Hebrew Union College

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (also known as HUC or HUC-JIR) is the oldest Jewish seminary in the New World and the main seminary for training rabbis, cantors, educators and communal workers in Reform Judaism. It was founded in 1875 under the leadership of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise in Cincinnati, Ohio. A second campus in New York City was created through a merger with the rival Reform Jewish Institute of Religion in 1950 and additional campuses were added in Los Angeles, California in 1954 and Jerusalem in 1963.

Today, the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is an international seminary and university of graduate studies offering a wide variety of academic and professional programs. In addition to its Rabbinical School, the College-Institute includes Schools of Graduate Studies, Education, Jewish Communal Service, Sacred Music, and Biblical Archaeology. Notable faculty members include Judah Magnes, Abraham Joshua Heschel, and Nelson Glueck. The Los Angeles campus operates many of its programs and degrees in cooperation with the neighboring University of Southern California, a partnership that has lasted over 35 years[1].