As the Jewish Community and the Jewish People imagine and create their future, the foundation will be the three pillars which have sustained Judaism throughout the ages. To meet the challenges of interpreting Torah, Avodah and Gemilut Hasadim to the present and future generations will require the leadership of inspired and highly qualified professionals for the many institutions and agencies which support these three pillars. At the heart of that leadership is a knowledge of Jewish tradition, a deep understanding of the contemporary Jewish community, and the educational and organizational skills to make the Jewish tradition accessible to contemporary Jews. The challenge will be to not only sustain a vital Jewish community but also to innovate and reimagine the structures of the community to meet new needs and prepare for the future. Our professional leaders will need to answer the questions which emerge from a quest for Jewish relevance in modern life: Why be Jewish? What does Judaism say about .......? What should we do to make the Jewish community more responsive to ......? How can I make my own life more Jewish?

Since 1969 the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion has been in the forefront of preparing professional leadership who can face the challenges and questions about the present and the future of Jewish life. Through their roles in congregations, day schools, Jewish camps, Jewish community centers and other agencies of Jewish life, they have provided the visionary leadership required to reach out to Jews of all ages and connect them to the riches of the Jewish tradition and Jewish communal life. Through the two programs offered, the Master of Arts in Jewish Education and the Joint Masters program in Jewish Education and Communal Service in collaboration with the School of Jewish Communal Service, the Rhea Hirsch School has provided professionals who have created and sustained vital communities of Jewish life throughout the United States, Canada, England, Australia and Israel.

In the 21st century Judaism and Jews will face new and unanticipated crises and challenges. The Jewish professional leader who is firmly grounded in the past of the Jewish people and yet keenly aware of emerging trends of the future will be best able to support his/her community and guide it through the process of change that will be required. The Jewish professional leader who is steeped in the Jewish tradition and yet attentive to the new questions people are asking of that tradition will be able to be a bridge between Judaism and Jews. The Jewish professional leader who has had the gift of an outstanding education at the Hebrew Union College, and yet is fully aware of the ongoing learning he/she must commit to, will be self-renewing and will be able to guide the instituion and community he/she serves to be self-renewing as well. It is that kind of leader and leadership which the Jewish community requires if its future is to be secure and inspiring.

History

The Rhea Hirsch School of Education is the Reform Movement's premier institution for the preparation of professionals in Jewish education.

Founded in 1875, HUC-JIR is the oldest institution of higher Jewish learning in North America and the academic, spiritual, and professional leadership development center of Reform Judaism. With centers of learning in Cincinnati, Jerusalem, Los Angeles and New York, HUC-JIR educates men and women for service to American and world Jewry as rabbis, cantors, educators, communal service professionals and scholars. HUC-JIR trains those who will lead in congregational, school, community, organizational, military and university settings throughout the world.

The Rhea Hirsch School of Education, located on the Los Angeles campus of HUC-JIR, was founded in 1969 in response to a growing demand for the development of a cadre of Jewish educational leaders. In addition to its outstanding academic courses, the Rhea Hirsch School was a pioneer in the field of clinical education and mentoring. Supported by a grant from the Wexner Foundation, the academic faculty worked together with the clinical faculty to develop an exemplary protocol for similar institutions throughout North America.

The Rhea Hirsch School has graduated more than 275 Jewish educators who work in congregations, day schools, camps, Israel programs, central agencies, and academic institutions in the United States., Canada, England, Australia and Israel. Over the years, the school has become a center for research in the field of Jewish education and a means for outreach and service to Jewish educational institutions, primarily those of the Reform Movement.

The Rhea Hirsch School has been at the forefront of efforts to transform two important types of educational institutions -- synagogues and day schools. In 1992, the school received funding from the Mandel Associated Foundations to implement a master plan containing twelve recommendations, among them the creation of the first residency in day school education, the Experiment in Congregational Education (ECE) and Jewish Day Schools for the 21st Century (JDS-21). These projects have given the Rhea Hirsch School a deserved reputation as a central address for those interested in change in Jewish education.