Q&A for How to Become a Rabbi

I'm not sure about Jesus specifically, but a rabbi doesn't need to be married, nor does he need to have children.

Yes, women can become rabbis. Both the Reform and Conservative movements have ordained women.

It depends on the denomination. Some allow female to become rabbis, while others do not.

Some Reform rabbis do that after his or her fiancee converts to Judaism. I personally don't recommend intermarriage.

No, one does not need to be married to be a rabbi. A communal rabbi will often be able to run a community in a better way if he is married, but it is not a requirement.

In the Reform and Conservative movements in the U.S., rabbinical school is 5 years. Orthodox smicha (rabbinical ordination) comes in two types: Yoreh Yoreh (mastery of day-to-day law) and Yadin Yadin (mastery of Jewish civil law), and the length of time depends on how quickly you learn the prescribed rabbinic material for each classification.

Technically, one can become a rabbi once they have reached their bar mitzvah, but most accepted rabbinic programs (i.e. RIETS) function as a graduate school and will not accept you below the age of 18.

Everything varies by Yeshiva, but I have never heard of there being an age limit. As for congregations, once you are a rabbi you will build the community that needs you. There is need everywhere, so don't let age stand in the way!

Rabbinical training is different from Ministerial, particularly in the fact that the Jewish oral tradition (i.e. Talmud and midrashim) are central. Although you may be Jewish, out of respect for that tradition, I would refrain from practising as a Rabbi.

While the definition and requirements for being a rabbi have changed throughout history, aside from the requirement of being a Jewish adult, there is no age requirement. Many rabbis do have groups of followers.

No. In many denominations, a rabbi could marry someone of their own gender, and rabbis are never required to marry.

You cannot be ordained through a quick online test. Becoming a Rabbi requires a large amount of work. You should attend rabbinical school.

That is not true. Rabbis need only complete rabbinical school and be ordained within the Jewish religion.

Under all the mainstream Jewish movements (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, etc.) a Rabbi can marry a Jew anywhere in the world and there is no requirement to live in the land of Israel as a prerequisite to be eligible for marriage.

Women should not be rabbis. According to Sephardim and Orthodox, it is not allowed. In Reform though, many women are rabbis. It depends on how religious (frum) a Jew you are.

Only men should according to Halacha. There are women who do, but they are all reform and they are going against Halacha. Your age can be from a few years after high school to 100 years old! There is never a time when you are "too" old to become a rabbi.

It depends entirely on the synagogue. There is no universal rule about such things.

There is no specific age, but you must receive semichah (rabbinical ordination) from a recognized Yeshivah. These institutions will each have their own policies around prerequisites and how they might handle younger students.

No. The title "rabbi" as its used today means that you have received rabbinical ordination (semichah) from a recognized Yeshiva. If you have not received such ordination, it would be misleading to use it.