Hebrew College

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 the complexities of contemporary Jewish life.

We also embrace a mission that connects serious academic study of Judaism with the educational needs and challenges of the community, 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 importance of Hebrew language as a conveyor of Jewish culture and as a link between Diaspora Jewry and the State of Israel. Courses at Hebrew College were originally taught only in Hebrew; today most classes are taught in English, but 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, both to encourage a dynamic exchange and to foster respect for other points of view. Hebrew College, true to our roots, strives to encompass the broadest spectrum of Jewish life and to model k'lal Yisrael — a community of all Jews — while welcoming members of other faiths 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 to bring Jewish values to bear on the critical issues of our time.

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 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 communal commitment and concern — for our own local community, for Israel and Jewish communities around the world, and for 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 of one another, and to see this process as a source of wisdom and strength.

Judaism, at its best, 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 unfolding story of the Jewish people. We embrace music, literature and the visual and performing arts as sources of inspiration and as 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 others 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, but 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.