Reform and Conservative Seminaries Shrink

Enrollment at non-Orthodox rabbinical seminaries has been on a downward trajectory for years, but the data shows an especially alarming pattern for schools affiliated with major Jewish movements. While the overall number of students studying to become non-Orthodox rabbis in the United States has only gradually declined over the past decade, a Forward analysis found that seminaries affiliated with major denominations have suffered steep drop-offs. At the same time, smaller independent schools have seen their enrollments steadily increase.