JTS Center for Pastoral Education Meets a $750,000 Fund-Raising Challenge

The Center for Pastoral Education at The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) has received a grant of $250,000 that will help support its growth and development over the next two years. The funds came in the form of a 1:2 challenge grant offered by an anonymous foundation. Thanks to generosity from donors nationwide, JTS raised more than $500,000 to secure the additional $250,000 from the foundation.

The Center equips seminarians, clergy, laity, and professionals of any religion or Jewish movement to serve the spiritual needs of those in crisis, within their own faith traditions and in broader society.

With this new funding, the Center for Pastoral Education at JTS will continue its training programs and expand to directly reach congregations, health care professionals, and additional clergy in the field with pastoral education and a Jewishly grounded approach. The Center will:

• Reach out geographically to better serve rabbis and other clergy across North America, who are seeking intensive, accredited Clinical Pastoral Education instruction and supervision in their home communities.
• Fill a need among Jewish congregations to strengthen the practices of pastoral care within their communities by offering rabbis, cantors, and Jewish congregational lay leaders more options for learning with JTS, including distance learning courses and online resources.
• Work with health care professionals – from doctors and nurses to therapists and social workers – to help them augment their professional training and practice with greater attunement to the spiritual dimensions of care.