Metivta Rabbinical Program
The SEC recently held its 8th annual Metivta Rabbinical Seminar this year. A one-of-a-kind program in the Sephardic world, this unique forum invites rabbis from around the world including Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Israel and the U.S. to participate in programming on our Jerusalem campus. Metivta sessions generally involve lectures and discussions focused on “Rabbinic Leadership as reflected in the writings of classic Sephardic Hakhamim.” Metivta faculty features leading rabbis and scholars from throughout Israel, exploring questions, dilemmas and challenges faced by community leaders today. These include halakhic (legal) issues, communal relations and medical dilemmas, as well as the challenge of incorporating the Sephardic message of “tradition and tolerance” into the contemporary Jewish conversation.
Two special events this past year (2022) included a panel with Israel's president Isaac Herzog and former minister Moshe Nissim (both related to former chief rabbis!). Metivta participants attended the Israeli-government sponsored panel, which highlighted the role of present-day rabbis. The SEC also had the privilege to host a lecture at our Bet Midrash in Jerusalem on Halakha & infertility given by PUAH (the organization dedicated to halakhic fertility issues). Like previous Metivta seminars, this year’s Metivta was fully sponsored by the SEC. This included accommodations at the SEC’s Sephardic House Hotel, daily meals, lectures & workshops at the SEC Shaarei Uziel Bet Midrash, and more. Metivta provides the guest rabbis with a “place of their own,” where they could study, discuss, exchange and debate various issues within the Sephardic world.
