147 new musmachim celebrated with their family and friends on Sunday as they received their semicha from the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, N.J.
By Chabad.org and Anash.org
Marking an important stage in a lifetime of intensive Torah study and ready to serve Jewish communities around the world, 147 young rabbis congregated with family and friends on Sunday, June 9, at the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, N.J.
As their parents and friends arrived at the campus, the newly ordained rabbis gathered for a group photo together with Rabbi Chaim Schapiro, who heads the program, New Jersey Head Shliach Rabbi Moshe Herson, Rabbi Mendy Herson, Associate Dean of the Rabbinical College of America, Rabbi Leibel Schapiro, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Miami, and members of their hanhala.
The rabbis who celebrated receiving their semicha certificates this week include graduates from the college over the past four years. The newest group is the latest of over 1,000 rabbis who have graduated from the current semicha program, headed by Rabbi Chaim Schapiro, since 1999.
The new rabbis and their families were joined by guests from around the United States and the world who attended the event on the school’s verdant suburban campus. Over 400 men and women gathered for the celebration, which was addressed by New Jersey state Senator Anthony Bucco, the senior Rabbi Herson, both Rabbis Schapiro, and one of the musmachim.
“The Rebbe remains with us even more than before Gimmel Tammuz,” said Rabbi Moshe Herson, dean and president of the institution. “The success of our institutions illustrates the Rebbe’s involvement. We wish the newly ordained rabbis G‑d’s blessings and success in all their endeavors.”
A number of spots remain in the semicha program for the upcoming year. To register, sign up here.
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