"RTS charges my batteries for the entire year, and hardly a day goes by without my considering something that was said or that we learned during the course of the program. I can't even find the vocabulary to adequately express how important RTS has been for me intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and even physically." - Rabbi Sam Kieffer, Weston, Florida
"It was a privilege and an honor to have had the opportunity to learn with all of these outstanding scholars." - Rabbi Charles Levi, Deerfield, Illinois
Click here to watch videos of seminars and lectures from the Summer 2012 program, Dilemmas of Faith: God and Spirituality in the Modern World
The Program
Rabbis play a pivotal role in determining the direction and quality of the synagogue experience and, by extension, in helping to shape Jews’ connection to Judaism. Rabbis need to cultivate spiritual and intellectual vibrancy and excellence to realize the full potential of their roles. They require ongoing learning and personal growth, as well as new ideas for communal reflection and stimulation.
Rabbinic Torah Study Seminar is an annual 10-day study program that enriches rabbis of all denominations and nurtures their capacity to inspire their communities, excite them by the Jewish tradition, and motivate them in their quest for meaning. The 2011 and 2010 programs drew more than 100 rabbis from North and South America and Israel.
The program brings together rabbis from around the world each summer to study in a thought-provoking pluralistic framework, enhance their knowledge and provide new ideas for engaging Jewish life. Under the guidance of renowned contemporary thinkers, participants explore Jewish texts, teachings and traditions, and work with colleagues to integrate their learning into the context of their own rabbinic practice.
Rabbinic Torah Study Seminar offers a rare opportunity for rabbinic leaders of all denominations to study jointly in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Participants come together as colleagues on an equal footing to move beyond denominational divisions and discover their similarities, while learning from their differences.
Structure
Rabbinic Torah Study Seminar takes place every summer at Shalom Hartman Institute’s campus in the heart of Jerusalem. The intensive, 10-day seminar comprises lectures by Institute scholars, tutorials and small group learning, as well as encounters with leading Israeli thinkers, artists, writers, politicians, and leaders of North American Jewry.
Target Population
Rabbinic Torah Study Seminar is open to rabbis of all denominations from every corner of the globe who aspire to deepen their pluralistic knowledge of Judaism, expand their first-hand experience of Israel, and develop interdenominational dialogue.
Faculty
Past Retreats
2011: "Jewish Peoplehood: The Meaning of the Collective in Modern Jewish Life."
For information on the Summer 2013 program, click here.
Rabbinic Leadership Programs 
