Rabbinic training academy launches new semicha programme in London

The Rabbinic Training Academy has launched a new 18 month semicha programme, building on the institution’s seven-year track record of preparing rabbinic leaders for positions in mainstream orthodox communities across the globe.

Designed for candidates who have completed several years of yeshiva or kollel study (full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature) and based in north London’s Temple Fortune, the semicha (rabbinic ordination in Judaism) will ultimately be conferred on suitable candidates by the London Beth Din.

The programme combines halachic learning with the practical leadership, educational and pastoral skills expected of today’s community rabbis.

Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt, founder and chief executive of the Academy, told Jewish News that the initiative marks “a tremendously exciting moment”, adding: “Over the past seven years we have seen our graduates take up leadership roles across the UK and Ireland, and the new semicha programme represents the next stage in that journey. We are dedicated to preparing rabbis who are firmly rooted in Torah, but also fully equipped to meet the opportunities and challenges facing today’s Jewish communities.”

RTA graduates already serve communities across the UK and Ireland, including Dublin, Hampstead, Woodside Park, Northwood, Richmond, Watford, Mill Hill East, Chigwell and Epping.

• The 18-month half-day programme starts in September 2026. Click here for further information.