Editing Michael Lerner (rabbi) (section)

===Rabbinical ordination===
Lerner received [[Semicha|rabbinical ordination]] in 1995 through a [[beth din]] (rabbinical court) composed of three rabbis, "each of whom had received orthodox rabbinic ordination".<ref name="Tikkun mag Lerner bio" /> According to ''j. the Jewish news weekly'', "mainstream rabbinical leaders of the [[Reform Judaism|Reform]], [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] and [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] movements" have questioned private ordinations such as Lerner's, arguing that non-seminary ordinations risk producing poorly educated or fraudulent Rabbis.<ref name="jweekly 1996-08-02" /> Similarly, some rabbis have challenged Lerner's decision to not be trained for the rabbinate in a classical Jewish seminary (although Lerner did spend three years as a student at Jewish Theological Seminary). Lerner has been quoted in ''Jewish Weekly'' as saying that the non-seminary track is one that "every Chabad rabbi takes, & every ultra-Orthodox rabbi". Lerner pointed out that none of the rabbis in Jewish history ever attended a "seminary" until the middle of the 19th century, and that most rabbis in Israel today did not attend a seminary. They were ordained in the same manner, a Beth din composed of three rabbis. When Lerner attacked seminaries for being "more interested in producing organizational men for Jewish life than spiritual leaders connected to the deepest spiritual and social-justice minds", Rabbi Alan Lew said "That is arrogant nonsense ... I spent six years in extremely rigorous, round-the-clock study in the classic texts of our tradition. Authentic Jewish spirituality is in the texts, not in some fancy New Age ideas or watered-down kabbalah".<ref name="jweekly 1996-08-02" /> Lerner's synagogue 'Beyt Tikkun' became an embodiment of what he described as "neo-Hasidism," passionately pursuing the spiritual dimension of the prayers rather than rushing through them. The goal, he insisted, is to connect to God, not simply mouth every prayer in the prayerbook. His synagogue grew, according to members, not only because of Lerner's willingness to take the social justice message of the prophets seriously, but also because the actual experience of being involved in prayer, meditation, singing and dancing in the synagogue became an ecstatic experience of transcendence for many of those who attended. Lerner's 1994 book ''Jewish Renewal: A Path to Healing and Transformation'' published by HarperCollins (and in paperback as a Harper Perennial), became a national best-seller and brought thousands of young people into the emerging Jewish Renewal movement. After studying his background and qualifications, the Northern California Board of Rabbis accepted Lerner as a full member and he has remained a member ever since. Lerner was the first Jewish Renewal rabbi to achieve membership in a local American Board of Rabbis, but since that time in 1997, many local Boards of Rabbis have accepted Jewish Renewal rabbis into full membership.

Lerner was the spiritual leader of Beyt Tikkun synagogue in Berkeley, and a member of the Board of Rabbis of Northern California. He was also a member of Ohalah, the organization of [[Jewish Renewal]] Rabbis.