If you are a rabbi of a developing community or a shliach around whom a community is starting to develop, you are surely familiar with the problem: you have a "Yoreh Yoreh" semicha certificate stating that "any community you serve as rabbi and leader will be satisfied with him in all matters," but the learning before marriage of Hilchos basar v'chalav and taaruvos do not help you with most of the questions that come to you daily. You receive questions on Hilchos Shabbos, are required to provide guidance during the holidays, and of course, you are the address for celebrations like weddings, or conversely, for non-celebratory events like funerals, and you were never trained for any of this.

In the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, they identified the problem and launched a program for training Diaspora rabbis. This is program that is comprehensive enough to prepare a rabbi to lead a community, yet limited enough for any community rabbi or shliach to complete. Thus, students are required to study the works of the Mechaber, the Rema, the nosei keilim, and practical halacha, but without the need to study the works of the Tur and the Beis Yosef.

We are pleased to announce the opening of the course for English speakers, as part of Machon Lemaan Yilmedu, intended for community rabbis, shluchim, or those who intend on going on shlichus and leading a community.

The shiurim will be given by Rabbi Tuvia Kasimov, Moreh Tzedek in Crown Heights, who is known for his rare ability to explain complex halachic topics clearly, alongside extensive knowledge of cases and rulings from our recent authorities.

The curriculum includes a weekly two-hour class in the late evening to allow participation in the course for rabbis and shluchim who are busy during the day.

The shiurim themselves will be conducted in English, but students are required to be able to study the Mechaber and the nosei keilim from the Shulchan Aruch in Hebrew. The course summary booklets and presentations will be available in both languages, allowing students to choose the language they find more comfortable to learn in.

For course graduates, there are two pathways to receive the certificate:
* Track A: At the end of each semester, an exam will be held, and those who pass it successfully will be eligible for a "Community Rabbi" certificate from the members of the semicha committee of Machon Lemaan Yilmedu.
* Track B: At the end of each academic year, an exam will be conducted by the Chief Rabbinate (within the framework of Heichal Shlomo), and those who pass both exams will be eligible for the "Community Rabbi in the Diaspora" certificate from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Please note: the exams will be held only in Israel.

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The course is divided into two years with four semesters during which the following topics are studied:
* First semester: Hilchos Tefilla, Hilchos Kerias Ha'Torah and the shul, birchos ha'nehenin
* Second semester: Hilchos Yom Tov, the Yomim Noraim, Pesach
* Third semester: Hilchos Shabbos, Hilchos Aveilus, chuppa v'kiddushin
* Fourth semester: Hilchos Kashrus and Hilchos Nidda