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# ETZ HAIM INTERNATIONAL EUROPEAN RABBINICAL ACADEMY

Online Rabbinical School & Semikhah Program | Where Tradition Meets the Future of Judaism

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Blog](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/blog/)
- [PESACH - WHO ARE THE EGYPTIANS?](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/pesach-who-are-the-egyptians/) - Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, one of the great ethical thinkers of 19th-century Judaism, once visited a matzah bakery to certify it as kosher for Pesach. He examined the ingredients and the ovens, but spent even more time observing the working conditions of the laborers. In the end, he refused to grant certification. The matzah was technically
- [The three Matzot of the Seder](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/the-three-matzot-of-the-seder/) - On the Seder table we have three Matzot, the middle matzah of the three is broken in two, and the larger portion, the Afikoman, is hidden away to be retrieved only at the end of the meal, often through a search led by children. This simple gesture carries multiple layers of meaning. One traditional explanation
- [Confessions of a Rabbi–Musician](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/confessions-of-a-rabbi-musician/) - Wagner, the Torah, and the Irresistible Urge to Conquer Poland These days I am taking part, as a guest of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, in an ambitious multi-year interpretive project to which I was kindly invited by Maestro Gianluca Capuano and Les Musiciens du Prince – Monaco, an ensemble I am honored to be part of.
- [Purim in times of war](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/purim-in-times-of-war/) - In these difficult hours, it is clear to many that if this new conflict were to contribute not only to reducing the danger facing the Jewish State but also to opening a window of freedom for the Iranian people, who have lived under an oppressive regime for decades, it would be hard not to recognize
- [Michal Shababo - Rabbinical School, 2nd and Final Year](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/michal-shababo-rabbinical-school-2nd-and-final-year/) - Hanukkah insights
- [Valéria Ferencz Kuna Rabbinical School, 1st Year](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/valeria-ferencz-kuna-rabbinical-school-1st-year/) - Hanukkah insights
- [Rabbi David Amar - Rabbinical School, 2nd and Final Year](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/rabbi-david-amar-rabbinical-school-2nd-and-final-year/) - Hanukkah insights
- [Samara Halperin - Rabbinical School, 1st Year](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/samara-halperin-rabbinical-school-1st-year/) - Hanukkah insights
- [Rabbi Haim F. Cipriani TEFILLAH 7 – SHEMA YISRAEL - Introduction](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/tefillah-7-shema-yisrael-introduction-excerpt/) - The Shema Yisrael had entered the Jewish soul, not only as a religious piece but as something of belonging.
- [Rabbi J. Hershy Worch Mei HaShiloach - Shoftim](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/mei-hashiloach-shoftim/) - What is a proper way to act? How can a person ensure that the things they do don't somehow end up in a bad place?
- [Rabbi Haim F. Cipriani Dvar Torah](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/dvar-torah/) - Bemidbar Sinai – The center
- [Rabbi Worch Kislev - Tevet Class 3](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/rabbi-worch-kislev-tevet-class-3-excerpt/) - A mystical teaching on the “hidden light” of Creation, according to which God does not take away light from the wicked, but withholds their own inner light. This primordial light, the Or HaGanuz, is concealed within the opaque narratives of the Torah. Only through deep, non-judgmental insight can the righteous access this divine light hidden within reality.
- [Rabbi Liebermann - imagination - a tool for rabbinic thinking](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/rabbi-liebermann-imagination-a-tool-for-rabbinic-thinking-1-excerpt/) - A reflection on Jewish imagination shaped by exile, anti-idolatry, and Kabbalah, where hope is rooted in memory rather than future expectation. It highlights the Shekhinah as God’s presence in exile and the feminine dimension of redemption. Kabbalah is presented as a narrative of tikkun, restoration of both the world and the divine.
- [YITRO - THE OUTSIDER](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/yitro-the-outsider/) - There's something deeply puzzling about parshat Yitro. We're about to witness the most extraordinary moment in Jewish history, the revelation at Mount Sinai, the giving of the Torah, the defining event of our people's relationship with God. And yet the Rabbis choose to open the portion of the Torah not with chapter 19, which narrates
- [Devarim – How Do We Suffer?](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/devarim-how-do-we-suffer/) - The Parasha of Devarim, which gives its name to the fifth Book of the Torah, is always read on the Shabbat preceding the 9th of Av, the date that marks the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem. These tragedies are echoed in the choice of Haftarot (prophetic readings) during the surrounding weeks: those before the
- [HUMAN AND ANIMAL LIFE](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/human-and-animal-life/) - A rather humorous Chinese saying goes that the Chinese eat anything with four legs that isn’t a table, and anything with two legs that isn’t a relative. I have seen memes and other posts on the web saying that if we don’t eat our dogs and cats, we shouldn’t consume other animals. That’s quite true.
