Rabbi

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Work Tasks

• Lead their congregation and teach Jewish laws and traditions
• Give sermons and lead religious ceremonies
• Comfort the sick and take part in community events
• May do administrative duties, teach in colleges, or write for religious publications
• Work in synagogues, temples, offices, and their homes; for their congregation, the military services and hospitals (as chaplains), colleges and universities, and Jewish community service agencies
• Work with people, the Talmud, the Bible, Rabbinical literature, religious items, educational materials, reports, and religious ideas

Salary, Size & Growth

• $50,000 average per year ($24.00 per hour)
• A medium occupation (59,700 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow moderately (1.3% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A degree from a Jewish seminary, generally five years of study involving a core academic program, fieldwork and internships in community service, and study in Jerusalem.
• Employers Prefer: More advanced study and the Doctor of Hebrew Letters degree.
• Skills/Courses: College courses include knowledge of the Bible, the Torah, rabbinic literature, Jewish history, Hebrew, theology, and courses in education, pastoral psychology, and public speaking.