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What To Learn

High School

What high school courses should you take if you're interested in this career? Get your answers from the Human Services cluster Family and Community Services pathway.

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College students interested in the rabbinate are encouraged to take courses in Judaic studies and Hebrew language. You need good communication skills and the willingness to make a life commitment to serve.

To become eligible for ordination as a rabbi, a student must complete a course of study in a seminary. Entrance requirements and the curriculum depend upon the branch of Judaism. Most seminaries require applicants to be college graduates.

Typically, it takes five years to complete studies at a Jewish seminary, with an additional preparatory year required for students without sufficient background in Hebrew and Jewish studies.

In addition to the core academic program, training generally includes fieldwork and internships, and in some cases study in Jerusalem. Seminary graduates are awarded the title Rabbi and the Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters. Those who opt for more advanced study earn the Doctor of Hebrew Letters.

The largest institutions of rabbinical training in the U.S. are Yeshiva University (Orthodox) in New York City, the Jewish Theological Seminary (Conservative) in New York, and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (Reform) in Cincinnati.

Contact

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  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900
  • North Dakota Career Resource Network
    ndcrn@nd.gov | (701) 328-9733

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