Hebrew Theological College
Hebrew Theological College
Logo of Hebrew Theological College
| Established | 1922 |
|---|---|
| School type | Private |
| Location | Skokie, Illinois, USA |
| Rosh HaYeshiva | Rabbi Avraham Friedman |
| Chancellor | Rabbi Dr. Jerold Isenberg |
| Enrollment | 120 high school 40 men's college 165 women's college |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | www.htc.edu |
The Hebrew Theological College, also known as Beit HaMidrash LaTorah, also colloquially known as "Skokie Yeshiva," is a private party university located in Skokie, Illinois. It was chartered in 1922 as one of the first Modern Orthodox Jewish institutions of higher education in America, and is therefore also one of the oldest Jewish institutions in the United States outside of the New York area.
- Hebrew Theological College's primary purposes are to prepare students for the assumption of formal roles as educators, as well as to train eligible students to meet the requirements and demands of rabbinic ordination. As its secondary purpose, Hebrew Theological College endeavors to provide its students with broad cultural perspectives and a strong foundation in the Liberal Arts and Sciences to facilitate a creative synthesis of general and Jewish knowledge. In so doing, the College also provides an excellent background for the pursuit of advanced professional training... [1]
Organization
The yeshiva consists of a Bet Midrash, a Rabbinical School, the Bellows Kollel, and the Fasman Yeshiva High School. The college is composed of the Bressler School of Advanced Hebrew Studies and the Kanter School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. All students complete a Bachelor of Arts in Judaic Studies through the Bressler School, with the option of a second major through the Kanter School.
The men's program leads to a B.A. with a focus in Judaic studies and specifically Talmud, with second majors offered in Business, Computer Science, and Psychology. The women's program, located on a separate campus at the Blistein Teachers Institute for Women, offers Judaic Studies majors in Bible, Hebrew Language, and Jewish History, with dual majors available in Business, Computer and Information Sciences, Education (including Elementary and Special Education), English and Psychology.
The university is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
History
The school was founded in the city of Chicago in 1921 by Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Rubinstein and Rabbi Saul Silber. Rabbi Rubinstein (1872-1944) was an alumnus of Volozhin Yeshiva who arrived in America in 1917. Rabbi Silber (1876-1946) was a pulpit Rabbi in Chicago and served as president of the school for the first twenty-five years.[1]
Rabbi Nissan Yablonsky, an alumnus of Slabodka served as the first Rosh Yeshiva for the first few years. He was followed, after his untimely death, by Rabbi Chaim Korb.[2] Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth served as Rosh Yeshiva from 1947 to 1953.[3]
Throughout the history of Hebrew Theological College its leadership has been shared by its Rosh Yeshiva and its Chief Executive Officer, formerly known as the President, currently known as the Chancellor. The founding president was Rabbi Saul Silber (1922-1946). He was followed by Rabbi Oscar Z. Fasman (1946-1964) and Rabbi Simon G. Kramer (1964-1970). Rabbi Kramer dismissed Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Zimmerman and hired Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Aaron Soloveitchik. Under his stewardship Hebrew Theological College reached its greatest enrollment, with approximately 300 students in the high school and 200 in the college. For a time in the early 1970s Hebrew Theological College was left without a president, and was controlled by a lower level executive administration. After differing with this administration there on certain key issues, Rabbi Soloveitchik left this post in 1974 and began his own Yeshiva as the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Brisk in Chicago, which claimed to be an American incarnation of the Brisk yeshivas and methods. Although for a short time both institutions flourished, they ultimately both suffered decline. Yeshiva Brisk currently exists as a very small program and as a synagogue, while Hebrew Theological College has failed to increase enrollment for many years, despite various attempts.
The institution moved to Skokie (a northern suburb of Chicago) in the early 1960's. After moving to Skokie, HTC acquired the colloquial nickname "Skokie Yeshiva."
On January 27, 2008, in a public announcement following shacharis, Rabbi Avraham Friedman was officially named the new Rosh Hayeshiva.
Faculty
The current faculty of Hebrew Theological College:
- Rosh Hayeshiva - Rabbi Avraham Friedman
- Mashgiach of the Beis Medrash – Rabbi Yirmiyahu Neuman
- Dean (men's division) – Rabbi Michael Meyers
- Dean (women's division) – Dr. Esther Shkop
- Principal (high school) – Rabbi Moshe Wender
References
- ^ Wein, Berel (1990). Triumph of Survival. p. 334. ISBN 1-57819-593-4.
- ^ Wein, Berel (2001). Faith and Fate. p. 100. ISBN 1-57819-593-4.
- ^ Wein, Berel (1990). Triumph of Survival. p. 434. ISBN 1-57819-593-4.
See also
- Yeshiva University - a New York City based university, whose undergraduate programs operate according to the Modern Orthodox philosophy of Torah u-Madda ("Torah with secular knowledge").
- Bar-Ilan University – a Tel Aviv based university which aims "to blend tradition with modern technologies and scholarship, and teach the compelling ethics of Jewish heritage to all".
- Lander College - a New York City based college, combining Torah study with secular, university study, based on an outlook of Torah u-Parnassa ("Torah and livelihood").
- Jerusalem College of Technology - a Jerusalem based college, founded to "educate students who see the synthesis of Jewish values and a profession as their way of life".