- [ROSH HASHANA - MAKING HUMANITY](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/rosh-hashana-making-humanity/) - Rosh HaShanah is perhaps the holiday in which the universal dimension is most pronounced. It celebrates the anniversary of the creation of the human species. As is well known, the biblical account expresses the act of creation in these words: "Let us make the human..." (Gen. 1:26) This is a complex and controversial verse because
- [A’harei mot – Kedochim - «Be Holy»](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/aharei-mot-kedochim-be-holy/) - A somewhat lengthy study, but not at all complicated (in its formulation), touching upon an essential theme of our identity: the pursuit of holiness. Those courageous enough to read through to the end will, I am sure, find much satisfaction. “The Eternal spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to the entire assembly of the Children of
- [VAYESHEV](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/vayeshev/) - Who is God of Judah? “And it came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his brothers, and turned towards a man of Adullam, whose name was Hirah.” (Gen. 38:1) R. Shmuel b. Nachman opened this chapter with the following: It is written, “For I have known the thoughts that I am
- [HAAZINU](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/haazinu/) - God Has Even More Faith In Us Than We Have In Him! “For God’s portion is His people; Jacob the demesne of His inheritance.”[1] (Deut. 32:9) According to the Izbicy Rebbe, this verse shapes the text of Sidra Haazinu, and Sidra Haazinu shapes the text of the entire Torah.[2]In other words, if you were to
- [Speaking the world: A reflection on Baruch SheAmar](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/speaking-the-world-a-reflection-on-baruch-sheamar/) - (Adapted from Schiudi le mie labbra – Le vie della preghiera ebraica, La Giuntina, 2018) You can listen to Baruch SheAmar sung by Rabbi Haim Cipriani in both the Italian and Sephardic traditions at the link below: https://youtu.be/HJGVFCg3EBM The blessing Baruch SheAmar (“Blessed is the One who spoke”) serves as the solemn introduction to Pesukei
- [Tefillin on Chol haMoed – Energy and Halakha](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/tefillin-on-chol-hamoed-energy-and-halakha/) - Tefillin, the leather boxes containing Torah passages, are more than a ritual object, they are a bridge between thought and action, intellect and deed. Worn on the arm and the head, they symbolize the connection between mind, heart, and body, forming a continuous spiritual circuit. The head Tefillin, תפילין של ראש, is placed above the
- [WHAT WAS THE REVELATION AT SINAI?](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/what-was-the-revelation-at-sinai/) - ‘On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was
- [VaEt’hanan – Moses, the Student](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/vaethanan-moses-the-student/) - Reconstructing historical moments through liturgy and action is a strength of Judaism. Our year is filled with holidays and commemorations that transport us into the past and invite us to immerse ourselves once again in the millennia-old story of our people, reliving key moments in our history. Reconstructing historical moments through liturgy and action is
- [VAETCHANAN - Lessons of Tefillin](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/vaetchanan-lessons-of-tefillin/) - In the Torah portion Va’etchanan the commandment of tefillin is conveyed in the following manner: “You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes.” Because the verse begins by saying, “You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand,” and only then goes
- [WALKING IN THE PATHS OF SHALOM](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/walking-in-the-paths-of-shalom/) - In recent days, the news of Pope Francis’ passing has stirred grief and reflection in many circles. At the same time, the hesitation of Jewish authorities regarding participation in the funeral services, as they were scheduled on Shabbat, has generated questions, comments, and at times, controversy. It is a discussion that deeply touches the relationship
- [Sefirat haOmer: time and readiness](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/sefirat-haomer-time-and-readiness/) - In the halakhic discussion of Sefirat HaOmer, there’s a fascinating tension between speech and timing. The Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 489:4) rules that if someone asks you, "What day of the Omer is it?" before you’ve counted with a blessing, you should answer, “Yesterday was the Xth day,” rather than say “Today is…” Why? Because saying
- [PESACH - FROM THE LEAP TO BETRAYAL](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/pesach-from-the-leap-to-betrayal/) - The final scene of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is well-known and beautifully crafted. Indiana Jones must cross a chasm to reach the place where the Holy Grail rests—a relic that, among other things, will allow him to save his dying father. The legend states that this is the path of God, and that
- [LECH LECHA - THE INVISIBLE STARS](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/lech-lecha-the-invisible-stars/) - The scene is well known. Avram is invited to count the stars and is told that his descendants will be like them. This analogy is generally understood to refer to their great number: "He took him outside and said, 'Look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them.' And

