Component Programs

Straus-Amiel | Beren-Amiel

Participants in the program aim to acquire the specific tools needed to inspire in their adoptive communities an enthusiasm for and pride in being Jewish. In addition to acquiring firm foundations in the traditional ordination subjects of Jewish law, Talmud and Jewish thought, the students must also become well versed in practical law and lore related to the spiritual leadership of a modern community.  The students are further prepared for the challenges awaiting them in the field by focusing on Jewish ritual, pastoral skills, communal structure of Diaspora communities, counselling and basic psychology, formal and informal education, effective pedagogy, public speaking, communication & PR and much more.

Studies take place each Tuesday, 1:45-8:30 PM. Students receive a monthly stipend of $400 per couple.

Claudia Cohen Women Educators Institute

A professionally-trained, intelligent, sensitive emissary can make a profound difference to the community as she brings her own education, skills and personality to the task of renewing Jewish life and reviving Jewish spirit. The communities to which we send our rabbis and educators are in equal need of women role-models and educators.

The Institute cultivates natural abilities, talents and existing skills, adding further knowledge and preparing them with the practical tools needed to inspire an increasingly alienated, sophisticated and assimilated Jewish population across the globe.

Studies take place once every two weeks on Mondays, 4:00-8:00 PM. Periodically there will be joint study days together with the men’s program taking place on Tusedays.

Joint programming

We view the future emissaries as a couple, a family, a unit. Together, they can bring their knowledge and skills to the fore, complementing each other’s strengths and working together to maximize their combined and individual potential. As such, there Claudia Cohen and Straus-Amiel | Beren-Amiel programs complement one another, sharing speakers and creating shared experiences for the couples. Furthermore, beyond the individual training, there is vital importance in training the couple as a unit. As such, throughout the year, while the programs run simultaneously, specials days and shabbatonim are held for the couple and the family to come together, learn and be inspired to go out and inspire others, together.

Maarava Program for Rabbinical Emissaries to Sephardic Communities

Maarava is a specially designed, additional component of the Straus-Amiel Program geared specifically toward rabbis who are planning to carry out emissary work in one of the world’s Sephardic communities. Maarava participants devote time to studying the history of Sephardic Jewry, the unique development of Sephardic Halacha, customs & traditions, liturgy, culture and more, while also examining the particular issues facing Diaspora-based Sephardic communities today.

Studies take place once every two weeks on Tuesdays, 9:30 AM-1:00 PM. Lunch is provided. Students receive a monthly stipend of $250.

Kollel

Students in the Straus-Amiel Program have the option of furthering their rabbinic studies and receiving rabbinic ordination through the Torat Yosef Kollel. Over an intensive two-year period, students study the classic halachic fields of Kashrut, Shabbat, festivals, family purity, lifecycle and more. The focus is on questions and dilemmas that arise in Diaspora communities, so that the student is well placed to answer questions and provide halachic guidance. In additions, lessons in Tanakh, Jewish thought, Chassidut and more take place.

The studies are throughout the week, and there is an option to live onsite in the Beren Academic Campus. Students receive a monthly stipend of 1,600 NIS.

In addition to the halachic & educational components of the curriculum, the students learn many aspects of practical rabbinics, kiruv (outreach) and education. The underlying goal is to train the student to become the most professional communal leader whose work will benefit the community, meeting its needs and helping it grow and indeed thrive. Topics covered include:

• Public speaking and rhetorical skills
• Voice production
• Leadership training
• Organization and administration skills
• Media and public relations
• Interpersonal relationships
• Jewish education in the Diaspora
• The social and demographic make-up of world Jewry
• Multimedia: using movies and presentations in the classroom and community
• Social media
• Marketing
• Fundraising
• Family counselling
• Community planning
• Event planning
• Community programming
• Moral & ethical challenges in contemporary life
• Jewish thought
• Lesson planning and creating a curriculum