By Celso Cukierkorn
The word Rabbi is Hebrew . The word means teacher. Normally, they are taken as religious or spiritual leaders or teachers by the Jews. They are teachers of Torah, an idea in Judaism that educates about the history and cultural practices of the Jews. There are certain conditions that have to be met in order to attain this status.
The most fundamental requirement is, you must be Jewish or be a convert to Judaism. The converts have to follow some procedure in order to meet the requirements. Judaism has different branches, each branch has its own sequence of events in the conversion process. Therefore, a new convert must be conversant with the different branches of the Jewish religion. These branches are Orthodox, Reform or and Conservative.
Again, as a teacher, you will be required to instill knowledge to individuals. Then, excellent public speaking skills are necessary. To communicate clearly and effectively, good public speaking skills are required. Furthermore, dealing with the society also involves instances where we are required to solve conflicts, especially for religious leaders, and offer guidance. Therefore, great listening skills are a must.
As we have realized. There are different branches. All this branches are actually mutually exclusive. Every branch is different from another in practice. Orthodox is the most traditional and does not ordain the women folk. It also sticks to ancient methods of worship. Conservatives advocates for religious flexibility but and the same time calls for observance of Jewish traditional laws. Reform or Reconstructive is the most recent, started in Europe and North America. This is the most liberal branch of Judaism.
Higher education is also very necessary. Seminaries will require people who have a university degree. People with knowledge tend to understand the world better than academic dwarfs, they are also more insightful in decision making. Again, it will take up to seven years of seminary education for attainment of the status or title. Therefore, people who are not used to years of academics will find the going too tough. Then we can conclude that it is important to have a university degree.
A Rabbi is normally a religious leader. It is not a surprise that many people view it as a calling from God. Therefore, it is important to gain some life experience before joining. One can either be a teacher, doctor or any other line of professional. Such experience will enable you harness enough skills that will get you to know how to handle the masses. Again, that way, it is easier to understand the community.
The most important stage is the seminary school. After meeting all the conditions above, you can be allowed to join a seminary school. It might take you up to seven years to fully complete the religious education. You can never be a Rabbi without going through a seminary school. This stage is unavoidable. After which you graduate with a certificate in Hebrew letters.
To complete the process, you will need a congregation. You may start small, you can start as an assistant or a Chaplain in a school or collage. A Rabbi is normally independent, he/she is not answer to bishops of cardinals but to the congregation that he/she serves. Therefore, once you become one, you will enjoy full autonomy, hence patience is important. And that is the process that makes one a Rabbi.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about The People's Rabbi (http://www.rabbiraw.org) , Please visit us on facebook at Rabbi (http://www.facebook.com/peoplesrabbi) .
The word Rabbi is Hebrew . The word means teacher. Normally, they are taken as religious or spiritual leaders or teachers by the Jews. They are teachers of Torah, an idea in Judaism that educates about the history and cultural practices of the Jews. There are certain conditions that have to be met in order to attain this status.
The most fundamental requirement is, you must be Jewish or be a convert to Judaism. The converts have to follow some procedure in order to meet the requirements. Judaism has different branches, each branch has its own sequence of events in the conversion process. Therefore, a new convert must be conversant with the different branches of the Jewish religion. These branches are Orthodox, Reform or and Conservative.
Again, as a teacher, you will be required to instill knowledge to individuals. Then, excellent public speaking skills are necessary. To communicate clearly and effectively, good public speaking skills are required. Furthermore, dealing with the society also involves instances where we are required to solve conflicts, especially for religious leaders, and offer guidance. Therefore, great listening skills are a must.
As we have realized. There are different branches. All this branches are actually mutually exclusive. Every branch is different from another in practice. Orthodox is the most traditional and does not ordain the women folk. It also sticks to ancient methods of worship. Conservatives advocates for religious flexibility but and the same time calls for observance of Jewish traditional laws. Reform or Reconstructive is the most recent, started in Europe and North America. This is the most liberal branch of Judaism.
Higher education is also very necessary. Seminaries will require people who have a university degree. People with knowledge tend to understand the world better than academic dwarfs, they are also more insightful in decision making. Again, it will take up to seven years of seminary education for attainment of the status or title. Therefore, people who are not used to years of academics will find the going too tough. Then we can conclude that it is important to have a university degree.
A Rabbi is normally a religious leader. It is not a surprise that many people view it as a calling from God. Therefore, it is important to gain some life experience before joining. One can either be a teacher, doctor or any other line of professional. Such experience will enable you harness enough skills that will get you to know how to handle the masses. Again, that way, it is easier to understand the community.
The most important stage is the seminary school. After meeting all the conditions above, you can be allowed to join a seminary school. It might take you up to seven years to fully complete the religious education. You can never be a Rabbi without going through a seminary school. This stage is unavoidable. After which you graduate with a certificate in Hebrew letters.
To complete the process, you will need a congregation. You may start small, you can start as an assistant or a Chaplain in a school or collage. A Rabbi is normally independent, he/she is not answer to bishops of cardinals but to the congregation that he/she serves. Therefore, once you become one, you will enjoy full autonomy, hence patience is important. And that is the process that makes one a Rabbi.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about The People's Rabbi (http://www.rabbiraw.org) , Please visit us on facebook at Rabbi (http://www.facebook.com/peoplesrabbi) .