The Rabbis Who Didn’t Sell Their Houses
Rabbi Karen Reiss Medwed, Ph.D., Director, Virtual Pathway
What is a rabbi? What values will guide you in the rabbinate? And what does it mean to pursue rabbinic leadership through a virtual program?
In her recent blog for The Times of Israel, Rabbi Reissa Medwed reflects on these questions as she welcomes the third cohort of Hebrew Union College’s Virtual Pathway rabbinical students. The 17 new students recently gathered in Cincinnati for the opening of the program’s in-person intensive, where they explored the College’s historic campus and experienced firsthand its enduring legacy and spirit of innovation.
As director of the program, Rabbi Medwed is inspired by the opportunity Virtual Pathway creates for aspiring rabbis who may once have seen rabbinical school as out of reach. By removing barriers such as relocation and the need to uproot families and careers, the program enables students to pursue their calling while remaining rooted in their communities and daily lives.
Looking ahead to the New Year, Rabbi Medwed expresses gratitude for the growing community of students answering the call to Jewish leadership through this innovative model. As she writes, “Wherever Torah comes alive, that is the place where their journey will form.”