What Rabbinical Students Say They Need From Their Training
Cantor Laura Stein
October 23, 2025, 1-1:30pm ET
Spiritual formation has long been considered an important part of theological education for seminary students in Christian contexts, but what about students in Jewish seminaries? In a recent study of Jewish seminarians’ perspectives of their formation needs, scholars learned that rabbinical students at a progressive seminary seek training in areas such as mental health, diversity, and social justice; relational spaces for cultivating virtue capacities; and opportunities for meaningful reflection and processing of their growth. In this session, lead researcher Laura Stein will discuss with Brandeis University Professor Ziva Hassenfeld what can be learned about the future directions of Jewish clergy students’ formation, and what can be done to address their evolving needs.
Via Zoom. Free. Registration required at https://www.brandeis.edu/mandel/events/learning-about-learning.html#lal-ls
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Learning About Learning: Join us virtually for a series of conversations hosted by Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education faculty, in which leading scholars of Jewish education discuss what they have learned from their investigations of various aspects of Jewish education, and why it matters.
These events are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Videos and podcasts of past events can be found at https://www.brandeis.edu/mandel/events/videos.html.
Contact Email:mandelcenter@brandeis.edu