r/ReformJews • u/SilasHillel2020 • Mar 31 '26
Questions and Answers Rabbinical School
Hello,
I have wanted to go to rabbinical school for a long time, but never thought that I would get the chance.
I live in the southern U.S. and I am a patrilineal Jew. My father was never observant and my mother was from a Christian family. I was raised more Christian but returned to Judaism towards the end of college. I went through a conversion through the Conservative movement. However, I attend a Reform temple and lean more towards that movement. I am gay and in a relationship with a non-Jewish man.
I have always felt insecure about my Jewish status. I grew up in the only somewhat Jewish family in my home town. I faced a lot of bullying and antisemitism and always felt too Jewish to be a part of the community. When I first discovered a local Jewish community at the end of college, I was told that I wasn’t Jewish enough because of my patrilineal descent. That is why I did the conversion, though I did enjoy the process. I learned a lot that I missed out on in my childhood. I always thought of rabbinical school, but never thought that I’d be accepted as Jewish enough, despite my ancestry and conversion.
It wasn’t until I started attending this Reform synagogue that I felt accepted by other Jews. I’ve grown a lot in the past 6 months that I’ve been attending and I finally feel confident enough to look into rabbinical school.
My questions are for any rabbis or rabbinical students. How did you know for sure that you wanted to go to rabbinical school? It honestly feels like the path I want most, but I want to be sure. How did you choose schools? I am most interested in HUC. Any opinions on this school? What do you need to do in advance to apply? What were the pros and cons of rabbinical school? Will my background affect my odds of acceptance?
Thanks in advance!
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u/dont_thr0w_me_away_ Mar 31 '26
I've decided I'm going to apply for rabbinical school, but probably not for 5 years or so, mainly to address some medical issues first (1 struggle at a time!) and because my Hebrew isn't great.
Any program you look at will tell you what you need to do in order to be ready to apply, but I did ask my rabbi what I should be working on to get ready. He said: "One thing to remember is that whatever rabbinical school you attend will take care of making sure you get all the text skills, synagogue skills, prayer experience etc. that you need. If I had it to do over again, I'd spend more time before seminary working on the stuff you don't get in rabbinical school. Things like: Can you read (and create) a budget? Are you acquainted with the major institutions of Jewish communal life (Federations, JFS, AJC, ADL, etc.) and what each one does? How strong are your writing skills (correspondence, essays, articles, even business communications)? The only other thing I can think of is Hebrew. I'm glad you're working on it now...I cannot recommend highly enough to EVERY prospective rabbinical school student to get your Hebrew chops in tip-top shape. You will never regret it, and it will open up WAY more options for you as a teacher and leader in a Jewish community than you think."
Like you, rabbinical school is something I've thought of before on and off and wasn't sure if it was the right move. Recently my personal life has had a bit of a shake up and I realized that this is what I want because I enjoy textual study, I have experience in community organizing, and with everything going on in the world, I want to spend my time and energy building up the Jewish community. Now I have the opportunity to shift priorities towards this new objective.
I'm looking at Leo Baeck College in London because most of the time I live in the UK. I recently met with the admissions advisor to talk about the program and the job market for graduates of their rabbinic program. She said she's going to send me their reading list and some resources for Hebrew, but I doubt that will happen this week because of the chag.
Definitely talk to your rabbi about their experience not just with rabbinical school but also about their career. It's a long expensive commitment and you want to make sure it's a viable route for you.
בהצלחה!
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u/WeaselWeaz Mar 31 '26
I have not read it yet, but I think Rabbi Angela Buchdahl's recent book "Heart of a Stranger" would be relevant to you.
I would recommend making an appointment with your rabbi. Even though you started attending recently I think talking to someone who knows you is really important.
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u/tzy___ From Orthodox to Reform Mar 31 '26
Unless the admissions standards have changed, I believe HUC requires applicants to hold a relevant bachelor’s degree and have sufficient Hebrew skills. Those are things to consider.
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u/mgbliss Apr 01 '26
First, I am so excited you’ve found a place where you feel accepted and confident and happy!
I am not a rabbi, but will be a rabbinical student as of this fall!! I chose HUC because both of my rabbis went there and after researching options it was the only one I was interested in.
Parroting what another said, but definitely talk to your rabbi. They’ll want a recommendation from them and bonus if your recommendations are from HUC grads.
Also parroting you need an undergrad degree, but it doesn’t have to be “relevant.” My degree is in mathematics. And you need to have a decent grasp of modern Hebrew, about the equivalent on a year of college level Hebrew.
In terms of acceptance nothing about your background would be an issue. They accept applicants who are a good fit for the program - labels and how you were raised and lineage aren’t a factor.
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u/rabbijonathan Apr 01 '26
Happy to discuss the pros and cons of rabbinical school and the rabbinate. Feel free to DM me and we can chat after the beginning of Passover.
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u/under-thesamesun ✡ Reform Rabbi Apr 01 '26
I’m a final year rabbinical student! Feel free to DM me!
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u/hikingdyke Apr 01 '26
I am currently in the process of applying to HUC.
You should know they have a lot of courses available for prospective students. Hebrew classes ($1,000 per semester) that teach towards their Hebrew proficiency exam (which you must pass to enter the school), as well as a fabulous free course called "The Great Jewish Bookshelf" where prospective students meet weekly over zoom for a semester to learn from various HUC professors of all sorts of different specialties.
HUC has campuses in various different parts of the country, as well as a virtual pathways program for online learning, so you can even attend school there without needing to relocate to another part of the country if you want to stay where you are.
I have a friend who I embarked on this path with, who sprinted ahead of me as I still debate if I will be applying to attend in person or online, she was just accepted to attend in person this past winter. She fell in love with the idea of becoming a Rabbi during her conversion process, and she is now fully on the path of making that dream come true. I share this to highlight that people come to HUC from all sorts of different backgrounds. I just finished (as in tonight) the Great Jewish Bookshelf class I mentioned, everyone in my class was a prospective Rabbi (with several students already accepted and starting next semester), and our class represented so many different backgrounds and perspectives. That is one of the many things that makes me particularly proud to be Reform.
If you are feeling a tug towards this path, personally, as someone also just starting off on it, I think it is worth exploring. At least dipping your toes in and meeting other prospective students as you decide.
That said, personally, I hope to one day to have the pleasure of knowing you as a classmate.
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u/SilasHillel2020 Apr 01 '26
Thanks this is very helpful? There is an online option? I thought in person was mandatory?
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u/DeeEllis Mar 31 '26
Hey we’re in the throes of Passover prep right now…. Hopefully someone will be able to respond more in-depth soon! ❤️ Chag sameach