Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Established | 1968 |
| Affiliation | Reconstructionist Judaism |
| President | Rabbi Deborah Waxman |
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Academic staff
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38 |
| Location | Wyncote, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Website | http://www.rrc.edu/ |
The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC), is located in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles (16 km) north of central Philadelphia. RRC is the only seminary affiliated with Reconstructionist Judaism. It is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. RRC has an enrollment of approximately 80 students in rabbinic and other graduate programs.
As of June 3, 2012 the Reconstructionist movement was restructured. RRC is now the primary organization of the movement, headed by Rabbi Deborah Waxman. She is believed to be the first female rabbi and first lesbian to lead a Jewish congregational union, and the first woman and first lesbian to lead a Jewish seminary; the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College is both a congregational union and a seminary.
RRC is a graduate institution. Rabbinical and other degree candidate students are required to have a bachelor's degree, and meet Hebrew and other requirements before enrolling.
Graduates of the five- to six-year program are required to spend one of those years studying in Israel before graduating. Graduates receive the title of rabbi and a Master of Arts degree in Hebrew letters. RRC offers specialized training tracks in five different areas: congregational life; education [with Gratz College, leading to an M.A. in Jewish education]; geriatric chaplaincy; campus rabbinate; and communal organization. RRC also offers a master's degree program in Jewish studies.
From its early years, RRC included students in decision making. Representatives of students, alumni, faculty, and administration meet in a College Council that advises on current issues. In addition, all these groups have representatives on the RRC Board of Governors. Students are members of the Reconstructionist Student Association (RSA.)
The college's main building is 27,500 square feet (2,550 m2) and is red-brick, slate-roofed, and an example of Georgian architecture. It includes classrooms, a lounge, faculty and administrative offices, the Einstein Reconstructionist Archives; a beit midrash (study and discussion hall, also used for religious services); a media center, and conference rooms. The adjacent Goldyne Savad Library Center opened in 1999. The library houses approximately 50,000 books on Judaica, primarily in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish.
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