Leo Baeck College is an institution of Jewish scholarship and learning that is the heart of the intellectual and spiritual life of the Progressive Jewish community in the UK. It is the place where rabbis and educators equipped for the 21st century are trained, where leaders of Progressive Judaism are nurtured, and where the core of Progressive Jewish thought is developed.
From the onset Leo Baeck College developed its own programmes encompassing academic, vocational and professional studies. Its degrees were first validated by the CNAA and over the years the College’s reputation as a centre for Jewish studies has grown. Currently it offers four awards in the field of Jewish Studies, which are validated by Middlesex University. Students wishing to be ordained study all four of the Jewish Studies awards in addition to vocational modules and undertake a series of placements in Progressive communities.
Studies at the College are challenging, but are carried out in an individual, friendly and supportive environment. The small number of students allows the College to make the learning experience a truly personal one. The close connection to the community enables students to gain work experience in synagogues as part of their training and to forge contacts with future employers.
The College’s faculty is very varied being made up of academics, practising rabbis and educators. This offers students the preparation they need in pursuing academic and/or leadership positions.
The College library contains 60 thousand volumes covering every aspect of Jewish life, thought and culture. Inspiring and informing four generations of rabbis, scholars and educators, it is one of the finest Jewish Studies collections in Europe, a treasure trove of Jewish books in the heart of North London.