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'''Leo Baeck College''' is a privately funded [[rabbinical seminary]] and centre for the training of teachers in [[Jewish education]]. Now based at the [[Sternberg Centre]], East End Road, in north London, it was founded by Rabbi Dr [[Werner van der Zyl]] in 1956.
'''Leo Baeck College''' is a privately funded [[rabbinical seminary]] and centre for the training of teachers in [[Jewish education]]. Based now at the [[Sternberg Centre]], East End Road, in north London, it was founded by Rabbi Dr [[Werner van der Zyl]] in 1956.


Rabbinic ordinations from Leo Baeck College are recognised worldwide by the Liberal, Reform and [[Masorti]] movements. To date, Leo Baeck College has trained over 170 rabbis, its [[alumni]] serving [[List of Jewish communities in the United Kingdom|Jewish communities in the United Kingdom]] and across the world. Leo Baeck College also pioneered the training of rabbis to serve the Jewish communities of the former [[Soviet Union]]<ref name="Romain"/> and has been at the forefront of [[Interfaith dialog|Jewish-Christian-Muslim dialogue]] for decades. In addition to the training of rabbis, Leo Baeck College trains teachers, provides an educational consultancy for religion schools and Jewish day schools, supports the development of community leaders, and provides access to Jewish learning for all through interfaith work.
Rabbinic ordinations from Leo Baeck College are recognised worldwide by the Liberal, Reform and [[Masorti]] movements. To date, Leo Baeck College has trained over 170 rabbis, its [[alumni]] serving [[List of Jewish communities in the United Kingdom|Jewish communities in the United Kingdom]] and across the world. Leo Baeck College also pioneered the training of rabbis to serve the Jewish communities of the former [[Soviet Union]]<ref name="Romain"/> and has been at the forefront of [[Interfaith dialog|Jewish-Christian-Muslim dialogue]] for decades. In addition to the training of rabbis, Leo Baeck College trains teachers, provides an educational consultancy for religion schools and Jewish day schools, supports the development of community leaders, and provides access to Jewish learning for all through interfaith work.
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Prior to Leo Baeck College's foundation there was no institution for training Reform rabbis in Britain and all ministers had either received their training in the [[United States]] or had been graduates of the Orthodox [[Jews' College]] who had later switched allegiance and served Reform synagogues.<ref name="Romain"/>
Prior to Leo Baeck College's foundation there was no institution for training Reform rabbis in Britain and all ministers had either received their training in the [[United States]] or had been graduates of the Orthodox [[Jews' College]] who had later switched allegiance and served Reform synagogues.<ref name="Romain"/>


The College was originally housed at [[West London Synagogue]]. Its first two students were [[Lionel Blue]] and Michael Leigh, both of who became distiguished rabbis.<ref name="Romain"/><ref name="Leigh">{{cite web | url=http://www.edrs.org.uk/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=229&Itemid=9&limitstart=6 | title=Rabbi Leigh | publisher=Edgware and District Reform Synagogue | work=Our history | accessdate=4 April 2013 | pages=7}}</ref>
The College was originally housed at [[West London Synagogue]]. It expanded into a new building at the West London Synagogue site in 1963.<ref name="Avidan">{{cite journal | url=http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/41443812?uid=3738032&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101982529041 | title=My Student Years at Leo Baeck College | author=Hillel Avidan | journal=European Judaism | year=2006 | month=Spring | volume=39 | issue=1}}</ref>

In the firs few years almost all the faculty members were refugees from [[Nazism]].<ref name="Avidan"/> The College's first two students were [[Lionel Blue]] and Michael Leigh, both of who became distiguished rabbis.<ref name="Romain"/><ref name="Leigh">{{cite web | url=http://www.edrs.org.uk/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=229&Itemid=9&limitstart=6 | title=Rabbi Leigh | publisher=Edgware and District Reform Synagogue | work=Our history | accessdate=4 April 2013 | pages=7}}</ref>


Van der Zyl's work was furthered by many others, including Rabbis [[Hugo Gryn]] and John Rayner who jointly supervised the College affairs after his retirement. In 1972 Rabbi Dr [[Albert Friedlander]] became Director and during his tenure the student body grew in size.<ref name="Romain"/>
Van der Zyl's work was furthered by many others, including Rabbis [[Hugo Gryn]] and John Rayner who jointly supervised the College affairs after his retirement. In 1972 Rabbi Dr [[Albert Friedlander]] became Director and during his tenure the student body grew in size.<ref name="Romain"/>


