(Europe, Monday 21^st February 2022): Last week, the Conference of European Rabbis (CER) launched its Leadership Training Programme for young rabbis from 19 countries across the Continent, bolstering their abilities to address many of the challenges facing Jewish communities around the world.

This is the second year of the programme and the opening Webinar was attended by thirty-eight rabbis, who listened to world-renowned speakers from Europe, the United Kingdom and Israel. The participants serve as community rabbis in countries all over Europe, such as Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Russia, France, Britain, Poland, Belarus, Latvia, Moldova, Sweden, Bulgaria, Poland, Greece, Romania, Austria, Georgia, Ukraine and Estonia.

Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt addressed the seminar: “The Jewish community has a responsibility to ensure the Rabbis across Europe have the tools they need to lead. The challenges facing the community rabbi today, especially in Europe, are many and these must be met by the appropriate tools for today’s climate. These young leaders have a duty to protect, strengthen and expand participation in communal activities.”

The programme was led by CER President, Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt. The speakers included the chairman of the CER Standing Committee, Dayan Menachem Gelley. Dayan Menachem, a permanent member of the CER rabbinical committee, Rabbi Moshe Lebel, Rosh Yeshivat Torat Chaim in Moscow and the rabbinical director of the CER, Rabbi Reuven Leuchter, a well-known educator and head of the Mei HaDat Kollel (Israel) and Rabbi Naftali Schiff, founder and head of Jewish Futures (UK).

Rabbi Moshe Lebel, CER’s Rabbinical Director, said: “The rabbis whose training is often academic, come to communities facing huge challenges. We are helping them with practical support to deal with whatever is thrown at them and to continue to establish and expand Jewish life in Europe.”