Congregational Rotation

In this rotation, students are encouraged to seek a wide range of experiences, which will help them understand the dynamics of working in the pulpit. Working as a USY adviser or learners' minyan leader, without exposure to the tasks in the areas listed below, will not be sufficient to fulfill this rotation's requirements.

Potential settings for the congregational rotation include:

• Working with a pulpit rabbi for the forty-hour commitment. The rotation should not consist of shadowing exclusively, nor should the supervising rabbi simply assign the student a task and leave him or her to do the job unsupervised.
• Working at your own regular pulpit. Students working at their own pulpits should meet twice per semester with experienced pulpit rabbis to discuss their work. To merit rotation credit, pulpit duties should not be restricted to leading Shabbat tefillot, but should include some exposure to working with a lay board, as well as education, programming, counseling, and life-cycle events.

Students should try at least three of the following activities during a congregational rotation:

• Working with a lay board/committees
• Accompanying and/or assisting the rabbi on life-cycle events
• Leading public tefillot and speaking before the kahal
• Leading youth groups
• Handling education/programming
• Leading children's/learners' minyanim
• Leading bikkur holim