Additional Information
College students interested in the rabbinate are encouraged to take courses
in Judaic studies and Hebrew language. You need good communication skills
and the willingness to make a life commitment to serve.
To become eligible for ordination as a rabbi, a student must complete a
course of study in a seminary. Entrance requirements and the curriculum depend
upon the branch of Judaism. Most seminaries require applicants to be college
graduates.
Typically, it takes five years to complete studies at a Jewish seminary,
with an additional preparatory year required for students without sufficient
background in Hebrew and Jewish studies.
In addition to the core academic program, training generally includes fieldwork
and internships, and in some cases study in Jerusalem. Seminary graduates
are awarded the title Rabbi and the Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters. Those
who opt for more advanced study earn the Doctor of Hebrew Letters.
The largest institutions of rabbinical training in the U.S. are Yeshiva
University (Orthodox) in New York City, the Jewish Theological Seminary (Conservative)
in New York, and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (Reform)
in Cincinnati.