Female students had been admitted from the outset, although none graduated as rabbis until [[Jackie Tabick|Jacqueline Tabick]] in 1975.<ref name="Tabick">{{cite book | title=Hear Our Voice, Sybil Sheridan (ed.), | publisher=SCM Press | author=[[Jackie Tabick|Jacqueline Tabick]]| title=I Never Really Wanted To Be First | year=1994 | location=Norwich}}</ref>
Female students had been admitted from the outset, although none graduated as rabbis until [[Jackie Tabick|Jacqueline Tabick]] in 1975.<ref name="Tabick">{{cite book | title=Hear Our Voice, Sybil Sheridan (ed.), | publisher=SCM Press | author=[[Jackie Tabick|Jacqueline Tabick]]| title=I Never Really Wanted To Be First | year=1994 | location=Norwich}}</ref><ref name="Encyclopaedia">{{cite book | url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=B50Jad7552MC&pg=PA1198&lpg=PA1198&dq=leo+baeck+college&source=bl&ots=27BVLxevfI&sig=7BkO1UARjw5M9t-QFJChz7hbcb0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Xa1dUaHcGcLS0QWhwIDYBQ&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAzi0AQ#v=onepage&q=leo%20baeck%20college&f=false | title=Encyclopaedia of Women in Today's World | publisher=Sage Publications | author=Mary Zeiss Stange, Carol K. Oyster, Jane E. Sloan (eds) | year=2011 | pages=1198 | isbn=978 1 4129 7685 5}}</ref>


The College moved in 1981 to larger premises at the Manor House (later known as the Sternberg Centre) in North Finchley, along with other institutions within the Progressive movement. This in turn led to a major growth in its activities, especially its Extra-Mural Department, which provided a wide range of day-time and evening activities for the wider public. Its Teachers Training Department also expanded and eventually formed a separate Education Department that served both the Reform and Liberal movements, later being known as the Centre for Jewish Education (CJE).<ref name="Romain"/>In 2001 CJE integrated with the old Leo Baeck College to become Leo Baeck College–Centre for Jewish Education (LBC-CJE).<ref name="History">{{cite web | url=http://www.lbc.ac.uk/history.html | title=History | publisher=Leo Baeck College | accessdate=3 April 2013}}</ref>
The College moved in 1981 to larger premises at the Manor House (later known as the Sternberg Centre) in North Finchley, along with other institutions within the Progressive movement. This in turn led to a major growth in its activities, especially its Extra-Mural Department, which provided a wide range of day-time and evening activities for the wider public. Its Teachers Training Department also expanded and eventually formed a separate Education Department that served both the Reform and Liberal movements, later being known as the Centre for Jewish Education (CJE).<ref name="Romain"/>In 2001 CJE integrated with the old Leo Baeck College to become Leo Baeck College–Centre for Jewish Education (LBC-CJE).<ref name="History">{{cite web | url=http://www.lbc.ac.uk/history.html | title=History | publisher=Leo Baeck College | accessdate=3 April 2013}}</ref>
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The current Principal (since September 2011)<ref name="History"/> is Rabbi Dr [[Deborah Kahn-Harris]], a graduate of Leo Baeck College and one of the first woman rabbis to lead a mainstream rabbinic seminary.<ref name="New principal">{{cite web | url=http://news.reformjudaism.org.uk/press-releases/induction-of-new-principal-of-leo-baeck-college.html | title=Induction of New Principal of Leo Baeck College | publisher=[[Movement for Reform Judaism]] | date=1 March 2012 | accessdate=4 April 2013}}</ref><ref name="Woman">{{cite news | url=http://www.thejc.com/community/community-life/47295/leo-baeck-picks-its-first-woman-head | title=Leo Baeck picks its first woman head | work=[[Jewish Chronicle]] | date=1 April 2011 | accessdate=4 April 2013 | author=Simon Rocker | location=London}}</ref>
The current Principal (since September 2011)<ref name="History"/> is Rabbi Dr [[Deborah Kahn-Harris]], a graduate of Leo Baeck College and one of the first woman rabbis to lead a mainstream rabbinic seminary.<ref name="New principal">{{cite web | url=http://news.reformjudaism.org.uk/press-releases/induction-of-new-principal-of-leo-baeck-college.html | title=Induction of New Principal of Leo Baeck College | publisher=[[Movement for Reform Judaism]] | date=1 March 2012 | accessdate=4 April 2013}}</ref><ref name="Woman">{{cite news | url=http://www.thejc.com/community/community-life/47295/leo-baeck-picks-its-first-woman-head | title=Leo Baeck picks its first woman head | work=[[Jewish Chronicle]] | date=1 April 2011 | accessdate=4 April 2013 | author=Simon Rocker | location=London}}</ref>


Faculty members have included Rabbi John D. Rayner, Rabbi Dr. [[Louis Jacobs]] and [[Karen Armstrong]].
Faculty members have included Rabbi John D. Rayner, Rabbi Dr. [[Louis Jacobs]]<ref name="Neuberger"/> and [[Karen Armstrong]].


