Can I receive rotation credit for work done before rabbinical school?
In general, students cannot earn rotation credit for work done prior to rabbinical school. Work done in the course of your rabbinic training is fundamentally different from work done in another context. During your rabbinic training, work is done with the kavanah (intention) that one is developing into a rabbinic leader and honing a rabbinic identity. However, please feel free to petition for an exception to this rule. The strongest cases can be made for prior work as a full-time Jewish professional. For instance, if you were a teacher in a day school before coming to JTS, you are likely to get education-rotation credit. If you were a volunteer in a federation’s campaign, you are unlikely to get communal-agency credit.
