The Temple Institute will be opening the world’s first school for training Levitical Priests to serve in the Holy Temple this year in Jerusalem. The organization has run a number of pilot programs over the past few years and is now embarking on a mission to teach Kohanim all the practical skills required to serve in the coming Third Holy Temple.
To raise the seed money for the project the Temple Institute has embarked on an Indiegogo crowdfunding project with an initial goal of $75,000.
The curriculum at Nezer HaKodesh will include courses on the Temple service, theory and practice, and the role and application of modern technology in the Third Temple. Courses such as The Sacred Temple Vessels — Aspects of Engineering and Design; and The Mathematics of the Holy Temple will be taught as part of the program.
For the last thirty years, the Rabbis and scholars of the Temple Institute have studied in-depth the ancient text needed to prepare for the Third Temple, becoming the world authorities on the subject. They have published tens of volumes and recreated more than 70 sacred vessels for use in the Third Holy Temple.
Establishing a school to train Kohanim signifies a huge step towards the realization of the reestablishment of the Temple service which has been dormant for 2,000 years since the Romans destroyed the Second Holy Temple in 70 CE.
The initiative was announced during the traditional three-week period of mourning for the Holy Temple, culminating with the Fast of the 9th of Av, when both Holy Temples were destroyed. This timing comes as no coincidence, as the purpose of the Temple Institute has always been to reframe this Jewish period of mourning into one of hope and change, highlighting that all of the prophets and sages of Israel have predicted the eventual peaceful rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Chaim Richman, International Director of the Temple Institute, commented: “We are extremely excited to announce this new step towards the restoration of the Holy Temple service. We call first and foremost upon Kohanim worldwide to support this special project, which signifies a return of their birthright. We have chosen to use Indiegogo as a tool to enable as many people as possible to be a part of this historic initiative. The Temple service represents the purest connection between man and our Creator. One third of the Torah’s commandments pertain to the Holy Temple service and we have prayed for its return for thousands of years. In a time when the world is plagued with terror and uncertainty, we enter this project with full faith that one day the Holy Temple will finally be rebuilt and the priestly service reinstated, ushering in an unparalleled era of peace and harmony among all of mankind.”