The CCAR’s Continuing Rabbinic Education program requirements are articulated in Article X of the CCAR Bylaws.
1. How many hours of Continuing Rabbinic Education are required and do they need to be in a specific content area?
Rabbis should complete five hours of study. You may choose any content area for study, unless 2023-2024 is your first year of membership in the CCAR. (For those in your first year of CCAR membership, see additional information in questions 8-11).
2. Do I need to do anything in addition to my five hours of learning? Every member of the Conference is asked to read the CCAR Code of Ethics each year. https://www.ccarnet.org/about-us/ccar-ethics/
3. Do my CRE hours include my reading of the Code? The expectation that we have of one another is that we will read the Code annually in addition to the five hours of study. (This is explicitly stated in Article X.)
4. How do I report that I have completed my CRE requirement and read the ethics code? There will be a place on the 2024–2025 Dues Form to check a box to indicate that you have read the Ethics Code and completed your five hours of CRE. Or you can indicate that you have done so at https://www.ccarnet.org/ccar-code-of-ethics-requirement/
5. Can I complete my CRE requirements with any provider of Jewish learning?
Yes, for everything outside of the ethics education requirement.
6. Will the CCAR have a list of “approved” providers?
The CCAR will not be giving a list of “approved” providers. If there are concerns that rabbis need additional guidance to access the best and highest quality learning, the CCAR Board and CRE Committee will review this issue and make recommendations.
7. Is my CRE requirement different if this is my first year as a CCAR member? If 2023-2024 is your first year of membership, two of the five required CRE hours must be in the area of ethics education, in keeping with our commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards.
8. Who will provide the content of a qualified ethics program?
CCAR will annually provide qualified ethics education classes as part of our Continuing Rabbinic Education program.
9. How do I access those classes and programs?
You can participate in any of the ethics programs offered by the CCAR. This includes webinars, convention, and in-person seminars. In addition, you may access any ethics programs that have been presented in prior years as webinars.
10. Are there other educational providers from whom I can access my ethics education?
Yes. Rabbis may complete their ethics education with any of the Reform Movement professional organizations in which a rabbi is a member and where ethics education is offered (ACC, ARJE, NATA, PEP-RJ, etc.); through ethics education offered by the CCAR’s two constituent organizations, Women’s Rabbinic Network (WRN) and National Association of Retired Reform Rabbis (NAORRR); and ethics education from HUC-JIR.
11. If I have question about CRE, where do I go?
If you have questions, please contact Betsy Torop, Director of Rabbinic Education and Support Services, btorop@ccarnet.org.