and internet resources are available to students one week before actual online classes so they may prepare in-depth for each subject.
Students write weekly sermons (Divrey Torah) on the Torah portion of the week and enjoy online lectures by Rabbi Blane and the JSLI Faculty and participate in ensuing discussions.
Our curriculum includes the following with particular emphasis on the pragmatics of being a clergy person.
Torah
- Weekly Torah Study
- The Jewish Prophets
- The Jewish Kings
- Pirkey Avot- The Ethics of the Fathers
- Jewish Angels
History
- Introductory Mishna, Talmud and Midrash
- Medieval Jewish thinkers
- Israel
- Jewish Mysticism – Kabbalah
- The Holocaust and Forgiveness
Rabbinics
- Two Units of Pastoral Counseling
- Shabbat
- Kashrut
- Brit Milah/Brit Shalom
- Eschatology- Life After Death
- Jewish Conversion
- Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Renewal Movements, and of course, Jewish Universalism.
Liturgy and Ritual
- Prayer liturgy and prayer melodies
- Weekdays
- Shabbat
- Festivals
- High Holidays
- Duchenen- The Blessings for the Priests
Professional Development
- Officiating at Jewish, Interfaith, and Same-Sex Weddings
- Officiating Bar and Bat Mitzvahs
- Baby Naming Ceremonies
- Brit Shalom Ceremonies
- Funerals
- Preparing and delivering sermons