Home>>Rabbinic and Educator Programs>>Jewel – Educators Certificate Program

Become an empowered Jewish Leader, confident in your Torah and professional skills, and an active listener with an approachable, pastoral presence.

YCT’s JEWEL (Jewish Educators and Leadership Certificate) Program is a fully-funded one-year full-time program for observant men who are seriously considering a career in Jewish education or communal service.

Graduates will have direct access to job opportunities and professional connections through our extensive alumni network of rabbis and educators, including those who are in key leadership positions in schools, Jewish organizations, and synagogues.

Program Highlights:

  • Intensive Morning Seder in Gemara and Halakha
  • Afternoon classes in Torah and Modernity; Jewish Thought, Parsha, and Hassidut
  • Leadership Training in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Relational Engagement, and Community Organizing
  • Pastoral Counseling training
  • Mentored Internships and fieldwork to apply one’s learning and professional skills in real-world situations
  • Personalized, directed study with major scholars, educators and leaders
  • Professional development funds to be applied to outside leadership programs

Graduates of this program earn a Certificate in Jewish Education and Leadership.

Full scholarships and living stipends are available for qualified students.

Graduates commit to devote at least one year following graduation to full-time Jewish communal work. Students have the option of committing to two years of Jewish communal service and to continue to participate in the program for a second-year.

Qualifying students can also apply to transition into the CORE semikha program, and have their year or two years count towards their semikha requirements.

All prospective students spend at least two days at the yeshiva while it is in session. Visits should be arranged in advance. Applications should include two letters of recommendation: one academic or professional reference, and one personal reference. References should be emailed to admissions@yctorah.org. Applications should also include an official transcript. Those currently enrolled in degree programs should include mid-year transcripts and arrange for final transcripts to be emailed to admissions@yctorah.org upon completion of the semester.

Applications are due March 15. Interviews will be scheduled upon receipt of a complete application. The interview, should it be granted, includes a meeting with the Rosh HaYeshiva; a formal interview with our admissions committee; and a written and oral assessment of the applicant’s Talmud skills.

Click Here to Apply

For more information, contact us at: jewel@yctorah.org

Explore Our Programs

Semikha

Rikmah Students A black and white photographic image of two people, one masculine in appearance and the other feminine in appearance, both are smiling and facing directly at the camera from the middle of the image. Only the top half of these people are visible and the background is transparent. The woman is in front and to the right, she appears to be in her 30s-40s with a light skin tone. She has shoulder length dark hair, squarish glasses, a large, top-heavy, head-wrap, a light solid colored dress with puffy shoulders and a necklace made of large interlocking chain links. The man has a similar glasses, skin tone and seems to be a similar age to the woman. He has a plaid patterned shirt, a large white keepah that is barely visible from the camera angle, black hair which is short aside from a long pair of payote which go down to mid chest height and a beard that goes down to his collar bone and seems a little untidy, he also has a mustache.

Rikmah

YCT student learning Black and white photograph cropped of Rabbi Aaron Portman. Image of a man in grey scale with a transparent background. He has light skin, appears to be in his 30s, and can be seen from the chest up. He is hovering over a large open sefer, possibly Gemara, where the outside of the pages seems to be textured with blotches of color. He has thick, dark, short hair that is swept to the right, half closed eyes and a wide open mouthed smile. He is wearing a white keepah with a hair clip on the left, circular wire rim glasses, a ribbed dark sweater and a checkered button down shirt and a ring on his left ring finger. There is nothing else in the picture besides the transparent background so he appears to be floating in the air.

Beit Midrash

A blurry photo-realistic stock image called "bohemian-man-with-his-arms-crossed". Image of a man standing straight and directly facing the camera and visible from the waist up. The whole image is in grey-scale with a transparent background. He has a light skin-tone, a full-faced, bushy, dark, beard and mustache and short, wavy, dark hair. He seems to be smiling but his facial hair covers most of his mouth. He is wearing large, circular, black framed glasses, a mid-tone fedora with a woven checker pattern and a long sleeved comfy shirt with ribbed cuffs. He is also wearing a scarf wrapped twice around his neck with the ends not visible, the scarf has horizontal stripes going in a pattern from light to dark. His arms are crossed and he as a significant amount of hair on his fore-arms.

Jewel