JLIC Launches Innovative Semicha Program for Undergraduates in Israel
In an exciting development for Torah education, JLIC has unveiled a groundbreaking semicha program in Givat Shmuel, bringing rabbinic studies directly to undergraduate students at Bar Ilan University. Under the leadership of Rabbi Tzvi Wohlgelernter, this innovative program partners with Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh’s Virtual Halacha Program (VHP) to offer a flexible path to rabbinic ordination.
“This new semicha program exemplifies JLIC’s core mission of bringing Torah learning to university students,” says Rabbi Josh Ross, Executive Director of JLIC. “While JLIC has always focused on creating meaningful Jewish experiences on campus, this initiative raises the bar by offering students the opportunity to pursue rabbinic studies alongside their academic degrees. It represents an exciting evolution in how we fulfill our commitment to Torah learning.”
The program’s curriculum focuses intensively on practical halacha, covering essential areas like Shabbat, Chagim, Tefilla, and Brachot. This targeted approach serves students who, while not necessarily planning careers in rabbinics, seek to deepen their understanding of everyday Jewish law while pursuing diverse academic paths in law, finance, and pre-med.
“For students in university, this is usually the first time they are living alone,” explains Rabbi Wohlgelernter. “The most important halachot for them to learn in depth are ones relating to the day to day – how to keep Shabbat in their own living space, and the details of keeping a kosher kitchen.”
Currently, eighteen men participate in the program, many already engaged with Bar Ilan’s Machon Hagavoah L’torah. The format combines flexible chavruta learning throughout the week with a dynamic three-hour Monday night session in the Beit Midrash, followed by Rabbi Wohlgelernter’s shiur.
“Finding time for consistent learning during school is challenging,” shares Eliyahu Freudenstein, an Economics student at Bar Ilan. “But the atmosphere in the Beit Midrash every Monday night strengthens me, not just for that evening but throughout the week. The program gives my learning the structure it needs.”
Rabbi Wohlgelernter brings personal experience to his leadership role, having completed both the Netiv Aryeh semicha program and later earning his Israeli rabbinate ordination. His vision for the program stems from his own appreciation of how practical halacha studies directly impact daily Jewish life.
The five-year curriculum offers remarkable flexibility – students can begin during their undergraduate years and complete the program through VHP or continue with Rabbi Wohlgelernter in Givat Shmuel. This innovative structure ensures that serious Torah study remains accessible and meaningful for university students building their secular careers.
For more information about JLIC’s new semicha program, contact Rabbi Wohlgelernter.
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