RRC continues its innovative distance-learning program with a second course from February 11 to May 4, 2007. A video introduction to the course is available at the RRC web site. You may also register online or e-mail Janis Smith at jsmith@rrc.edu. Registration is available now and continues through February 2, 2007.

The new course, A Call to Leadership: Ancient Models, examines the nature of leadership through the lens of the prophets. Tamar Kamionkowski, Ph.D., RRC’s dean and chair of the Department of Biblical Civilization, is the instructor.

The course will include six sessions, each of which is available online for two weeks. This allows people to participate at times convenient for them. The cost for the course is $75 for members of JRF congregations and $150 for others.

Course description — The Call to Leadership: Ancient Models

The writings of the biblical prophets are among the most inspiring, troubling and complex texts of the Bible. In this six-session course, we will delve into the self-reflections of a number of prophets to understand more fully what compelled them to take on the challenging role of a prophet in Israel. We will pay particular attention to the call narratives — the moment of God’s call to a prophetic life — of Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

RRC is the rabbinical training institution of the Reconstructionist Judaism movement. Founded in 1968, the rabbinical college is a fully accredited academic institution that offers a five- to six-year curriculum leading to a master’s degree in Hebrew letters and the title of rabbi. The rabbinical school prepares men and women for leadership and service in synagogues, universities, campus Hillel programs, social service agencies, homes for the elderly and chaplaincy.