==Alumni==
==Alumni==


Among Leo Baeck’s alumni are Rabbi Dr [[Lionel Blue]], Rabbi Dr [[Tony Bayfield]], Rabbi Dr [[Jonathan Romain]], Rabbi [[Harry Jacobi]], Rabbi [[Baroness Neuberger]], Rabbi [[Sybil Sheridan]] and Rabbi [[Jackie Tabick]], the first [[Rabbi#Women|woman rabbi]] to be trained in the United Kingdom.
Among Leo Baeck’s alumni are Rabbi Dr [[Lionel Blue]], Rabbi Dr [[Tony Bayfield]], Rabbi Dr [[Jonathan Romain]], Rabbi [[Harry Jacobi]], Rabbi [[Baroness Neuberger]],<ref name="Neuberger">{{cite journal | url=http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/41443816?uid=3738032&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101982529041 | title=Leo Beack College Memoir | author=[[Julia Neuberger]] | journal=European Judaism | year=2006 | month=Spring | volume=39 | issue=1 | pages=66-68}}</ref> Rabbi [[Sybil Sheridan]]<ref name="Sheridan">{{cite journal | title=My First Day at Leo Baeck College | author=[[Sybil Sheridan]] | journal=European Judaism | year=2006 | month=Spring | volume=39 | issue=1 | pages=69-70}}</ref> and Rabbi [[Jackie Tabick]],<ref name="Tabick memoir">{{cite journal | url=http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/41443814?uid=3738032&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21101982529041 | title=Leo Baeck College 1971-1975 | author=[[Jackie Tabick]] | journal=European Judaism | year=2006 | month=Spring | volume=39 | issue=1| pages=58-61}}</ref> the first [[Rabbi#Women|woman rabbi]] to be trained in the United Kingdom.


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 16:47, 4 April 2013

51°35′43″N 0°11′22″W / 51.59528°N 0.18944°W / 51.59528; -0.18944

Leo Baeck College
Address
Map
The Manor House, 80 East End Rd

London
,
N3 2SY

England
Information
TypeFurther Education, Rabbinical seminary, Teacher training
Religious affiliation(s)Jewish
Established1956
FounderWerner van der Zyl
ChairmanAlasdair Nisbet
PrincipalDeborah Kahn-Harris
GenderMixed
Websitehttp://www.lbc.ac.uk/

Leo Baeck College is a privately funded rabbinical seminary and centre for the training of teachers in Jewish education. Based now at the Sternberg Centre, East End Road, in north London, it was founded by Rabbi Dr Werner van der Zyl in 1956.

Rabbinic ordinations from Leo Baeck College are recognised worldwide by the Liberal, Reform and Masorti movements. To date, Leo Baeck College has trained over 170 rabbis, its alumni serving Jewish communities in the United Kingdom and across the world. Leo Baeck College also pioneered the training of rabbis to serve the Jewish communities of the former Soviet Union[1] and has been at the forefront of Jewish-Christian-Muslim dialogue for decades. In addition to the training of rabbis, Leo Baeck College trains teachers, provides an educational consultancy for religion schools and Jewish day schools, supports the development of community leaders, and provides access to Jewish learning for all through interfaith work.

History

The College was founded in 1956 as the Jewish Theological College of London for the training of Liberal and Reform rabbis[1] and was seen as a successor organisation to the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums[2] in Berlin and the Jewish Theological Seminary of Breslau.[1] It was renamed Leo Baeck College shortly afterwards[1] at van der Zyl's suggestion[3] in honour of his teacher, Dr Leo Baeck, the inspirational twentieth century German Liberal rabbi.

