JSLI Ordains its Fifth Class of Rabbinical Students
New York, NY (PRWEB) July 30, 2013 -- Just last week, JSLI- The Jewish Spiritual Leaders’ Institute, ordained its fifth class of Rabbinical Students. The Shabbaton weekend was held in Delray Beach, Florida and it was the first time the students were able to meet face-to-face. Students came from around the world, including Portugal to be ordained as Rabbis.
During the Shabbaton Weekend, Rabbinical Students participated in discussions, prayer services, activities and prepared emotionally for the sacred event to unfold. Student’s family members participated in Shabbat Services but the weekend was primarily for the soon-to-be Rabbis to spend with one another. See the video of the weekend’s events here.
JSLI’s Rabbinical School is based online. Classes are held weekly via a web conferencing application and students access a learning management system for their assignments and readings.
Their program is unique in that it acknowledges the life experience of all its rabbinical students. JSLI’s curriculum covers weekly Torah portions, Jewish Holidays and Festivals, and Halacha (Jewish Religious Law). And, it stresses practical Rabbinics at the core of its curriculum. Among the many important and relevant topics studied over the year are Interfaith Marriage, Ethical Kashrut and Brit Shalom.
JSLI student’s backgrounds are quite varied. One Rabbinical student served for many years as spiritual leader of her temple in Alabama and she studied at JSLI to be formally acknowledged as Rabbi of her community. Another student came to JSLI with a background in engineering and had been in Jewish education for years before she decided to enhance her knowledge and become a Rabbi. And another student was serving as a Hebrew School teacher at her temple in Michigan. She had been an employee of synagogues for most of her life and felt the calling to become a Rabbi. When she found JSLI, she knew it was the perfect program.
Since its inception in 2010, JSLI has ordained more than forty Rabbis. JSLI has seventeen students in their sixth class who will be ordained in January 2014 and a new class will begin in September 2013.
With each class, JSLI utilizes the newest technology to enhance their curriculum and bring it ever closer to their mission. Rabbi Steven Blane, the Founder and Dean of JSLI believes there is a great need to train and prepare liberal rabbis to meet the needs of millions of unaffiliated Jews and interfaith couples and their families. These groups of people generally don't belong to a synagogue and don't attend synagogue regularly, but they still have a respect for Jewish life cycles and holidays. JSLI's mission is meeting that vital need in the largest segment of the Jewish Community.
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About Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute
JSLI is an online rabbinical school, founded by Rabbi Steven Blane in New York City, which trains future rabbis to spread Jewish thought and rituals to the nearly 50% of Jews who are unaffiliated or in interfaith marriages. Its one-year program of study takes place online through a video conferencing platform.
Steven Blane is available for comment, and can be reached on (201) 338-0165
Rabbi Steven Blane, Sim Shalom, http://www.SimShalom.com, 201-560-2936, [email protected]
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