Center for Pastoral Education

The Center for Pastoral Education was established in 2009 with the goal of teaching the art of pastoral care to seminary students—Jewish and non-Jewish—and ordained clergy of all faiths. Studies at the center combine rigorous academic courses with the transformative learning process of Clinical Pastoral Education.

Accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE) to offer level I, level II, and supervisory CPE, the Center for Pastoral Education at The Jewish Theological Seminary turns day-treatment programs for the mentally ill, nursing homes, hospitals, senior housing, hospices, and congregations into virtual classrooms.

The work of the center is possible thanks to the generous funding of the Charles H. Revson Foundation and the Booth Ferris Foundation.

The Center for Pastoral Education Offers the Following Courses and Certificates:

1. One unit of CPE (400 hours)

1.1. Full-time summer CPE programs for seminarians

1.2. Part-time hospice CPE program during the full academic year

2. Half-unit of CPE (240 hours)

2.1. Monthly part-time multifaith CPE program for ordained clergy and religious community leaders

2.2. Biweekly part-time multifaith CPE program for ordained clergy and religious community leaders

3. Certificate in Pastoral Care and Counseling

4. Academic courses in Pastoral Care and Counseling

Course of Study for Units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE)

Full-Time Summer CPE Programs

This 400-hour, 12-week intensive training program teaches seminarians of all faiths how to best provide pastoral care. The center offers two unique summer CPE programs: the Social Service Agency CPE and the Hospice CPE. Chaplain interns spend three days per week providing pastoral care at their clinical sites. The remaining two days are spent at JTS in educational seminars.

At the end of this intensive program, students will have completed one full unit of CPE.

View more information and CPE application forms.

Part-Time Hospice CPE Program

The Jewish Theological Seminary is offering a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) to seminarians of all faiths during the 2012–2013 academic year. Students will complete their clinical hours at Zicklin Jewish Hospice Residence in Riverdale, New York; Jacob Perlow Hospice; and Metropolitan Jewish Health System. Students will earn credit for one full unit of CPE with the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE).

See detailed information about the program, requirements, and application procedures.

Part-Time Multifaith Program for Clergy

The part-time CPE program for pulpit clergy and religious community leaders allows participants to delve into the unique aspects of pastoral work that arise in congregational settings. Participants will earn credit for one half-unit of CPE with the ACPE. Group supervision and didactics are offered in two different formats: one section meets monthly for a full day of seminars, the other section meets biweekly for evening seminars.

View detailed information about the program, requirements, and application procedures.

Policies and Procedures for All JTS CPE Students

The Center for Pastoral Education meets all ACPE standards, including ensuring that students are informed in writing of all policies, procedures, rights, and responsibilities that pertain to them as participants in ACPE programs at JTS.

Certificate in Pastoral Care and Counseling

The new Certificate in Pastoral Care and Counseling can be earned by anyone eligible to enroll in a graduate program (completed BA degree).

The Certificate in Pastoral Care and Counseling represents an integrated pastoral-care curriculum that includes academic learning, professional skills, and religious and personal identity formation. Students who are interested in preparing themselves for the world of professional chaplaincy will be in an excellent position to become leaders in the field. Students who wish to become clergy or religious professionals in agencies or schools will have the in-depth pastoral training to serve the needs of their congregants, clients, and students on a high level, and with expertise in the rich pastoral resources of Judaism.

View a detailed description of the program and its requirements.

Academic Courses in Pastoral Care and Counseling

PAS 7431 BASICS OF PASTORAL CARE AND COUNSELING
Theoretical approaches to counseling individuals and families, developing language for care, boundaries, confidentiality, initiating contact, interviewing, active listening, assessment, referrals, and communal resources. Requires two hours a week of volunteer pastoral work in a local hospital or nursing home.

PAS 7434 PASTORAL THEOLOGY
This course prepares students for the inevitable moment when a person suffers a calamity and turns to the clergy asking, "Why?" Through engagement with a range of sources, and with one another, students develop pastoral responses and cultivate theological beliefs that are grounded in Jewish traditions and are robust in the face of acute suffering. Prerequisite: PAS 7431 or equivalent.

PAS 7407 THE PRACTICE OF BIQUR HOLIM IN LIGHT OF TRADITIONAL JEWISH SOURCES

This seminar covers bikkur holim as a powerful tool to transform a community, and practical guidelines for mentoring lay volunteers. We will look at halakhic, theological, and spiritual dimensions of bikkur holim. We will also learn concrete methods of integrating traditional and contemporary approaches into practice, and how to translate them into community action.

PAS 7426 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES FOR CLERGY

Surveying the basics of many mental-illness and substance-abuse challenges currently facing the Jewish community, this course explores the spiritual dimensions of mental health and recovery, the pastoral roles of k'lei kodesh, and related problems and potentials in synagogue and Jewish communal life.

PAS7428 TRAUMA, CRISIS, LOSS

This course will equip students to understand and engage issues of trauma, crisis, and loss with regard to the individual, family system, and Jewish community. We will look at the broad definitions of important concepts and frameworks regarding crisis events, such as death, mourning, suicide, terrorism, various personal losses, and domestic violence. We will review models of crisis intervention and spiritual counseling in response to these instances. Theological reflection will be explored with the development of skills.

Financial Aid

JTS provides financial aid on a need basis. For details of eligibility, visit the Registrar. Students must be citizens of either the United States or Canada to qualify for aid, although certain categories of non-citizens of the United States may be eligible.

To continue to receive Title IV student financial assistance student loans, students must complete at least one-fifth of the required curriculum each year in order to meet the requirement of maintaining satisfactory progress.

Some fellowships are available to other international students on a highly competitive basis through the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, 15 East 26th Street, New York, New York 10010, (212) 679-4074.

Academic Standards

The Center for Pastoral Education follows the academic standards of The Rabbinical School.

Union Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College

In accordance with agreements between JTS and Union Theological Seminary (UTS) and between JTS and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC), students may take courses at UTS or HUC, subject to the approval of the director of the Center for Pastoral Education and the instructors. Tuition will be covered by the tuition paid at JTS. Students interested in specific courses at UTC or HUC should consult with the director prior to registration.

Graduate Placement

In the final year of the program, students meet with the director of the Center for Pastoral Education to discuss career choices. They are guided in the possible pursuit of Clinical Pastoral Education residencies, chaplaincy positions, other forms of pastoral work, and certification by the National Association of Jewish Chaplains or the Association of Professional Chaplains.