Our Mission
The mission of Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary is to bring the Jewish community around the world together.
Our Vision
Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary (PRS) is the very best in practical, distance learning based rabbinical education. PRS is the only rabbinical school with a distinct focus on helping students launch innovative Jewish projects around the world. By simultaneously incubating future rabbis and future Jewish organizations, we are creating maximum benefit to Jewish life.
PRS has three goals:
- To train and ordain future rabbis for the future of Judaism
- To provide the absolute best distance education rabbinical education possible
- To be a leader in Jewish pluralism
What makes PRS different?
Multi-Denominational Smicha
PRS is a pioneer in post-denominational rabbinical training. Our Jewish educators and professionals come from a wide variety of countries, careers, and backgrounds. The smicha committee (bet din) at PRS include Reform, Conservative and post-denominational rabbis who act as mentors throughout a student’s education.
High Learning Standards
While many schools do a terrific job of educating students from little to no Jewish education into the rabbinate, we are focused on helping students who already have through prior academic learning or experience the education needed to enter rabbinical school at the third or fourth year.
Our program is a very rigorous two years of studying text, history, language, and practical rabbinics using distance learning tools that create as much interaction between students and educators as possible.
We cannot stress the intensity of our program. Our academic calendar provides a one-week break per quarter, which is filled with independent learning that reinforces previous learning and prepares students for future courses.
Seeking Non-Traditional Students
At PRS, we have chosen to position ourselves as the seminary for highly educated, lay Jews who have early-stage ideas for how to radically impact the future of Jewish life, and need to be educated into those ideas. This can include current Jewish professionals, “professional volunteers”, second-career rabbis, cantors seeking rabbinical ordination and more.
Our program is ideal for these non-traditional rabbinical students who continue to work full time while studying with us.
Beyond the Synagogue and the School
As part of admission to our program, students must present their idea for a project (non-profit or for-profit) that will dramatically improve Jewish life. Once accepted, the student works on their project while being educated to serve as a rabbi, as well as an organization founder and director.
There are many options for rabbinical education and we would encourage students seeking more traditional careers to attend more traditional rabbinical schools.
After touring and interviewing at a few of the “big” rabbinical schools, I chose PRS because the brick-and-mortar rabbinical school model wasn’t viable for my family- financially or physically (and honestly, it “works” for very few people). It’s been exciting to be part of a brand-new movement of online rabbinical school, to grow with my cohort, and to engage in meaningful, deep learning and dialogue with faculty and students alike. Another unexpected blessing has been the seamless learning we’ve had in the time of COVID-19. I am so happy that I chose to take this journey with PRS.
I chose to attend PRS because for me, PRS offers the best of all worlds in rabbinical education. PRS models a dedication to Jewish innovation and the future of Judaism all the while maintains a fundamental respect for Jewish tradition and the need to serve Jews of today.
I’m a builder, a fixer, and an innovator in my Jewish community, and my rabbinic training with PRS has already begun to deepen my ability to lead. I chose PRS as for years I figured access to rigorous rabbinic training was likely out of reach, given where I was in my career and life. Not anymore. Faculty are excellent, my peers are compelling and we are bonding - and wrestling - as a cohort over the big things. Given the Covid-19 crisis, it’s been wonderful to have our rabbinic education continue without a hitch. And, given the state of the world, we are going to need all the leadership we can get in these coming years. Very grateful for the opportunity.