Jewish Spiritual Leaders' Institute ordains its 28th class of Rabbis and Cantors

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, June 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Jewish Spiritual Leaders’ Institute (JSLI) proudly ordained its 28th class of spiritual leaders this past weekend. The intimate online Shabbaton and ordination ceremony brought together ten rabbinic students and two cantorial students from across the United States, joined by family and friends logging in from around the globe.

The Shabbaton offered a sacred space for these dedicated students to share their dreams, hopes, and concerns about the future of Jewish life. Each candidate presented a research paper to their peers and the Bet Din, reflecting a year of study rooted in Jewish tradition, inclusivity, and real-world spiritual leadership.

Founded by Rabbi Steven Blane, JSLI was created to make rabbinic and cantorial ordination more accessible, relevant, and responsive to the evolving needs of the Jewish people. Long before virtual learning became commonplace, JSLI pioneered an online model that allows students—many fulfilling lifelong callings—to study without uprooting their lives.

“Our mission has always been clear,” says Rabbi Blane. “We train rabbis and cantors who are ready to serve the unaffiliated, the interfaith, the seekers, and the spiritually disenfranchised. These leaders bring diverse life experience, deep compassion, and a commitment to a Judaism that meets people where they are.”

Graduates of JSLI form a tight-knit and enduring community of clergy who remain connected well beyond ordination. The institute continues to grow as a hub for progressive Jewish thought, spiritual guidance, and inclusive leadership.

ABOUT SIM SHALOM AND JSLI
Sim Shalom is an interactive online Jewish Universalist synagogue which is liberal in thought and traditional in liturgy. Created in 2009 by Rabbi Steven Blane on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Sim Shalom offers a means of connecting the unconnected. Rabbi Blane and Associate Rabbis lead accessible Shabbat services every Friday night using a virtual interface and additionally Sim Shalom provides online education programs, Jazz concerts, conversion and life-cycle ceremonies along with weeknight services at 7:00PM EST.

Rabbi Blane is also the founder and director of the Jewish Spiritual Leaders' Institute, the online professional rabbinical program and of the Union of Jewish Universalist Communities, http://www.ujuc.org.

Sim Shalom, a non profit 501 © (3) tax-exempt organization, nurtures a Jewish connection through its mission of innovative services, creative education and dynamic outreach to the global community. For more information visit the website or call 201-338-0165.

Carole Blane
Sim Shalom/JSLI
+1 917-407-1166
email us here