Prior to Leo Baeck College's foundation there was no institution for training Reform rabbis in Britain and all ministers had either received their training in the United States or had been graduates of the Orthodox Jews' College who had later switched allegiance and served Reform synagogues.[1]

The College was originally housed at West London Synagogue. It expanded into a new building at the West London Synagogue site in 1963.[4]

In the firs few years almost all the faculty members were refugees from Nazism.[4] The College's first two students were Lionel Blue and Michael Leigh, both of who became distiguished rabbis.[1][5]

Van der Zyl's work was furthered by many others, including Rabbis Hugo Gryn and John Rayner who jointly supervised the College affairs after his retirement. In 1972 Rabbi Dr Albert Friedlander became Director and during his tenure the student body grew in size.[1]

Female students had been admitted from the outset, although none graduated as rabbis until Jacqueline Tabick in 1975.[6][7]

The College moved in 1981 to larger premises at the Manor House (later known as the Sternberg Centre) in North Finchley, along with other institutions within the Progressive movement. This in turn led to a major growth in its activities, especially its Extra-Mural Department, which provided a wide range of day-time and evening activities for the wider public. Its Teachers Training Department also expanded and eventually formed a separate Education Department that served both the Reform and Liberal movements, later being known as the Centre for Jewish Education (CJE).[1]In 2001 CJE integrated with the old Leo Baeck College to become Leo Baeck College–Centre for Jewish Education (LBC-CJE).[8]

In 1985 Rabbi Professor Jonathan Magonet became the first full-time Principal,[8] a position he held for 20 years, retiring in 2005.[1] He was succeeded by Rabbi Professor Marc Saperstein in the following year, when the combined new College adopted the name Leo Baeck College. Saperstein completed his term of office in July 2011 and continues to teach at the College as Professor of Jewish History and Homiletics.[8]

Library

The College's library has 60,000 books, including donations of books from the former Hochschule library and many rare editions.[1]

Courses

The College has announced the introduction of a new part-time BA in Jewish education from autumn 2013 — the only one of its kind in the country. The BA and the College's existing part-time MA in Jewish education will in future be validated by the Institute for Theological Partnerships at Winchester University, as will the MA in theology taken by rabbinic students, which is currently awarded by King’s College London.[9]

Sponsorship

The College is sponsored by The Movement for Reform Judaism, The Liberal Movement and the United Jewish Israel Appeal.[8]

Staff

The current Principal (since September 2011)[8] is Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris, a graduate of Leo Baeck College and one of the first woman rabbis to lead a mainstream rabbinic seminary.[10][11]

Faculty members have included Rabbi John D. Rayner, Rabbi Dr. Louis Jacobs[12] and Karen Armstrong.

Alumni

Among Leo Baeck’s alumni are Rabbi Dr Lionel Blue, Rabbi Dr Tony Bayfield, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, Rabbi Harry Jacobi, Rabbi Baroness Neuberger,[12] Rabbi Sybil Sheridan[13] and Rabbi Jackie Tabick,[14] the first woman rabbi to be trained in the United Kingdom.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Jonathan Romain (2006). "50 Years: An Overview". History. Leo Baeck College. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  2. ^ Adele Berlin and Maxine Grossman (ed.s) (2012). Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199759279.
  3. ^ "Obituary: Rabbi Werner van der Zyl" (PDF). AJR Information. 39 (6). Association of Jewish Refugees: 9. 1984. {{cite journal}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. ^ a b Hillel Avidan (2006). "My Student Years at Leo Baeck College". European Judaism. 39 (1). {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  5. ^ "Rabbi Leigh". Our history. Edgware and District Reform Synagogue. p. 7. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  6. ^ Jacqueline Tabick (1994). I Never Really Wanted To Be First. Norwich: SCM Press.
  7. ^ Mary Zeiss Stange, Carol K. Oyster, Jane E. Sloan (eds) (2011). Encyclopaedia of Women in Today's World. Sage Publications. p. 1198. ISBN 978 1 4129 7685 5. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ a b c d e "History". Leo Baeck College. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  9. ^ Simon Rocker (21 January 2013). "Leo Baeck cuts back on services". Jewish Chronicle. London. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  10. ^ "Induction of New Principal of Leo Baeck College". Movement for Reform Judaism. 1 March 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  11. ^ Simon Rocker (1 April 2011). "Leo Baeck picks its first woman head". Jewish Chronicle. London. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  12. ^ a b Julia Neuberger (2006). "Leo Beack College Memoir". European Judaism. 39 (1): 66–68. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  13. ^ Sybil Sheridan (2006). "My First Day at Leo Baeck College". European Judaism. 39 (1): 69–70. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  14. ^ Jackie Tabick (2006). "Leo Baeck College 1971-1975". European Judaism. 39 (1): 58–61. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

Further reading

  • Ellen Littmann: "The First Ten Years of the Leo Baeck College" in Dow Marmur (ed.): Reform Judaism, Reform Synagogues of Great Britain London, 1973
  • Michael Leigh: "1956 and All That" in Jonathan Romain (ed.): Renewing the Vision, SCM Press, Norwich, 1996.

External links

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