Newton's Hebrew College Announces Partnership With BU Theology School

NEWTON, MA – Hebrew College announced Tuesday it will partner with the Boston University School of Theology for a series of programs geared toward advancing interfaith education and leadership development.

The collaboration between two major training centers for religious leaders – one Jewish and one Christian – in the greater Boston area includes joint interfaith publications, academic courses and public events.

"We are very excited about this partnership, which will allow us to continue to develop our interreligious programming with an outstanding Christian seminary housed at a major research university," said Rabbi Or Rose, director of Hebrew College’s Betty Ann Greenbaum Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership, in a statement. “Each school brings unique gifts to the partnership, and together we can make a significant contribution to the advancement of the field of interreligious education.”

Hebrew College and the BU School of Theology previously worked together last year on a grant for interreligious programming through the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations with Andover Newton Theological School.

With Andover Newton's planned move out of Newton Centre, the two colleges began to explore new opportunities for interfaith work, such as co-publishing the Journal of Interreligious Studies and the online forum State of Formation.

On Thursday, the schools will usher in their partnership with a public program called "Religion and Race in the 2016 Presidential Election Cycle." The event begins at 5 p.m. and will feature Susannah Heschel (Dartmouth College), Stephen Prothero (Boston University) and Saida Grundy (Boston University), with Hebrew College President Rabbi Daniel Lehmann serving as moderator. A reception will follow the inaugural program.

"The new partnership promises to enhance and model theological education that engages faculty, students, and community leaders in building meaningful relationships and exploring the depths and potential of their traditions in relation with one another," Mary Elizabeth Moore, Dean of Boston University School of Theology, said in an announcement. "Hebrew College’s pluralistic Jewish education is both visionary and excellent, which makes the partnership very promising indeed."

Photo Credit: Daderot (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons