Page 18 - Perspective 2022 - 11.9.22

SOWING THE SEEDS OF COMMUNITY
NEW SMICHA PROGRAM SET TO RE-DEFINE THE FACE OF JEWISH LEADERSHIP
Leading a community is a dream that many Torah students
share but few have the privilege of realizing. With the
changing face of community and the economic crisis,
many Israel-based Anglo communities are opting to forgo
the financial burden of employing a Rabbi.
Traditionally, a rabbi would be a community’s most valuable
resource, and yet communities across Israel are viewing
rabbis as expendable. Director of the International Program, This means that anyone wanting to become a community
Rabbi Shlomo Anapolle, believes that the introduction of a
smicha (rabbinic ordination) program at JCT can revive the
community position and recreate what it means to be a
leader of a Jewish community in a Jewish State.
Headed by Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon, the JCT Smicha Program
has generated interest from community leaders and
educators from around the world, passionate about
breathing new life into Jewish leadership in an evolving
landscape.
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Rabbi Anapolle says “In Smicha programs abroad, the
model is such that you begin with your undergraduate
degree and move on to Rabbinic ordination, which is
considered a graduate degree. Israel is a much faster-
paced society, where the job market and general lifestyle
(including Yeshiva studies and army service) doesn’t allow
for two degrees before entering the workforce.”
rabbi must choose this path alone. JCT’s Smicha Program
hopes to change that.
The JCT model sees students involved in focused Torah
study in the mornings, and working on their academics in
the afternoons. The goal of the program is for students to
study an academic discipline that will allow them peace
of mind in their community responsibilities. The program
produces graduates who can pursue a clergy position
without the worry for their economic security.
With community-building in mind, the Smicha track has
been designed to provide chavruta (peer-to-peer) learning
opportunities alongside sophisticated shiurim (classes)
within the Beit Midrash. Despite providing classes in English,
the emphasis on original source texts allows for any student
who is interested in accelerating their learning to the highest
standard of Torah study to do so.
Informed by an understanding of the daily responsibilities
of a community Rabbi, the track also includes mental
health awareness training alongside its rigorous religious
studies.
“We hope to create a community that is Torah oriented
and economically viable. We’re providing an academically
strong graduate who is also committed to community
development, Rabbi Anapolle says. “We want this program
to be an investment in Jewish leadership in the State of
Israel. We’re changing the whole ballgame when it comes
to Anglos integrating into Israel society in terms of Torah
study and Jewish leadership. When we say ‘Ki miTzion
tetzeh’ - When Torah will come from Zion - it’s coming
from JCT.”