Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

What is the history of Reconstructionist Rabbinical College?

Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) was founded in 1968 to train rabbis in the Reconstructionist approach to Judaism. Rabbi Ira Eisenstein, a leading figure in the movement associated with Rabbi Mordecai M. Kaplan, was central to its establishment.

The college has admitted women and men to rabbinical study since its founding. Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, ordained in 1974, was its first woman graduate. RRC later established its campus in Wyncote, Pennsylvania. Today it is part of Reconstructing Judaism, the organization that connects the seminary with Reconstructionist congregations and communities.

What are the faculties and departments at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College?

RRC is a specialized graduate seminary, not a university organized into undergraduate colleges and majors. Its central academic offering is rabbinical education, combining Jewish texts, Hebrew, history, theology, pastoral practice and preparation for communal leadership.

Prospective students should assess the current rabbinical curriculum as a whole rather than look for a conventional undergraduate major. In particular, they should confirm the credential awarded alongside ordination, the expected length of study, language requirements and how supervised practical work fits into the program. The distinction matters: rabbinical ordination is a professional religious qualification, while any academic degree is a separate credential.

What is the location of Reconstructionist Rabbinical College?

RRC is located in Wyncote, a suburban community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. Its setting differs from that of a large urban university campus, while still giving students access to the Philadelphia region's Jewish organizations and other potential sites for practical learning.

Wyncote is served by regional transit, but the usefulness of a particular route depends on where a student lives and when classes or community commitments end. Applicants planning to commute should check current schedules and travel times to the college, especially for evening activities or placements away from campus.

What is the mission and vision of Reconstructionist Rabbinical College?

RRC's educational purpose is to prepare rabbis for Reconstructionist Jewish life and leadership. Reconstructionism treats Judaism as a developing religious civilization and emphasizes study, evolving practice and the role of communities in shaping Jewish life.

That identity is more than an institutional affiliation: it informs the questions students encounter in text study, ritual, ethics and pastoral work. Applicants should consider whether they want preparation within this particular Jewish movement, rather than a general divinity degree or rabbinical training in another denomination. Statements about the college's goals describe its educational commitments, not a guaranteed outcome for every graduate.