The Core Curriculum

Our five-year core curriculum reflects in sequential form the Reconstructionist view of Judaism as an evolving religious civilization. As a student, each year you will immerse yourself in one of five historical periods of Jewish civilization: biblical, rabbinic, medieval, modern and contemporary.
Other components of our core curriculum include:

Practical Rabbinics
Hebrew Language
Study in Israel
Multifaith Studies and Initiatives
Social Justice Organizing
Electives

Practical Rabbinics

Prepare for the practical aspects of being a rabbi with courses in liturgy, education, homiletics, counseling, group work and administration. 

You may choose to explore various contexts for rabbinic work, gaining at least two years of approved field experience. Or, you may choose to specialize in congregational service, serving the aging, campus work, social justice or community organization; each specialization carries its own field experience requirements. Also available is a joint master's degree programs in Jewish education through a cooperative arrangement with Gratz College.

Hebrew Language

Learn to read, declaim, converse, write and study texts as needed for rabbinical work. All of our rabbinical students must become skilled in Hebrew, both classical and modern, as determined by our faculty.

Read more about our cutting-edge approach to Hebrew language study, at the Becker Media Center.

Study in Israel

As a student you are required to spend your second, third or fourth year of study in Israel—studying with leading scholars there, experiencing contemporary Israeli culture and society and gathering more resources you can use in the rabbinate. Read more about our Israel program.

Multifaith Studies and Initiatives

RRC was the first rabbinical seminary to require students to study faiths other than Judaism. These courses about Christianity and Islam integrate academic learning and supervised community service in a multifaith context. The department also continues the work of Mordecai M. Kaplan by connecting Jewish religious thought with the evolving vanguard of social scientific research.  Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, '82, Ph.D., leads the Department of Multifaith Studies and Initiatives. Learn more.
  

Social Justice Organizing Program

The mission of the Social Justice Organizing Program is to train rabbis to be Jewish leaders in creating a socially just, environmentally sustainable and spiritually fulfilling society. It is the first specialized academic track at a Jewish seminary to focus on justice organizing. The values and goals of the program will inform academic and community life. Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, '85, leads the program. Learn more.

Electives

As a student you must take a number of elective courses, which allow you to explore areas of your own choosing in greater depth. In addition to regularly scheduled courses, electives may include special course offerings and approved independent studies.