Hebrew College is an
accredited college of
Jewish studies in
Newton Centre, near
Boston,
Massachusetts. Founded in 1921, Hebrew College is committed to
Jewish scholarship in a transdenominational academic environment. The
president of the
college is Rabbi Daniel Lehmann. Hebrew College offers
undergraduate and
graduate degrees,
Hebrew-language training, summer institutes, a
rabbinical school, a
cantorial school and
continuing-education programs. Internationally renowned
architect,
Moshe Safdie, designed and built the institution's facilities located in
Newton, Massachusetts.
History
Founded in November 1921, as the Hebrew Teachers College, Hebrew College was one of eleven Hebrew teachers colleges established in the
United States in keeping with the
Hebraist model of Jewish teacher training. Hebrew College was originally located in
Roxbury, Massachusetts and moved to
Brookline, Massachusetts in 1952. The school opened with 23 students, with registration doubling by the following year. The founder of Hebrew College was Louis Hurwich, superintendent of the Board of Jewish Education of Boston. Nissan Touroff, former director of the Hebrew school system in
Palestine, was appointed as its first dean. The Hebrew High School opened in 1923.
Eisig Silberschlag became the dean of Hebrew College in 1947 and was named president in the late 1960s.
In the early years, all classes, regardless of the subject matter, were taught in Hebrew. In the early 1980s, as Jewish studies programs opened at more colleges and universities around the country, the policy began to change. Increasingly, classes were held in
English, and Hebrew was reserved for language courses and advanced Jewish text study.
During the 15-year tenure of Eli Grad, the fifth president of Hebrew College, the focus moved from teacher training to an emphasis on Hebrew culture programs and courses for the wider community.
In January 1987, after a period of decline,
Samuel Schafler became the sixth president of Hebrew College and introduced new programming that expanded the student body significantly. In the late 1980s, adult education classes were introduced that became the forerunner of the Me'ah program.
In 2001,
Nehemia Polen established the Hasidic Texts Institute for the study of foundational Hasidic texts. In 2002, David M. Gordis became the seventh president of the College.
Academic partnerships
Hebrew College maintains cross-registration agreements with many of Boston’s accredited colleges and universities including
Boston University,
Northeastern University,
Andover Newton Theological School,
Simmons College,
Boston College, and the
University of Massachusetts-Boston. When Hebrew College moved to its new campus in 2002, cooperation with the nearby Andover Newton Theological School (ANTS) led to the creation of the Interreligious Center on Public Life and several
interfaith programs. In 2006, it signed a collaborative agreement with
Nova Southeastern University in
South Florida, the second largest Jewish community in the United States. In July 2007, it formed a partnership with Northeastern University in Boston. Hebrew College is now collaborating with the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston, one of whose founders was Hebrew College president Eli Grad.
Library facilities
The Rae and
Joseph Gann Library has over 125,000 books, including special collections in modern
Hebrew literature,
Jewish medical ethics, Jewish education, Jewish
genealogy,
Holocaust studies,
Hasidism, and Jewish children’s literature. Through the Research Libraries Information Network students can access a database of 53 million books, journals, maps, records and cassettes drawn from
Judaica collections across the United States. In addition, the College is a member of the Fenway Library Consortium, allowing access to local college, museum and public libraries.
Youth programs
In keeping with the idea of Jewish education as a lifelong pursuit, Hebrew College runs the
Prozdor high school and
Camp Yavneh, an overnight summer camp in
Northwood,
New Hampshire.
Notable Faculty
Notable alumni
