What Communities Are Saying About YCT Rabbis
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Eytan Yammer has provided remarkable leadership in the synagogue and the community. Rabbi Yammer’s sensitivity and learning have been a great gift for the congregation, which is made up of members with extremely diverse backgrounds and practices. And Rabbi Yammer carries his deep knowledge with humility… He and Marisa are respected and loved in the community.
Daniel J. Siegel
Knesseth Israel Congregation Birmingham, Alabama |
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Over the past decades, Jewish communities in America have been contending with an Orthodoxy that has become increasingly insular. A defining test of whether or not a synagogue is truly Modern Orthodox is its inclusivity. Does it accept all Jews regardless of affiliation, commitment or background recognizing that every individual has much to offer the Jewish community? Does it promote-without blurring distinctions-respectful dialogue with rabbis and fellow Jews of other denominations? Does it recognize Israel as our homeland and affirm Israel's religious and historical significance to all Jews? Does it welcome women, encouraging their full involvement to the full extent of Halakha, in Jewish ritual, Jewish learning and communal leadership?
In many cities, there is only one and often, not even one open Modern Orthodox synagogue. On college campuses, there are very few inclusive Modern Orthodox rabbis. The state of day schools is similar, where the teachers themselves - the rebbes - by and large do not share the vision of open Modern Orthodoxy. Precisely because of this urgent need for new rabbinic leadership, in 1999 Rabbi Avi Weiss and his supporters have created Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School. The school was established as a program of the Meorot Institute - an innovative umbrella organization with a singular mission - to develop leadership that will shape the spiritual and intellectual character of the Modern Orthodox community. Other programs of the Meorot Institute included Meorot Rabbinical Fellowship Program for Men, Torah Miriam Fellowship for Women and a University Program for undergraduate students. Over 150 graduate students, rabbinical students, and rabbis have participated in these programs since the Meorot Institute's inception in 1996. Since 1999, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School has grown from the original class of 7 students to currently educating 44 future rabbis in its four-year semikha program and the preparatory Beit Midrash year. Thus, we place 7-15 new rabbis annually in communities throughout North America and Israel, wielding a powerful and highly positive impact on the Jewish community. Our alumni lead congregations and campus Hillels and teach in day schools. Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School offers innovative learning opportunities to the greater Jewish community in matters critical to furthering its mission and the principles of open Modern Orthodoxy. In addition, YCT runs a variety of events open to the entire Jewish community, including its Annual Yemei Iyun on Bible and Jewish Thought and Public Lecture Series. |
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