The Toronto Board of Rabbis welcomes applications for membership from rabbis in the GTA. There are two paths to membership:
- Rabbis resident in Toronto and vicinity in active ministry or allied work or retired from same, who are members in good standing of the Rabbinical Assembly, the Rabbinical Council of America, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, the International Rabbinic Fellowship, the Alumni Association of the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College, or their local affiliates shall be eligible for membership in the TBR.
(Please note that this is the simpler path to membership and we urge interested individuals to attain membership in one of these organizations before applying to the TBR.)
2. Applicants who do not meet TBR’s standard criteria must have served a congregation or organization in a rabbinic capacity in the GTA for three years and submit:
- 3 letters from current TBR members, preferably not all from the same movement, including one executive board member. References may not come from immediate family members.
- A letter of recommendation from either a professor or an official of the applicant’s ordaining body
- A letter of support from the applicant’s employer (if applicable).
- Proof of study
Rabbis who have been members in good standing of other boards of rabbis before serving in the GTA may apply after two years in the GTA .
Among the criteria to be considered by the membership committee is the amount and type of rabbinic education received by the candidate. Factors to be considered include scope, depth, total hours, number of years of study, and whether such study took place in person or remotely.
Employment in the community will also be considered (i.e., someone who is the rabbi at a synagogue or someone who is teaching in a school or someone who has smicha and works outside the Jewish community.)
The application will be presented to the membership committee which consists of two past presidents and three members of the executive board.
Upon approval by the membership committee, the president will inform the membership, within 14 days of the next business meeting, that an applicant has been recommended for membership. Members will then have the opportunity to share comments regarding the applicant with the president which will then be conveyed to the membership at the upcoming meeting where the application will be brought to a vote. An applicant will be accepted for membership with 2/3 approval of voting members present at that meeting.
To apply please contact: information@torontoboardofrabbis.org