Community | Community Spiritual Leadership

Over the past decade, Israelis are increasingly interested in reclaiming their Jewish heritage, connecting with community and adding a spiritual dimension to their lives. An exciting expression of this grassroots trend has been the emergence of spiritual communities among secular Israelis, independent of the various streams of Judaism. Within these emerging communities, families and individuals join together for life cycle events, Kabbalot Shabbat and holiday celebrations, study sessions and Tikkun Olam. Naturally, there is a growing need for spiritual leaders with the pluralistic orientation and skills that are relevant for guiding these new communities.

HaMidrasha’s Spiritual Community Leadership program provides training and networking opportunities for spiritual leaders from throughout Israel. It empowers local leaders to spearhead a process of spiritual community-building while drawing support from colleagues facing similar professional challenges. As part of the training program, participants study Jewish texts, learn about traditions, design meaningful celebrations and explore Jewish values of social justice and how to put those values into practice. They also learn skills for community development such as group dynamics and models of leadership drawn from traditional Judaism and contemporary understandings.

This program supports HaMidrasha’s ongoing work in fostering the establishment of spiritual Israeli-Jewish communities nationwide.