Outward bound: Newest graduates, poised to take up emissary positins across the globe.

With the start of the Jewish New Year, recent graduates of the Ethel and Adolph Beren Educators Institute and the Joseph and Gwendolyn Straus Rabbinical Seminary are taking up new educational and rabbinical positions around the world.

A growing number of communities across the globe are approaching the Beren Institute’s Beren-Amiel Educator Training Program and the Straus Seminary’s Straus-Amiel Practical Rabbinics Program for candidates who are well-prepared to serve in Diaspora leadership positions, says Rabbi Eliahu Birnbaum, who directs both programs. “In fact, in many communities, a ’second generation’ of rabbis and educators are replacing their predecessors who have completed their years of shlichut,” he reports. “These communities know they can rely on the fact that our emissaries and their wives will arrive with the same high standard of education, extensive training and dedication to their mission that distinguishes our graduates. Moreover, they can rest assured that we provide our alumni with vigorous and ongoing support.” Indeed, in addition to being available by phone 24 hours a day for answering questions, discussing problems and providing programming and project ideas, the staff members of the Beren Institute and Straus Seminary are constantly on the road, visiting graduates.

“Communities, synagogues and schools know that both Beren-Amiel and Straus-Amiel are committed to preserving and building Jewish identity by training gifted and skilled teachers and rabbis,” stresses placement coordinator Rabbi Yehoshua Grunstein. “Our candidates have great respect for every individual and are devoted to contributing to the Jewish community at large.”

Meet some of the July 2008 graduates who are now arriving in Jewish communities around the world

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