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Since its founding in 1956 as a rabbinical school, the Academy for Jewish Religion has been at the forefront of pluralistic rabbinic and cantorial training.

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No Pipe Dream: Is There Really a Clergy Shortage?

Times of Israel Blog by Dr. Ora Horn Prouser

Latest Torah

by Rabbi Ḥazzan Luis Catt

A D’var Torah for Parashat Shelah By Hazzan Rabbi Luis Cattan Nahbi and Geuel had grown up in the brickyards of Egypt, where children learned to whisper dreams only in the dark. They shared the same clay dust, the same lash, the same bitter herbs—but never friendship. Nahbi, son of Vophsi of the tribe of Naphtali, was careful and calculating, known for his smooth tongue and cautious mind. Geuel, son of Makhi from the tribe of Gad, was shrewd and ambitious, always watching from the shadows. They admired each other’s strengths in the way adversaries do—always measuring, never trusting. Now, with the miraculous Exodus behind them and the covenant of Sinai fresh in their memories, they were suddenly leaders—appointed chieftains of their respective tribes. And rivals once more. As Read More >

by Rabbi Cantor Inna Serebro-Litvak ('16)

A D’var Torah for Parashat Beha’alotekha By Rabbi Inna Serebro-Litvak (AJR '16) When I was six years old, my father took me on a camping trip with his coworkers and their children. (In Russia this was considered to be a team building activity). My favorite memories of that time include sitting around the campfire, listening to the singing (someone would always bring a guitar), baking potatoes in the coals and watching the flames shooting up in the dark. I was fascinated by the beauty and the variety of shades of orange, the sound of the burning wood, the smell, and the smoke that rose up to the heavens. I thought that the campfire was a beautiful thing! A few years later I learned the hard Read More >

by Cantor Robin Anne Joseph (’96)

Down and Dirty A D’var Torah for Parashat Naso By Cantor Robin Anne Joseph (AJR '96) A priest’s work is never done. After a long day directing the services of the Gershonites, recording the enrollment of the Kohathites, the Gershonites, the Merarites, and retaining sacred donations…must the priests also be marriage counselors? In Paashat Naso, any man who thinks his wife has “gone astray,” whether she has actually had sexual relations with another man or not, should be brought by the jealous husband to the priest. (Num. 5:12-15) Oh, really? Whatever happened to the death penalty? Not that I’m in favor of that, but isn’t the death penalty the prescription for adultery? Remember back in Leviticus… “If a man commits adultery with a married woman—committing adultery with another man’s Read More >

by Rabbi Susan Elkodsi (AJR '15)

A D’var Torah for Parashat Bemidbar By Rabbi Susan Elkodsi (AJR '15) A few years ago, for Mother’s Day, my kids gave me a DNA-testing kit from Ancestry.com. Not surprisingly, the results came back as 99% Ashkenazi Jewish with 1% various other ethnicities, depending on some algorithm or something. It was fascinating to start receiving DNA matches, including my daughter (whew!), connecting with some long-lost relatives, and learning about some distant ones whom I never knew existed. I get as far back as my great-grandparents, and then the history appears to end. My husband, whose father was part of the Egyptian Karaite community, has information going back 12 or 13 generations because excellent records have been kept and kept up. Now imagine being an Israelite born into Egyptian Read More >

This Week @ AJR

Monday, Jun 23
  • Gesher Students Meeting
    Monday, Jun 23 @ 12:10 pm EDT - 12:45 pm EDT
    Zoom 09

  • Minhah 3:30 - 3:50pm ET (Z9)
    Monday, Jun 23 @ 3:30 pm EDT - 3:50 pm EDT
    Zoom 09

Tuesday, Jun 24
  • Cantorial Practica of Zahava Fried and Erica Lipp
    Tuesday, Jun 24 @ 12:10 pm EDT - 12:45 pm EDT
    Zoom 09

  • Minhah 3:30 - 3:50pm ET (Z9)
    Tuesday, Jun 24 @ 3:30 pm EDT - 3:50 pm EDT
    Zoom 09

Wednesday, Jun 25
  • Student Association Meeting
    Wednesday, Jun 25 @ 12:10 pm EDT - 12:45 pm EDT
    Zoom 09

  • Minhah 3:30 - 3:50pm ET (Z9)
    Wednesday, Jun 25 @ 3:30 pm EDT - 3:50 pm EDT
    Zoom 09

Thursday, Jun 26
  • Drop-in and Check in: An extra time to be together for support
    Thursday, Jun 26 @ 12:10 pm EDT - 12:45 pm EDT
    Zoom 09

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