## Pages

- [Home](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/) - Etz Haim is an online rabbinical school with a 2-year Semikhah program in Torah, Halacha & cantorial studies. Open internationally. Apply now.
- [Rabbinical Post Dashboard](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/rabbis-area/)
- [Questions many future rabbis ask](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/considering-the-rabbinate/) - Wondering if rabbinical study might be right for you? Lern about the path to the rabbinate, Jewish learning, and flexible online rabbinical training at Etz Haim European Rabbinical Academy.
- [An international online rabbinical school](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/about/) - Prepare for impactful Jewish leadership through our friendly, online Rabbinical School, blending tradition, modern insights, and global community.
- [Rabbinical Path](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/rabbinical-path/) - A post and trans denominational approach Our global community thrives through the flexibility of online learning, with video-conferenced classes fostering dynamic discussions, communal prayer, and study. Etz Haim European Rabbinical Academy is a distinctive postdenominational online rabbinical seminary, embracing students from diverse Jewish traditions, Orthodox, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Reform. Rather than aligning with a single movement,
- [Faculty](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/faculty/) - Rabbi Haim F. Cipriani Parshanut, Halacha, Practical rabbinics, Liturgy Born in Genoa (Italy) in 1971, Rabbi Haim F. Cipriani weaves together spirituality and music. Rooted in both Italian and Chassidic traditions, he studied at the Collegio Rabbinico Italiano under Rav G. Laras and received Orthodox ordination from Ateret Tzvi Yeshiva and RSI in New York.Despite
- [Admissions](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/admissions/) - It's time to apply! Courses at Etz Haim officially commence in Tishri (late September), aligning with the beginning of the Jewish year. However, we understand that learning needs may arise at different times, so if a sufficient number of students are interested, we are open to launching an additional cohort, such as in the spring. Etz Haim European Rabbinical Academy welcomes students from all Jewish traditions, offering an inclusive, pluralistic education. Our courses begin in Tishri (late September), with additional cohorts available if needed. We provide affordable, high-quality rabbinical training that equips students to lead and teach Torah in the modern world.
- [Jewish Learning Path](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/jewish-learning-path/) - For those seeking deep and rigorous Jewish learning without pursuing rabbinical ordination, we offer a non-rabbinical track that maintains the same high level of study while omitting certain ordination-specific subjects. This program is open to a broader audience, including both Jewish and non-Jewish students, who wish to engage with Jewish texts, philosophy, and traditions in
- [Cantorial Path](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/cantorial-path/) - Our Cantorial Path offers a comprehensive training program for aspiring cantors, combining liturgical knowledge with musical tradition and leadership skills. Our goal is to form cantors who are not only musically gifted but also knowledgeable, inspiring, and spiritually present leaders for diverse contemporary communities. The Goal Our Cantorial Path offers a unique two-year program combining
- [Student Voices](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/student-voices/)
- [FAQ](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/faq/) - Empowering Tomorrow's Jewish Scholars Find clear, concise answers to your most frequent questions Who can apply to Etz Haim? Etz Haim welcomes men and women of all ages and backgrounds, who demonstrate a serious commitment to Jewish life, learning, and spiritual leadership. Applicants should have a solid foundation in Jewish practice and values, and a
- [Video Teachings](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/video-teachings/) - Welcome to our Video Academy, a collection of teachings and insights from our rabbis.
- [Contact](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/contact/) - Get in touch

## Categories

- [Teachings](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/category/teachings/) - Torah insights and wisdom from our rabbis exploring Jewish texts, traditions, and values for contemporary life.
- [Video Teachings](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/category/video-teachings/) - A collection of teachings and insights from our rabbis.
- [Student Voices](https://www.europeanrabbinicalacademy.com/category/student-voices/)