- F
- K
Asking for help this way is probably the hardest thing I have ever done. I know there are many worthy causes out there and many people in much greater need. But I am asking for help in order to become someone who can truly help others.
Since choosing to become Jewish, I have had a dream to become a rabbi and a community leader. This path has not been a linear one. I came to formal Judaism later in life. After a lengthy period of both informal study on my own and formal study with a rabbi, I converted to Judaism in November 2014. I didn’t wake up one day and decide that I wanted to be a rabbi. Rather, it was more of a gradual process of discernment and discovery as I studied, grew in my own practice of Judaism, and immersed myself in community and social justice work.
I have been accepted to Hebrew Union College’s rabbinical program - with the first academic year of the five year program spent at the seminary's campus in Jerusalem, Israel. The remaining four years are completed at one of the school’s three American campuses. I am set to start classes very soon — June 10, 2018 — in Jerusalem. It’s very exciting and I can’t quite believe that this dream is about to become true.
But this is where I must swallow my pride and ask for some help.
Unfortunately, the cost of the first year of the program in Israel is proving to be a great challenge for me. (The subsequent four years will include modest stipends.) I am grateful that I do not have to worry about my tuition for this year as this has been generously covered through a grant from Hebrew Union College and the Koret Foundation. But I do need to cover my own living expenses for this upcoming year in Israel.
This is where I am struggling. While I have saved every penny possible, I am still well short of what I need to make this dream become a reality.
I have exhausted every avenue for obtaining an educational loan, and I am unfortunately not legally allowed to work in Israel while on a student visa. I have now reached the point asking if anybody may be willing to contribute something to making this dream come true. Any amount would be accepted with heartfelt gratitude.
People have asked me — rabbis included — are you sure you want to do this? My answer is an unqualified yes. There are few things I have been surer of in my life. I know that I can do a lot of good as a rabbi, both within the Jewish community and for the other, wider communities to which I’ll belong.
Any contributions that I receive will go directly towards helping me cover the costs of textbooks, medical insurance, rent on a small room in Jerusalem, and the tuition for a four-week long intensive Hebrew course in June that I am required to complete prior to the start of the official academic year in July, which is not covererd by my tuition grant.
With much gratitude,
Karry
Since choosing to become Jewish, I have had a dream to become a rabbi and a community leader. This path has not been a linear one. I came to formal Judaism later in life. After a lengthy period of both informal study on my own and formal study with a rabbi, I converted to Judaism in November 2014. I didn’t wake up one day and decide that I wanted to be a rabbi. Rather, it was more of a gradual process of discernment and discovery as I studied, grew in my own practice of Judaism, and immersed myself in community and social justice work.
I have been accepted to Hebrew Union College’s rabbinical program - with the first academic year of the five year program spent at the seminary's campus in Jerusalem, Israel. The remaining four years are completed at one of the school’s three American campuses. I am set to start classes very soon — June 10, 2018 — in Jerusalem. It’s very exciting and I can’t quite believe that this dream is about to become true.
But this is where I must swallow my pride and ask for some help.
Unfortunately, the cost of the first year of the program in Israel is proving to be a great challenge for me. (The subsequent four years will include modest stipends.) I am grateful that I do not have to worry about my tuition for this year as this has been generously covered through a grant from Hebrew Union College and the Koret Foundation. But I do need to cover my own living expenses for this upcoming year in Israel.
This is where I am struggling. While I have saved every penny possible, I am still well short of what I need to make this dream become a reality.
I have exhausted every avenue for obtaining an educational loan, and I am unfortunately not legally allowed to work in Israel while on a student visa. I have now reached the point asking if anybody may be willing to contribute something to making this dream come true. Any amount would be accepted with heartfelt gratitude.
People have asked me — rabbis included — are you sure you want to do this? My answer is an unqualified yes. There are few things I have been surer of in my life. I know that I can do a lot of good as a rabbi, both within the Jewish community and for the other, wider communities to which I’ll belong.
Any contributions that I receive will go directly towards helping me cover the costs of textbooks, medical insurance, rent on a small room in Jerusalem, and the tuition for a four-week long intensive Hebrew course in June that I am required to complete prior to the start of the official academic year in July, which is not covererd by my tuition grant.
With much gratitude,
Karry