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.
Reimagining Jewish learning and leadership for an interconnected world. Making our lives more meaningful, our communities more vibrant, and our world more whole.
Affiliation
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 through partner institutions of the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium (10 Theological Institutions in Boston Area), and can apply the 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, and master’s degrees in Jewish education and Jewish studies, and provides non-degree community adult, youth and professional development study opportunities.
Graduate Degree:164 — 65 full-time and 99 part-time
Non-degree: 225
Community Learning: 1,840
Teen Learning: 102
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.
Founded
CJP Supported Adult Programs