We are living in turbulent times as a Jewish community. The rise in antisemitism and racism, the growing political divide, and the divisions in our community over the war in Gaza and Oct. 7th have left many of us feeling despondent and powerless to make change.
Especially in this time, JOIN for Justice is committed to equipping seminary students in rabbinic, cantorial, Maharat, and Jewish education schools from across the country with the skills to reach across divides and build unified, strong communities and to make strategic change around our interests and values. To that end, JOIN is offering its Cross Seminary class in New York this fall, which will have a hybrid option for students outside of New York to participate.
The Seminary Leadership Project provides rabbinical, cantorial and education students in all denominations at seminaries across the country with organizing and leadership development training, and mentorship with rabbis and organizers engaged in synagogue organizing. It provides opportunities for students from various seminaries and denominations who are interested in organizing to impact the Jewish community and the world around them to learn from and support each other.
Read about our Seminary Leadership Course in New York in the fall. In training the next generation of religious Jewish leaders, we intend to fill synagogues across the country as well as other Jewish institutions with clergy who understand how to build thriving communities based on relationships and common purpose. Clergy trained through the Seminary Leadership Project have the skills to develop leadership teams, rather than leading on their own. They have the appetite to transform their own institutions into healthy, vibrant, thriving beacons and to lead those institutions as they act on values grounded in social justice in the world around them, helping it become a more just place. They see their laypeople as allies, not problems to be controlled, and other clergy – both Jewish and non-Jewish – as partners. They have the confidence to experiment and the talent to position themselves for success.
Over 1000 rabbinical students have been trained through the Seminary Leadership Project, which was founded at Interfaith Funders and later housed by Jewish Funds for Justice before moving to JOIN for Justice in 2011. Our alumni are assistant or lead rabbis at synagogues all over the country, such as Boston, New York, Washington DC, Dallas, New Jersey, Florida, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and beyond.
For more information, Jeannie Appleman at jappleman@joinforjustice.org
2026 Cross Seminary Course
Community organizing and leadership training course this fall for students in rabbinic, cantorial, and education schools. The class will be held in person for 2 Sunday sessions in Manhattan, and on Zoom for the remaining classes.
JOIN for Justice will be accepting applications in mid-February for its fall semester Community Organizing Course for seminary students in rabbinical, cantorial, and education schools in New York: Academy For Jewish Religion, Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, Jewish Theological Seminary, Hebrew College, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, Yeshivat Maharat, Yeshiva University, and Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Every two to three years, JOIN offers a two-day in-person course for HUC-JIR LA and Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles.
The course is offered in partnership with the Religious Action Center.
Two In-person classes in Manhattan, sites TBD, that will be hybrid for those outside of New York
- Sunday, Oct. 11, from 1:00-4:00 PM
- Sunday, Dec. 13th, from 1–4:00 PM
8 Virtual classes: 7:15 – 9 pm
- Monday, Oct. 19th, from 7:15-9:00 PM
- Monday, Oct. 26th, from 7:15-9:00 PM
- Monday, Nov. 2rd, from 7:15- 9:00 PM
- Monday, Nov. 9th, from 7:15-9:00 PM
- Monday, Nov. 16th, from 7:15-9:00 PM
- Monday, Nov. 23th, from 7:15-9:00 PM
- Monday, Nov. 30th, from 7:15-9:00 PM
- Monday, Dec. 7th, from 7:15-9:00 PM
Please contact Jeannie Appleman at jappleman@joinforjustice.org if you are interested in scheduling a phone call.
The class is interactive and has guest clergy from the field who have made organizing principles and practices a central part of their work, both for justice work and congregational development.
HUC-JIR students will receive 2 credits for the course and have the opportunity to work with RAC NY on a local organizing campaign.
