Crazy Idea, or Is It?
Dec. 20th, 2007 09:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wrenbLast week I was at the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial convention. I had a wonderful time attending workshops, concerts, a play, and praying a whole lot (and, a.n.ers, meeting Karen for dinner and photos). In addition to the ideas I've got for improving my committee work, I've come home with a crazy idea percolating in my brain.
Would I make a good rabbi? I have an undergraduate degree in psychology, which reflects my desire 10 years ago to counsel people with problems, not with serious mental illnesses. I have always been an institutional prayer kind of girl, ever since Sunday School at the age of 7. I'm a regular on the Torah reading schedule. I have a good voice, but very few technical musical skills, so I feel that being a cantor (a Jewish professional singer/musician) isn't available to me.
On the other hand I'm shy. And I can't go back to school for at least another 2 years. I'd like to spend some years at home with my hypothetical future kids. And this is an idea, not a burning passion.
But I've just spent 5 days surrounded by rabbis, cantors & Jewish professionals, and I felt a deep bond with them. I don't want to be a secretary my whole life. I want to lead prayer and help people through their troubles.
If I do this I need to learn Hebrew far better than I do right now. First year rabbinic students live in Jerusalem. And I can't speak Hebrew, only pronounce it. I wish I could take a class at the UW, but that's not in the budget right now. I do have a workbook that I never finished that I could go back to working through. I figure Hebrew and Torah study (Saturday mornings at my synagogue) are baby steps I can take.
Am I dreaming far beyond my abilities and talents?
Would I make a good rabbi? I have an undergraduate degree in psychology, which reflects my desire 10 years ago to counsel people with problems, not with serious mental illnesses. I have always been an institutional prayer kind of girl, ever since Sunday School at the age of 7. I'm a regular on the Torah reading schedule. I have a good voice, but very few technical musical skills, so I feel that being a cantor (a Jewish professional singer/musician) isn't available to me.
On the other hand I'm shy. And I can't go back to school for at least another 2 years. I'd like to spend some years at home with my hypothetical future kids. And this is an idea, not a burning passion.
But I've just spent 5 days surrounded by rabbis, cantors & Jewish professionals, and I felt a deep bond with them. I don't want to be a secretary my whole life. I want to lead prayer and help people through their troubles.
If I do this I need to learn Hebrew far better than I do right now. First year rabbinic students live in Jerusalem. And I can't speak Hebrew, only pronounce it. I wish I could take a class at the UW, but that's not in the budget right now. I do have a workbook that I never finished that I could go back to working through. I figure Hebrew and Torah study (Saturday mornings at my synagogue) are baby steps I can take.
Am I dreaming far beyond my abilities and talents?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-12-20 03:57 pm (UTC)Shy is a problem, but it can be overcome (look at what I've been doing, and for all I'm not shy around geeks, believe me, I am around normal people).
As you say, there are things you'd need to learn (maybe including self-care since overcoming shyness and shouldering a lot of people's problems is exhausting, though I don't know how you already are on the self-care front). But as you also say, you wouldn't want to implement this plan for a few years yet, so you have tons of time to explore and improve your skills -- learn more Hebrew, volunteer in a variety of roles at the synagogue, talk to some rabbis about pursuing this path, keep going to conventions, etc.