Founded in 1921, Hebrew College is dedicated to the principle that rigorous, pluralistic Jewish education is essential to building and sustaining a vibrant Jewish community.
We are committed to training Jewish professionals who have a strong foundation in classical Jewish studies and are equally well equipped to engage contemporary Jewish life complexities.
We also embrace a mission that connects the serious academic study of Judaism with the community's educational needs and challenges, via outstanding graduate, adult-learning, and youth-education programs. No ivory tower, Hebrew College strives to be a modern equivalent of Abraham's tent, with all sides open to anyone who wishes to join our passionate pursuit of Jewish education.
Here you will find diverse entryways, ranging from intensive text study and professional training that prepare you for a leadership role in the Jewish community to opportunities that enable you to explore Jewish culture, arts, and music as a means to define and refine your Jewish identity.
Rooted in the Hebraist-Zionist movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, we maintain a deep commitment to the Hebrew language's importance as a conveyor of Jewish culture and as a link between Diaspora Jewry and the State of Israel. Courses at Hebrew College were initially taught only in Hebrew today; most classes are taught in English. However, Hebrew language instruction for beginners to advanced students remains an essential element of the curriculum for graduate degree programs and an accessible option for adult learners and Prozdor high school students.
Hebrew College's legacy also bequeaths a strong commitment to pluralism, an openness to all forms of Jewish expression, commitment, and practice. We seek to engage diverse perspectives on any given Jewish topic, encourage a dynamic exchange, and foster respect for other points of view. Hebrew College, true to our roots, strives to encompass the broadest spectrum of Jewish life and model k' lal Yisrael — a community of all Jews — while welcoming other faith members to join our vibrant conversation.
Hebrew College promotes excellence in Jewish learning and leadership within a pluralistic environment of open inquiry, intellectual rigor, personal engagement, and spiritual creativity. We empower and inspire individuals to contribute their voices and vision to the Jewish community and bring Jewish values to bear on our time's critical issues.
Dedicated to building bridges between the academy and the community, we offer diverse educational and cultural programs for youths, adults, and Jewish professionals, and seek to invigorate Jewish life through the following core values: The Hebrew College mission continues to be as relevant as ever: To encourage and empower learners to see themselves as both inheritors and innovators – active participants in the unfolding story of the Jewish People.
At the heart of Hebrew College is our vibrant learning community. We share the conviction that education is the key to Jewish vitality, and we are devoted to the rigorous study of the full breadth of Jewish religion and culture. Together, we foster lifelong Jewish learning that engages the whole person, challenging the mind, and nourishing the soul.
Jewish leaders in the 21st century must assume responsibility for both the Jewish future and the future of our planet.Hebrew College promotes learning in a context of collective commitment and concern — for our local community, for Israel and Jewish communities around the world all inhabitants of the Earth. Through education, activism, service, and interfaith cooperation, we seek to bring healing to a world in need of repair.
As a pluralistic institution, we recognize and value human diversity. Within our own k' lal Yisrael community and in dialogue with people from other faith traditions, we actively engage a multiplicity of experiences and perspectives in an environment of mutual respect. The encounter with different points of view prompts us to ask honest and searching questions of ourselves and one another and see this process as a source of wisdom and strength.
At its best, Judaism is a creative, intellectual, and spiritual encounter among the individual, the community, and the received tradition. Hebrew College encourages and empowers learners to see themselves as both inheritors and innovators — active participants in the Jewish people's unfolding story. We embrace music, literature, and the visual and performing arts as sources of inspiration and vital modes of Jewish discovery and expression.
Hebrew College is primarily a graduate school with a small number of undergraduate students. Graduate students of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs come to Hebrew College to pursue a career as a rabbi, cantor, Jewish educator, or other Jewish communal professional.
Some students come to Hebrew College right after college; others enroll after working in the Jewish professions for several years and still study here to prepare for a second career in midlife. In addition to those with professional aspirations, some of our students enjoy coursework for the pure love of learning and Jewish personal enrichment.
Students from a wide variety of backgrounds are welcome to study at Hebrew College. The Rabbinical School and cantorial ordination programs in the School of Jewish Music are only open to Jewish students. However, they do not require that students be affiliated with any particular stream of Judaism.
In the classroom, you will join with students of diverse ages, backgrounds, and beliefs — some straight out of college, others with experience in Jewish communal and educational institutions, still others preparing for a second career in the Jewish professions. Our students find this diversity to be one of the most enriching elements of their Hebrew College education — the chance to learn from others' varied world views and experiences as they jointly grapple with Jewish texts and concepts.
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