Hebrew College (Brookline, MA)

Hebrew College (Brookline, MA)

Louis Hurwich, then superintendent of the Bureau of Jewish Education of Boston, founded Hebrew Teacher's College in 1921. Hurwich was concerned about Jewish teachers leaving the field of Jewish education for other professions and sought an educational system that promoted Hebrew literacy at all levels. At its inception, the College faculty taught only in Hebrew, a practice that changed in the later half of the 20 th century. The school's first dean, Dr. Nissan Touroff, was the former director of the educational system in Palestine. Dr. Touroff and his faculty taught classes in the Bible, Talmud, and Hebrew Literature.

In the first year, the College had 23 students, a number that more than doubled to 50 by the end of its second year. In 1952, the College moved from its original address on Crawford Street in Roxbury to 43 Hawes Street in Brookline. The College was now under the auspices of Associated Jewish Philanthropies (now Combined Jewish Philanthropies) and achieved accreditation from the New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1955. It later received accreditation from the Israeli Ministry of Education and Culture in order to train elementary school teachers to work in Israeli classrooms.

Hebrew Teacher's College was also responsible for maintaining Hebrew High School (Prozdor), located at 14 Crawford Street in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Those students who graduated from the high school could matriculate to Hebrew Teacher's College without having to take an exam. In 1943, the high school offered Talmud classes in addition to its regular curriculum, with studies in the Bible, Hebrew, Jewish History, and codes and customs.

The Women's Association of Hebrew College was founded in 1931 and focused on providing lunch to students, implemented a book festival to assist with the development of the library, and provided scholarship funds for students.

In 2002, the College moved to its current location in Newton, Massachusetts. One year later, it opened its Rabbinical School.

Footnote 1 Information for this administrative sketch is from the following resources: "History of Hebrew College," Hebrew College. August 9, 2010 ( http://www.hebrewcollege.edu/history ) Material from the collection.