Board of Directors
The MJTI Board of Directors provides legal, academic, financial, and administrative oversight to the School of Jewish Studies and the School of Rabbinic Studies.
Rabbi Rich Nichol
President
Dr. Richard Nichol is one of the founding members of MJTI. He joined the Board at the school’s founding in 2003 and in 2014 was appointed the President of the Institute.
In addition to holding the position of President, he teaches courses in the Master of Rabbinic Studies Program: Sermon Preparation and Delivery, Synagogue Growth and Development, and Key Events in the Jewish Life Cycle. He also teaches in the Panim el Panim program.
His main goal for MJTI is be a school where “warm hearts and cool heads” meet under the banner of the Risen Messiah of Israel, Yeshua. Only by combining academic excellence with passion for God, Torah, and Messiah can an institution of higher learning like MJTI meet the deepest needs of our students—and through these men and women, the needs of the developing Messianic Jewish community.
Diane Cohen
It is a privilege to serve on the Board of MJTI. It is one of a very few number of institutions of higher learning that focuses on educating Jewish believers in Yeshua from a Jewish perspective. The diverse offerings not only meet the needs of those in training to become rabbis, but also lay people and leaders wanting to receive top quality education in an often-misunderstood area. I am blessed to be part of a venture designed to bring clarity and modern scholarship to this challenging field of study.
James Klein
Board Chair
J. R. Klein has been on the MJTI Board of Directors since 2015, and the Chair since 2019. He is the Principal of J.R. Global, a consulting firm committed to facilitating global transformation through local initiatives that strengthen communities by emphasising leadership and systemic change. He has been active in social impact finance for more than 40 years. Mr. Klein is an Oxford University Press published author, speaker, and artist with expertise in organizational structure, cultural sensitivity, pragmatic leadership, planning, and social impact. His expertise is recognized worldwide.