Pre-enrollment requirements

Our students come to us with varying skill sets and life experiences. JSLI welcomes you and views your life experience as a unique opportunity for teaching all of us.

The requirements for joining the JSLI Rabbinical School are different from other rabbinical schools because JSLI takes into account your life experience as well as your knowledge and understanding about Judaism. However, we must ensure that all our students meet our requirements too (and this will include a knowledge of Jewish history, Jewish texts, Shabbat, Jewish Festivals, the High Holidays, rituals and life cycles). 

When we have our pre-enrollment interview with you (see below for more on this), we will be able to tell you if you need to complete some extra Jewish learning before becoming a Rabbinical or Cantorial School student. (If you do require extra learning, you are free to do this on your own, via another school or through our own Jewish Learning Program.)

You must be supportive of interfaith marriages

Jews who have married non-Jews make up a large proportion of the Jewish population, yet they are largely ignored by Jewish organizations. JSLI is different: we teach our students to minister to and focus on the needs of the Jewish interfaith (as well as the needs of the Jewish unaffiliated). Therefore it is a core requirement that you are supportive of interfaith marriages. 

Your time commitment to JSLI as a Rabbinical School student

We meet weekly as a study group (havturah) via video conference (contact us to find out which day). Each class is approximately two and one half hours long. 

At the study groups, we ask questions, explore answers and get to know our colleagues while we expand our vision of modern Judaism and the history, scholarship and rituals that created and sustained it. The topics we focus on are taken from our curriculum. We also explore Jewish ritual law (halacha) and how it relates to our modern lives. 

Each student must attend the 40 weekly study groups (across both semesters of study). Students are also required to study weekly Torah portions and present Divrey Torah each week as either scholarly interpretations (drashot) or as sermons. 

In addition, students are expected to lead a 60-minute "Lunch & Learn" PowerPoint presentation in an area of their expertise or interest of the entire JSLI community. Examples of previous Lunch & Learns include: 

• Music and modern Judaism
• Interfaith ministry
• Interfaith weddings
• Perspectives in Judaism on observing non-Jewish holidays
• Pastoral counseling and addiction

Over your course of study, we also focus on Jewish life-cycle master classes in leading weddings, officiating at funerals, officiating at bar/bat mitzvahs, baby namings, brit milah, divorce and conversion.

Your commitment to learning outside of JSLI

We expect you to attend weekly services at Jewish houses of worship, as well as occasional services at non-Jewish houses of worship (as a greater understanding of the modern world's faiths is intrinsic to your development as a modern spiritual leader). In addition, if you are not currently serving a community, you are required to attend our online synagogue, Sim Shalom, which offers weekly online services. 

Before you can be awarded your semicha at the rabbinical ordination ceremony, you must prepare and lead a Shabbat evening service online. You must also be able to lead all Jewish life-cycle ceremonies. 

When to enroll

The Rabbinical School program consists of two semesters - one beginning in September and the other beginning in January. It doesn't matter which semester you do first, which means you can enroll at any time and begin with whichever semester starts first. However, you must complete bothsemesters (one full year of study) to be eligible for rabbinical ordination and receive our semicha. The semicha certifies that you have demonstrated familiarity with our codes and texts and are empowered to serve as rabbi and teacher. 

How to enroll

Visit the Apply Online page. 

The enrollment process

After you have applied online, we will invite you to join one of our recorded online classes (havurot) as a guest. This will help to give you an understanding of what future classes will be like. 

We will also arrange an in-person or Skype interview with Rabbi Blane.

There are additional enrollment requirements (including agreeing to abide by JSLI's Code of Ethics and Statement of Faith); please contact us for more information. 

Fees to enroll

Our fees are a fraction of the amount you would spend at a traditional seminary.