Rabbi Arthur Green, Rector of the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College
We are on a quest to create a kind of Judaism that is spiritually compelling and intellectually honest, deeply rooted in the sources of tradition, and driven by a spirit of religious creativity and the constant question of how the new Judaism will emerge.
Hebrew College is a pluralistic institution, open to all forms of Jewish expression, commitment and practice. We welcome diverse perspectives on any given Jewish topic, both to encourage a dynamic exchange and to foster respect for other points of view. The College is not formally affiliated with any religious institution or denomination. Read the College’s Mission Statement.
Location and Campus
Hebrew College is located in the Greater Boston area — one of the leading regions of Jewish innovation and entrepreneurship and home to Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), a progressive federation encompassing a wide range of Jewish religious and social-justice institutions, affiliated and independent congregations, day schools and supplementary Jewish schools that are at the forefront of Jewish education. The Hebrew College campus, designed by Moshe Safdie and Associates, sits on nearly 7 acres on a hillside in Newton Centre, MA and is composed of four interconnected buildings, totaling 72,000 square feet.
Hebrew College offers formal academic classes on campus. Informal community classes and programs take place on campus, as well as at synagogues and other off-campus locations. Matriculated Hebrew College students are permitted to take academic courses on the campus of educational partner Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium (10 Theological Institutions in Boston Area), and can transfer credit towards a Hebrew College degree. Matriculated Hebrew College MJED students who are also enrolled in the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies take courses both at Hebrew College and at Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies (Jerusalem).
Status
A private, not-for-profit, graduate degree-granting institution, Hebrew College offers programs leading to rabbinical and cantorial ordination, master’s degrees and a joint doctoral degree with Lesley College and provides non-degree community adult, youth and professional development study opportunities.
Graduate Degree/Certificate:164 — 65 full-time and 99 part-time
Non-degree: 225
Community Learning: 1,530
Teen Learning: 217 — 104 Prozdor, 67 Makor, 62 JTFGB
Wexner Fellowships (12-year total): 17
87% retention rate for first-year graduate students returning for their second year (includes new student cohorts enrolling between fall 2009 through fall of 2020)
74% of new ordination students graduated within 6-7 years (includes new student cohorts enrolling between fall 2009 through fall of 2015)
Alumni
Rabbinical student placement rate: 94%
Cantorial student placement rate: 97%
Master of Jewish Education – Pardes program placement rate: 100%
Rabbis working in pulpits: Reform movement synagogues (28%), Conservative movement synagogues (28%), independent synagogues (28%), Reconstructionist movement synagogues (13%), Renewal movement synagogues (2%)
Number of states where rabbinical & cantorial alumni work: 22
Watch, listen and read the words of Torah emerging from the students, faculty and alumni of our school. May they draw you more deeply into sensitive listening, probing questioning and humble speaking of Torah and Jewish living.
"We are approaching the holiday of Shavuot, yet another Jewish festival in which we work hard to find our way, amongst the limits of our current world. So much of Jewish life these last many months has felt like wandering in a desert. We wish to journey forward, but there is no road showing us the correct way." – Rabbinical Student Tyler Dratch writes in this week's #70FacesofTorah #ParshatBamidbar #Shavuot2021hebrewcollege.edu/blog/finding-our-way-in-the-dessert-of-uncertainty/... See MoreSee Less
Read Jewish Lessons on Meaningful Work Finding a job that aligns with your values isn't easy. What can Judaism teach us about finding a job where you can make a difference? Rabbi Dan Judson of Hebrew ...
Hebrew College Director of Professional Development Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman’s essay, "The Ground Beneath Our Feet," is mentioned in a book review of Rooted & Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis in the Anglican Theological Review.Rabbi Friedman was ordained in the The Rabbinical & Cantorial Programs of Hebrew College in 2014. Read Rabbi Friedman’s blog posts: hebrewcollege.edu/blog/author/shoshana-meira-friedman/... See MoreSee Less
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CJP Supported Adult Programs