Preparation

Preparation for Admission

Rabbinical School

At Hebrew College, we strive to bring together a richly diverse group of students who are prepared to traverse a rigorous path of rabbinic training.

Jewish Engagement and Identity

As a pluralistic school, we do not have prescriptions for how you should live as a Jew. Rather, we support each other in a search for a meaningful and authentic engagement with Jewish tradition. We expect our students to be in an ever-deepening relationship with the core aspects of Jewish life:

Ahavat Hashem: Engaging God, Theology and Jewish practice
Ahavat Torah: Engaging Torah study

Ahavat Israel: Engaging the Jewish people and culture in North America, Israel and around the world

Applicants must be Jewish by birth as recognized by at least one major rabbinic body, or by a conversion process that is recognized by at least one major rabbinic body.

Academic

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and a competitive GPA. We do not require applicants to have taken the GRE.

Hebrew

At Hebrew College, we seek the wisdom that emerges when we deeply engage sacred Jewish sources in the original text. Your authentic interaction with the text demands significant study of the Hebrew language to enable you to reveal the layers of wisdom within. Generally, applicants must have completed at least two years of college-level Hebrew to start Mekorot, our preparatory-year program, and three years to enter Shanah Aleph (Year 1).

Preparation and Placement

Rabbinical school should not be the beginning of your Jewish learning but a continuation. The time before rabbinical school is an opportunity to deepen your Jewish knowledge and practice. It is also a critical time for working on your command of Hebrew, making sure you have the fundamentals and are at a level to start rabbinical school.

We have developed two guides to help you prepare for this journey. The first offers suggestions for reading and growth in core areas of Jewish knowledge and identity. The second provides specific instructions for ensuring your knowledge of Hebrew is at the appropriate level to enter rabbinical school in either Mekorot, the preparatory year program, or Shanah Aleph (Year 1).

Jewish Knowledge and Practice/Hebrew

The extent of your knowledge in both of these areas will determine upon admittance whether you start rabbinical school in Mekorot or Shanah Aleph.

See application requirements here.