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.
The days between Passover and Shavuot, known as the Omer, are a powerful opportunity to count our days, noticing and reflecting creatively on ecological, spiritual, and personal changes over this period of uncertainty, transformation, and growth.Join Rabbi Laura Bellows for CREATING EACH DAY: AN OMER MAKER SPACE FOR ALL AGES to reflect on and design an Omer counter for each day of the seven weeks. Thursdays at 7, starting March 18. Learn more and register at hebrewcollege.edu/programs/open-circle-jewish-learning/... See MoreSee Less
The season from Passover to Shavuot is one of the most powerful and resonant in our Jewish calendar. Join Hebrew College’s Rabbi Nehemia Polen for a community education course to explore the biblical roots of 49-day period, its mystical significance, and its contemporary applications for personal discovery. Tuesdays at 7 p.m., starting April 6. Learn more and register: hebrewcollege.edu/programs/meah/... See MoreSee Less
Save the date!Join us next Monday 3/8 from 7-8:30pm EST for a conversation with author Peter Eisenstadt & fellow Thurman scholars to celebrate his new rich biographical exploration of the life & legacy of #HowardThurman In partnership with Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground Boston University School of Theology Hebrew CollegeFor more details: hebrewcollege.edu/events/against-the-hounds-of-hell-the-life-of-howard-thurman/... See MoreSee Less
Looking for inspiration and uplift? Join us in a Hebrew College community education course to explore how biblical, rabbinic and Jewish historical personalities dealt with life’s challenges. Profiles in Leadership and Resilience: Exploring Biblical, Rabbinic & Jewish Historical Personalities — Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m., with Rabbi Benjamin Samuels, starting March 3. Hosted in collaboration with Temple Emanuel of Newton. Learn more and register: hebrewcollege.edu/programs/meah/https://hebrewcollege.edu/programs/meah/... See MoreSee Less
The mystical play "The Dybbuk," by playwright S. Ansky, first premiered a century ago. Ansky was an author, playwright, Jewish folklorist, polemicist, cultural political activist, organizer, revolutionary, and composer. In this Hebrew College community education course, we will trace Ansky's footsteps by engaging with the songs, folk wisdom, photographs, and stories that he and his team collected while traveling through shtetlekh (small towns) in the Pale of Settlement and learn about his spiritual yearnings for justice and healing in the world. Join Hebrew College alumnus Rabbi Noam Lerman for "Capturing Folk Wisdom: 'The Dybbuk' and S. Ansky," Wednesdays at 7, starting March 3. Learn more: hebrewcollege.edu/programs/open-circle-jewish-learning/Register: tinyurl.com/y5u2scrs... See MoreSee Less
CJP Supported Adult Programs