
HUC-JIR/LA Historical Timeline: 1947-2002

1947
The UAHC establishes a teacher training and adult education school named the
College of Jewish Studies (CJS). The faculty is part-time and made up mostly
of local rabbis.
1948
The CJS comes under the joint auspices of HUC-JIR and the UAHC.
1954
The first appropriation from the HUC-JIR budget - $10,000 - is made to the Los
Angeles school.
May 29 - Jack Skirball, a prominent filmmaker who had been ordained at HUC-JIR
and a chief proponent of a HUC-JIR/LA campus, leads a group that secures a state
charter for a "California School" of the College-Institute. Rabbi
Isaiah Zeldin becomes Dean of the combined institution offering teacher-training,
adult education, and degree granting programs.
Fall - Formal pre-rabbinic classes take place for the first time. The initial
group consists of four students and is taught by Dov Bin-Nun.
The HUC-JIR/LA Department of Sacred Music is organized under the leadership
of Cantor William Sharlin.
The degree program in Jewish education is launched.
1956
Samuel S. Cohon joins HUC-JIR/LA upon retiring from the HUC-JIR/Cincinnati faculty.
He donates his collection of nine thousand volumes to become the nucleus of
what is currently the Frances-Henry Library.
1957
The Appian Way property in the Hollywood Hills becomes the first HUC-JIR structure.
Fall - HUC-JIR classes begin at Appian Way.
1958
Rabbi Alfred Gottschalk succeeds Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin as HUC-JIR/LA Dean.
1962
HUC-JIR/LA enters into an "arrangement" with USC whereby students
are offered the possibility of simultaneous enrollment in both institutions
with reciprocity of course credits towards graduate and undergraduate degrees.
1968
The School of Jewish Communal Service is formed. Gerald Bubis is appointed Director
(1968-1989). The program is the first of its kind and has an initial class of
15 students.
1969
The Rhea Hirsch School of Education is founded, initiating a three-year full
time M.A. program. Rabbi William Kramer serves as the Director, succeeded by
Dr. William Cutter (1970-1980). The RHSOE becomes involved with UC Santa Barbara
in the Ford/Esalen project in Humanistic Education. From 1974-1980 it provides
teacher enhancement resources for use in national summer institutes.
1971
Rabbi Alfred Gottschalk is appointed HUC-JIR President. Rabbi Lewis M. Barth
succeeds Rabbi Gottschalk as HUC-JIR/LA Dean (1971-1979).
The new HUC-JIR/LA campus, adjacent to the University of Southern California,
is opened.
HUC-JIR functions as USC's undergraduate Judaic Studies arm, later named the
Louchheim School of Judaic Studies. The Louchheim School currently educates
over 600 USC students of all faiths. This is the only arrangement in the U.S.
in which a Jewish seminary provides exclusive instruction in Judaica for students
at a secular university.
The HUC-JIR Museum, originally located in Cincinnati, re-locates to become
the HUC-JIR Skirball Museum at HUC-JIR/LA.
The Master's program in Jewish Communal Service is offered.
1972
The School of Jewish Communal Service offers a Dual Masters degree program in
social work with USC and a joint Masters degree program with the Rhea Hirsch
School of Education.
1973
The School of Jewish Communal Service sponsors its first Seminar in Israel.
1974
The School of Jewish Communal Service offers a Dual Masters degree program in
social work and Jewish Communal Service with the George Warren Brown School
of Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis.
1975
The School of Jewish Communal Service offers a Dual Masters degree program in
gerontology and Jewish Communal Service with the USC School of Gerontology.
1977
The Rhea Hirsch School of Education and Skirball Museum create the Museum Utilization
for Student Education (MUSE) program. Funded by a National Endowment for the
Humanities grant, the program trains docents and public school teachers to utilize
museum resources in educating children, and educates hundreds of public and
Jewish school students about multicultural life.
1979
Rabbi Uri Herscher is appointed HUC-JIR/LA Dean (1979-1985).
The Rhea Hirsch School of Education establishes the Tartak Learning Center,
providing media and instructional resources for part-time teachers.
1980
Sara Lee is appointed Director of the Rhea Hirsch School of Education (1980
to present).
