This week we’ll be profiling Rabbi Noyo’s alma mater, Hebrew College. Founded in 1921 in the Boston area (and planning a move to a new Newton campus this January), Hebrew College is so-named because a cornerstone of its original vision was teaching exclusively in Hebrew, reflecting an ardent Zionism in its founding members. Today, the college emphasizes its role as “a pluralistic institution, recognizing and valuing human diversity.” Communal responsibility and Jewish creativity are two other pillars of its current vision.
The school, notably, is non-denominational (or “trans-denominational,” as they put it.) The five-year program requires the students to spend their third year in Israel. The school has a strong music program, and while all students learn the basics and skills of pastoral care, they can also choose a specialization in the field. Other specializations include “social justice,” halakha (Jewish law) and Jewish mysticism. All in all, the school appears to be progressive, inclusive, with a modern outlook, but how intensively the school prepares students for the “nuts and bolts” of leading a congregation and managing a synagogue is less clear.
You can explore their website here: https://hebrewcollege.edu/graduate-leadership-programs/become-a-rabbi/
To be as prepared as possible, the committee has begun to familiarize itself with the different rabbinical schools the applicants may have attended. This is the first in a series called, “Know Your Seminary!” to share with the community what we are learning about these schools.
As always, the Committee welcomes your thoughts and concerns! Please share at this address: rabbisearch@wjcshul.org