Rabbinic Degrees online?

Does anyone know if there are any legitimate Rabbinical programs online or DL or do the Goyim get to have all the fun?

 

There are a few--I actually considered at one point doing a book called The Mailbox Maven, but didn't find enough content for it.* Options that come immediately to mind: the MSJS/DJS/DSJS offered by Spertus College; the MAJS offered by Hebrew College; the MAJS and MA in Indepartmental Studies offered by JTSA; an MAJS offered by Hebrew Union College (I think); BA through DLitt et Phil programs in Judaica offered by the University of South Africa; and, until recently, an exam-based Hons BA in Jewish history offered by the University of London (and even now, the BD can be done in a Judaism-focused mode--Hebrew "Old Testament," followed by relevant elective courses). The JTSA interdepartmental studies program is probably the one most suited to rabbinics, since they have a huge Talmud and Rabbinics department with some online graduate courses. To my knowledge, no DL programs lead to rabbinical ordination, but any may help fulfill rabbinical ordination requirements.

My own Ph.D. research focuses on postmodern Jewish philosopher Max Kadushin, but is not in Jewish studies as such.

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* And my proposed sequel, The Mailbox Mohel, would have been even harder to promote.


Cheers,

 

Tom: great post. Spertus is a blast, BTW. I took a course and attended various stuff there when I was in the Cloaca Maxima (Chicago), and would recommend it enthusiastically to anybody.

 

Thanks, Janko. I remember getting some very good vibes from Spertus myself; they sent me an extremely detailed packet on their DJS curriculum at one point, and it reminded me of some of the stuff Union was doing with reading lists, interdisciplinary and student-defined research projects, etc., while at the same time covering all the basics of Jewish studies. I was very impressed.


Cheers,