RRC at a Glance
At RRC you'll find an environment devoted to training a diverse Jewish leadership. Our environment is small and intimate, but our scope is large. Our rabbinical school is home to about 80 students who come to us highly accomplished, from all walks of life. Our faculty generates a broad array of intellectual innovations; our three academic centers produce cutting-edge programming and resources for the Jewish community at large.
History
RRC was established in Philadelphia in 1968. Ira Eisenstein, z"l, a leading figure in Reconstructionist Judaism, was the College's first president. At first, the College was housed on North Broad Street, in close proximity to Temple University. In 1982, RRC moved to its current location in Wyncote, PA.
Facilities
Our current building—a former Curtis Mansion—creates an atmosphere both elegant and intimate.
The redbrick, slate-roofed Georgian mansion houses the Goldyne Savad Library, the Ira and Judith Kaplan Eisenstein Reconstructionist Archives, the Dorothy and Sydney Becker Media Center, the Bet Midrash (our dynamic center for hevrutah—paired—and communal Jewish learning), a community dining room, a lounge, classrooms, seminar and conference rooms, and faculty and administrative offices.
Accreditation
The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000).
Read what our 2005 evaluators said about RRC…
The Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation.
Students
Some of our students come to us directly from leading undergraduate institutions. Many others come with backgrounds as artists, musicians and educators; lawyers, physicians and psychologists; community organizers, business executives and policy experts. Their median age is 30. We actively seek diversity in our student body to enhance learning and to mirror the communities our students will lead. We also welcome transfer students. More on getting to know RRC …
Faculty
Including both feminist scholars and Orthodox rabbis, our 38 full-time and adjunct faculty members vary in background and opinion, but share a high level of academic achievement and recognition. Their small classes taught in seminar style create a rare atmosphere that emphasizes validation rather than competition. Meet our faculty…
Curriculum
RRC's primary academic offering is a five- to six-year graduate professional program for the training of rabbis, which also awards a degree of master of arts in Hebrew letters. Each year of the core curriculum concentrates on different periods in the history of Judaism. More on our academic programs and requirements…
Since 1998, RRC also has awarded a master of arts in Jewish studies.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition for the 2010-11 academic year is $18,000. RRC provides scholarship aid based on need and merit. Such grants account for about 40 to 50 percent of tuition revenues. Between 45 and 60 percent of our rabbinical students receive aid. More on affording an RRC education…
Disabilities and Accommodations
Accommodations for disabilities at the post-secondary education level are mandated by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), implementing regulations and various provisions in state law. Read RRC’s policy (PDF).
Annual Reports
Learn how RRC is an innovator in spirituality, creativity, healing, teaching and ethics. See an interactive online version of our 2010 annual report.
Anti-Discrimination Policy
RRC prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital or partnered status, parental status, ancestry, national or ethnic origin, or status as a veteran. This applies to all board members, employees and students. Inquiries or complaints concerning the application of this policy should be addressed to the vice president for administration, who will respond and investigate, and determine the appropriate course of action to rectify non-compliance. Complaints may also be addressed to the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education.
