Uniqueness of our Seminary
We are an online seminary providing Rabbinic ordination to qualified students. We do this through live web video conferencing. Our classes are taught live at our satellite offices in New York, Massachusetts and Texas and are broadcasted through the world wide web.
Students are introduced to online communities in their own geographic locations to create a virtual and/or physical Havruta (study group(s)), in order to reach the needs of our students.
When necessary we also provide online tutors which you can access through your web cam using any conferencing program you have installed on your computer, such as MSN messaging, AOL messaging, etc.
Who Are We?
The Rabbinic part of our seminary is attached to Tifereth Israel Rabbinical Seminary. Since 2004 the charter was changed to allow women into the seminary and to ordain women and to ordain men and women that are not Orthodox.
We are a Traditional seminary teaching pluralism for the 21st century.
Tifereth Israel has been in existence for over 60 years. "We have graduates all over the place", including the former Chief Rabbi of Canada.
Tifereth Israel has over 300 graduates serving in pulpits here in the United States and abroad in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and several in Canada.
Pluralism
Our classes are taught keeping in mind that students come from all walks of Judaic life. We teach traditional Judaism integrating all movements within the Jewish religion by representing their ideology, methodology and halacha views. As an example, our instructors will teach halacha giving the conservative (traditional) viewpoint and then discuss what the other movements views are on the subject.
We train students from the onset of their course work at the Seminary how to deal with future congregants. You will be shown how to quote the most common viewpoint and then explain to your congregant(s) "however; in our synagogue we follow this view." Our Students are exposed to all realms of our various movements creating Klal Yisrael among our future Jewish leaders.
Courses are also taught in worldwide religions and interfaith community.
Educational Philosophy and Training
Our philosophy is for our students to develop the necessary academic and professional skills to prepare them as future leaders in the Jewish community.
The goal of our curriculum is to provide a course of study that will train future Rabbis as Talmedei Chachamim, as competent Morei Hora’ah for their future communities, as community leaders, as spiritual leaders, and as effective educators.
Students will be prepared and trained with the following skills required for ordination:
- A thorough working knowledge of Halacha (Jewish Law)
- Practical understanding of Jewish ritual and Tefilah(Prayers)
- Mastery of selected Rabbinic texts- Chaplaincy and Pastoral training
- Interpretation, understanding and the implementation
and writing of their own Responsa
- Adult and youth educational training
- An understanding of Kashrut (Dietary laws)
COMMUNAL LEADERSHIP
Working with Jewish institutions; interacting with synagogue lay leadership; outreach; activism; and fund-raising are covered. This is accomplished by students working with their local Rabbis and Educators. Students are required and encouraged to have a mentor in the Jewish Community where they reside.
SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP
Training in public speaking; informal education; visiting the sick; life-cycle events; pastoral counseling; exploration of different models of synagogues and Rabbinic Leadership.