1:30-2:30  A Discussion about CRE Certification- Facilitated by

Rabbi Jerry Weider

CONTINUING RABBINIC EDUCATION CERTIFICATION

GENERAL PRINCIPLES DEVELOPED BY

ACRE SUBCOMMITTEE ON CRE PROFESSIONALIZATION

10/15/09

DRAFT

I) Why Continuing Rabbinic Education Certification?

The purpose of Continuing Rabbinic Education Certification is to encourage individuals to stay abreast of evolving knowledge and skills in the rabbinate, coupled with growth in Torah, spiritual development and self-care and, in doing so, to promote and recognize the ongoing competency of those certified.

II) What Will The Alliance for Continuing Rabbinic Education (ACRE) Do to Advance Continuing Rabbinic Education Certification?

The Alliance for Continuing Rabbinic Education (ACRE) was created to advance the field of continuing rabbinic education in order to enrich the communal, spiritual and educational life of rabbis, and through them, the entire Jewish community.

There are numerous ways that ACRE can help to advance CRE certification, including:

1. Through its website, that serves as a clearing house for information about CRE courses across the religious spectrum that would count toward certification
2. Through its role as a national advocate for CRE and CRE Certification among multiple key stakeholders, including lay leaders and congregational organizations
3. Through its support of research to help better understand the CRE needs of rabbis and the Jewish community
4. Through its role as a convener, ACRE could facilitate the design and implementation of joint CRE programs and courses leading to cost savings to the individual organizations
5. Through its support of knowledge sharing and the promotion of evaluation
6. Through the holding of annual meetings, ACRE will bring together participating rabbinic organizations that have adopted certification programs to review policies, share information that will enhance CRE, and promote new ideas and venues for CRE

III)    How Could a Continuing Rabbinic Education Certification Program Work?

After doing research about certification programs in fields like medicine, law and social work, the committee developed the outline of a potential certification program model that could be used or adapted by individual associations, or as a national model.

To be clear, each professional rabbinic association will maintain its authority to mandate certification and to determine the specific requirements for CRE  for its members.

Here is an outline of a potential model:

It is recommended that certification be for a three-year period. Two levels of certification could be offered:

• Certification in Continuing Rabbinic Education
  • During the three-year period the rabbi must obtain "X" CEU's
• 1. Certification with Distinction in Continuing Rabbinic Education
  • During the three-year period the rabbi must obtain "X" + "Y" CEU's

Credit hours for the proposed certifications could be assigned as follows:

Category A:

1. Self study
2. Hevruta study

Category B: (required)

3. Must have participated in one course by member's rabbinic organization. These credits may include webcasts and courses at annual rabbinic conventions and at other sites.

Category C: (recommended)

4. One retreat lasting three or more days

• • Follow-up mentoring

Category D:

5. Teaching:

• • Seminary course
  • Post-seminary course
  • Preparation time not counted for granting of CEU's

6. Study for advanced degree

Category E:

7. Publication:

• • Chapter in book: Documentation by copy of title page and table of contents with applicant's name is to be submitted
  • Author of book:  Documentation with title page and author's name is to be submitted

World Cafe Question and Representative Responses

Slide 8 Which parts of the document do you agree with? Disagree with? (For this discussion, exclude comments about the model outline)

• People at our table believe that certification should be a major undertaking of ACRE. There need to be serious discussions within the rabbinic associations. There should be an examination of rabbinic sub-fields and the requirements for those certifications.
• Certification should help renorm the expectations of employers and their role in funding CRE programs
• Note that the field of professional fundraising has recently developed required CEUs. This is an evolving phenomenon which has just emerged
• Some rabbinic associations are concerned that ACRE is doing the same things they are and there is no need for a duplication of efforts and resources.
• We question the enterprise. It is moving in a direction that makes some of the rabbinical associations uncomfortable. We are open to being convinced why this is a viable approach but can argue now why this is not good for rabbis and some organizations. The reason that rabbis don't attend programs is financial. If we are going to approach funders we should ask them to create a fund so that rabbis can attend CRE programs and not advocate for CEU's.
• ACRE's goal should not be to take away the independence of specific movements but to help ensure that alumni are in theCRE process. ACRE should find ways to convene energies to advocate for importance of CRE so that it becomes part of every rabbi's contract. Some movements will have different ideas about how they want to educate their rabbis. But there will be many areas of agreement. And pooling our resources in the areas of agreement will benefit klal Yisrael.
• We should hesitate to become too dependent on rabbinic organizations because the future and its leadership is unclear
• Be more explicit about incentives that would motivate rabbis to seek certification and what would motivate congregations to hire rabbis with certification
• Be more explicit about re-certification (not one-time, but on 3-year cycle)
• What happens if an individual completes the requirements in a 2-year period?
• Look to refine the requirements based on the different categories of rabbinates Refinement of different categories of rabbinates.
• ACRE will be most helpful when it achieves #3 (support of research), #5 (knowledge sharing and the promotion of evaluation) and #6 (convening of annual meetings).
• Would ACRE be comfortable being a national certifying body? Should ACRE certify the providers rather than the rabbis?
• ACRE would be drawn into a potential political morass depending on how standards are defined by the field
• ACRE could be the trusted convener for issues related to CRE, following the model of JESNA
• ACRE should convene national conversations about CRE curriculum and content
• The ACRE website should provide links and list of CRE opportunities, as well as advocating for CRE
• Implementation belongs in the domain of the movements and associations