Rotations FAQ


What will I learn from rotations?

Rotations allow you to:
  • Acquire some of the skills relevant to working in a given area in the rabbinate.
  • Broaden your horizons as to your career choices in the rabbinate. This point may seem obvious but it is extremely important. It is too easy to have tunnel vision in rabbinical school. You may have always thought of yourself as a teacher but never imagined that you might enjoy the pulpit. Perhaps you've always wanted to be a hospital chaplain but have never considered becoming a Hillel rabbi. Rotations are the chance to explore and spend forty hours doing something you never considered as a career. You will be exposed to new possibilities.
  • Explore more of the Jewish world beyond JTS's walls.

We encourage students to take rotations (and internships) outside of the JTS community. Though working among your peers, such as at the Va'ad or Student Life, can have a significant impact on our community, it may rob you of the opportunity to work with Jews who live and make choices differently than we do. We encourage you to grow professionally by exploring other contexts. Therefore, in most cases, students may earn a maximum of one rotation credit from work done at JTS.

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How do I find rotation placements?

Students are responsible for finding their own rotation placements and for keeping the coordinator of Field Education informed of the work they are doing for rotation credit. Please feel free to turn to the coordinator if you need help finding a rotation or exploring areas unfamiliar to you. Many institutions are happy to host you for an individualized rotation if you simply contact them, identify yourself as a JTS rabbinical student, and tell them that you would like to volunteer your time in exchange for some supervision in fulfillment of a rabbinical school field-education requirement. You may direct them to this website if they have any further questions, or you may put them in touch with the coordinator. Beginning with the entering class of 2006, students will complete their Education Rotation in conjunction with Skills for Teaching EDU 5031x during the fall semester.

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What must I do to earn rotation credit?

Please consult with the coordinator of Field Education prior to arranging all rotations. You must spend at least forty hours in a given professional setting under the direction of a rabbi or other professional. The supervisor need not be a Conservative rabbi. Provided the individuals are appropriate mentors, we will also accept guidance from non-Conservative rabbis, Jewish professionals, and clergy from other religions.

It is critical that your rotations incorporate some reflection time with your supervisors. Please make a point of asking them to give you feedback on your performance. Also, take advantage of opportunities to talk with these professional role models about their work. Be sure to ask your supervisors what they like or dislike about their career.

At the end of each rotation, please write a two- to four-page report on your work. In your report, state your duties during the rotation, reflect on what you did well, and assess areas in which you still need to grow. Most importantly, please articulate what you learned in this setting and how the work contributed to the formation of your rabbinic identity.

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Can I receive rotation credit for work done before rabbinical school?

In general, students cannot earn rotation credit for work done prior to rabbinical school. Work done in the course of your rabbinic training is fundamentally different from work done in another context. During your rabbinic training, work is done with the kavanah (intention) that one is developing into a rabbinic leader and honing a rabbinic identity.

However, please feel free to petition for an exception to this rule. The strongest cases can be made for prior work as a full-time Jewish professional. For instance, if you were a teacher in a day school before coming to JTS, you are likely to get education-rotation credit. If you were a volunteer in a federation's campaign, you are unlikely to get communal-agency credit.

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What time can I count toward my forty-hour minimum?

You may count time preparing for your tasks in the rotation, as well as time spent with your supervisor reflecting on your work. Travel time and time spent on minor details, such as making copies, should not be counted.

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What percentage of the rotation should be shadowing?

You should spend twenty-five to thirty-five percent of your rotation observing the work that your supervisor does, in order to gain a sense of the career areas open to you in that field. About sixty-five to seventy-five percent of your rotation should be spent on supervised assignments. Students in education rotations should also make an effort to spend time observing the work of their supervisors.

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When should I complete the various rotations?

A generally recommended time frame for the rotations is as follows:

For students entering in Fall 2008 and following, rotations will be completed during Year Three. Students who began the program prior to Fall 2008 should aim to complete their rotations by the end of Year Two.

Please feel free to consult the coordinator of Field Education to work out a plan that is most appropriate for you.

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