1982
The School of Jewish Communal Service offers a Dual Masters degree program in
public administration and Jewish Communal Service with USC's School of Public
Administration.
1983
The Rhea Hirsch School of Education offers a Ph.D. program in Jewish Education.
The RHSOE, in co-operation with Project Discovery (co-sponsored by Wilshire
Boulevard Temple and the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles), institutes a
program in which a Jewish education student serves as a Judaic Studies teacher
and resource person in two Catholic high schools.1984 The School of Jewish Communal
Service offers a Dual Masters degree program in social work and Jewish Communal
Service with the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work.
1985
Rabbi Lee Bycel is appointed HUC-JIR/LA Dean (1985-1997). Rabbi Uri Herscher
is appointed HUC-JIR Executive Vice-President (1985-1995).
1987
The Rhea Hirsch School of Education inaugurates a summer certificate program
to train Jewish day school teachers and principals and hosts the first national
conference for directors and other personnel of Reform Day Schools throughout
North America.
1989
Ted Kanner is named Director of the Daniels School of Jewish Communal Service
(1989-90).
1990
Dr. H. Jack Mayer is named Director of the Daniels School of Jewish Communal
Service (1990-1994).
1991
The School of Jewish Communal Service and USC School of Public Administration
add specialization in synagogue management to the Double Masters Degree program.
The School of Jewish Communal Service and USC create the Tom Bradley Internship
Program through which multiethnic USC students and HUC-JIR students engage in
dialogue and joint seminars. The USC students serve summer internships in Jewish
agencies and the HUC-JIR students serve internships with organizations representing
diverse ethnic groups in Los Angeles.1992 The School of Jewish Communal Service
offers a Dual Masters degree program in communications management and Jewish
Communal Service with the Annenberg School of Communications at USC.
1993
The Rhea Hirsch School of Education creates the Day Schools for the 21st Century
project that works to intensify the Jewish character, expand the Jewish mission,
and create both a community of
Jewish learning and learning organization with the participating day schools.
1994
The Rhea Hirsch School of Education creates a Postgraduate Residency Program,
placing graduates in Jewish Day Schools.
The RHSOE creates Experiment in Congregational Education, "to bring together
a small number of Reform congregations to re-think and re-structure the full
range of their educational programs, as they affect all age groups" with
the ultimate purpose "to widen the definition of education in the congregational
setting, and to assist congregations in their efforts to transform themselves
into learning communities." This program receives generous support from
the Mandel Associated Foundations and the Nathan Cummings Foundation.
Marla Abraham is named Director of the Daniels School of Jewish Communal Service
(1994-1995).
1995
Dr. Steven Windmueller is named Director of the Daniels School of Jewish Communal
Service (1995 to present)
1996
The HUC-JIR Skirball Cultural Center opens.
The Rhea Hirsch School of Education receives a $250,000 grant from the Righteous
Persons Foundation to support the continuation of the Postgraduate Residency
Program.
1997
Rabbi Lewis M. Barth is appointed HUC-JIR/LA Dean (1997 to present).
1998
Rabbinic Ordination at HUC-JIR/LA is approved.
1999
The School of Jewish Communal Service offers a Dual Masters degree program in
Business Administration and Jewish Communal Service with the Marshall School
of Business at USC.
The School of Jewish Communal Service offers a track in informal education
with the Rhea Hirsch School of Education.HUC-JIR/LA creates Sexual Orientation
Issues in Congregations and Community Initiative.
2001
Agnes and Rabbi Erwin Herman fund the creation of the Virtual Resource Center
for Sexual Orientation Issues in the Jewish Community, an on-line educational
resource for HUC-JIR students, faculty, and alumni in working with issues relating
to the gay and lesbian communities of all faiths.
The Kalsman Family endows HUC-JIR's Lee and Irving Kalsman Institute on Judaism
and Health, an innovative center for the exploration of religion and healing,
advocacy, and training for religious and professional healthcare leaders.
2002
May 5 - the first ordination of HUC-JIR/LA at Wilshire Boulevard Temple; eight
new Reform rabbis (3 men, 5 women) are ordained.
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