Spiritual Direction for Jewish Children
Rabbi Dr. Leslie Schotz submitted this dissertation for a Doctorate in Ministry at the New York Theological Seminary. Rabbi Dr. Schotz currently serves an egalitarian Conservative congregation as Rabbi and Principal. She was ordained at the Academy for Jewish Religion as a rabbi and holds a Master of Library Science degree with both certificates in Public Libraries and as a School Library Media Specialist. She is a past President of the Association of Jewish Libraries - Long Island chapter. Rabbi Dr Schotz' learning has been extraordinarily broad, bringing her to the learning centers of every Jewish denomination. She has studied at Neve Yerushalayim (an Orthodox women's yeshivah) in Israel, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations now known as URJ and is expecting ordination in January 2014 from the Hashpaah Program of the Aleph Ordination Programs of the Jewish Renewal movement. This was part of a three year course of study in Spiritual Direction. In pursuing her doctorate she integrated her many career paths into her research and teaching. This included her many years experience as a Children's Librarian in a public library and also in a synagogue library. She also worked as an academic librarian at Touro College in Manhattan and at C.W. Post Long Island University. Before becoming a rabbi, Rabbi Dr. Leslie Schotz worked as a college certified fitness instructor. She integrated these skills in teaching movement in the implementation of her project in Spiritual Direction for Jewish Children. Rabbi Dr Schotz also included her musical proficiencies as a folk musician in the musical expression component of her project. This book documents all the author's proficiencies in teaching Spiritual Direction to Jewish Children. Rabbi Dr. Leslie Schotz also served student pulpits in New Jersey, North Carolina, Missouri, and as an ordained rabbi on a cruise ship to Alaska. The cruise was a gift to her mother Elenore who supported her in her studies over a six year full time rabbinical studies program and drove the 'rabbi mobile' when she served her student pulpits.