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Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion

We are the center of innovation for Jewish life and learning – preparing rabbis, cantors, leaders in Jewish education, Jewish nonprofit professionals, pastoral counselors, and scholars to apply their knowledge, commitment, vision, and expertise to strengthen and transform the Jewish community and larger world.

We are the largest Jewish seminary in North America and the academic, spiritual, and professional leadership development center of Reform Judaism.

Our students and alumni are leading a Jewish renaissance in North America, Israel, and around the globe as leaders in synagogues, schools, Hillels, hospitals, camps, the military, and Jewish organizations worldwide.

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Sara Hurwitz, Amy Eilberg, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso and Sally J. Priesand, each of whom was the first female rabbi in her branch of Judaism. Courtesy of The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives

The ordination of the first female rabbi 50 years ago has brought many changes – and some challenges

Rabbi Sally J. Priesand’s ordination by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion opened the doors to hundreds of women becoming rabbis.
Co-champions celebrate at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland, on May 31, 2019. The winning spellers made history with eight co-champions, most ever in spelling event’s history. Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Scripps spelling bee is off this year, but the controversy over including foreign words is still on

The Scripps National Spelling Bee highlights the richness of the English lexicon by picking some tough entries with foreign roots.
A replica of Nubian Tribute Presented to the King, Tomb of Huy, showing Nubians with their children paying tribute to the Egyptian Pharaoh. Based on the original from circa 1353–1327 B.C. (Wikimedia)

Children in the ancient Middle East were valued and vulnerable — not unlike children today

Coming to a greater understanding of children in ancient history raises important questions for how societies respond — or not — to children’s vulnerability.
Ted Cruz speaks at a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Randall Hill/Reuters

Ted Cruz’s linguistic chutzpah

Is ‘chutzpah’ actually – as Ted Cruz claimed – a New York word? And what’s with the candidate’s insistence on distancing himself from New York City?

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