Pararabbinic Program

The Pararabbinic Program at Hebrew Seminary is designed for emerging Jewish leaders who would like increased knowledge in matters of Torah study, Jewish ritual, and communal leadership but do not seek rabbinic ordination at the present time.

Program Information

Student Body

The Pararabbinic Program at Hebrew Seminary is designed for emerging Jewish leaders who would like increased knowledge in matters of Torah study, Jewish ritual, and communal leadership but do not seek rabbinic ordination at the present time.

Length of Studies

The trajectory of studies at the Pararabbinic Program of Hebrew Seminary amounts to 26 credits, consisting of 22 required courses and 4 elective courses. The full course of the Pararabbinic Program is designed to take a full-time student approximately 2 years, but students may enroll as part-time students and may take longer than 2 years to complete the program. Students are discouraged from enrolling in more than 5 credits per Fall or Spring Semester, and students are discouraged from enrolling in more than 3 credits per Summer Semester. In the case of students who graduate from the Pararabbinic Program and later enroll in the Rabbinical School, credits earned through the Pararabbinic Program may be applied towards the 60 required credits of the Rabbinical School. To learn more about when a student is ready for our Pararabbinic Program, please view our Admissions page.

Required Courses

Biblical Studies: (2 credits required)
Parashat HaShavu’a I
Parashat HaShavu’a II

Jewish History: (2 credits required)
A Course in Jewish History
Israel, Palestine, and Zionism

Jewish Languages: (4 credits required)
Beginning Biblical Hebrew I
Beginning Biblical Hebrew II
Intermediate Biblical Hebrew I
Intermediate Biblical Hebrew II

Jewish Liturgy: (3 credits required)
Liturgy of Shabbat and Weekdays
Liturgy of the High Holidays
Liturgy of the Three Festivals

Jewish Thought: (1 credit required)
Introduction to Jewish Philosophy

Pastoral Care: (2 credits required)
Bikkur Cholim
Human Development

Practical Skills: (4 credits required)
Homiletics and Communications
Lifecycle Officiation
Pedagogy for Youth
Kehillah & Tefillah

Rabbinic Literature: (3 credits required)
2 courses of Talmud Bavli
Survey of Midrashic Literature

Mysticism & Spirituality: (1 credit required)
Survey of Jewish Mystical Texts

The full Pararabbinic Program consists of 22 credits of Required Courses and the remaining 4 credits comprising Elective courses. All Required Courses are offered online. Most Electives and Independent Study courses are offered online, and select Electives and Independent Study courses may be offered in person.

Admissions Requirements

Students are likely to enter with unique abilities, skills, and bases of knowledge acquired prior to enrolling as a pararabbinic student. Nonetheless, we usually, but not always, expect that students who are beginning Hebrew Seminary’s Pararabbinic Program have:

Identified as a committed member of a Jewish community for at least two whole years prior to enrolling as a Parabbinical student at Hebrew Seminary
A strong ethical character
An ongoing cultural and/or spiritual relationship with Judaism.

Hebrew Seminary’s Pararabbinic Program admits qualified students without regard to race, color, age, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, disability status, hearing status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Hebrew Seminary admits and ordains students who are single, students with Jewish partners, and students with partners who are not Jewish. Hebrew Seminary does not require applicants to have taken the GRE.

If you wish to apply:

Submit one letter of academic reference, one letter from a Jewish leader, and one letter of character reference.
Submit college transcripts for all undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
Following review of the above, interview with Hebrew Seminary’s Rosh Yeshivah as well as the Dean of Students.

Notification of the decision on the application will be made after completing these requirements.

We will be in contact with updates during the process.

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There is no fee for applying to Hebrew Seminary.
Submit transcripts info@hebrewseminary.org .
Submit letters of recommendation through the application form.

Transfer Credit Policy

Students who complete the Pararabbinic Program at Hebrew Seminary are automatically eligible to enroll as Rabbinical students at Hebrew Seminary. All credits from the Pararabbinic Program may be applied towards the 60 credits required for completion of studies in the Rabbinical School. All Required Courses are offered online. Most Electives and Independent Study courses are offered online, and select Electives and Independent Study courses may be offered in person.

Application

First Name(Required)

Last Name(Required)

Title

Pronoun(s)(Required)

Email(Required)

Mobile Phone(Required)

Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

For which program are you applying?(Required)

Briefly describe any scholastic distinctions or honors you have won in college or postgraduate education:(Required)

Jewish affiliation(Required)

e.g., Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Other, etc.

Length of time studied Hebrew(Required)

Briefly discuss your relationship to Jewish rituals, customs, and holidays.(Required)

Foreign language proficiency (please list and describe):(Required)

Jewish leadership(Required)

Please describe any positions of Jewish leadership and/or education you have held.

Personal statement(Required)

Please discuss why you are interested in studying at Hebrew Seminary, A Rabbinical School for the Deaf & Hearing.

How did you learn about Hebrew Seminary?(Required)

Briefly discuss your relationship to Jewish communal life.(Required)

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Learn With Us

All classes are currently held virtually and are open to Rabbinic and Pararabbinic students, as well as auditing students from around the world.