Mission & History

Mission Statement

Gratz College advances both education and applied Jewish wisdom for the benefit of a diverse student population, the Jewish community, and all people. The College achieves this mission through accredited degree programs, scholarship, and public engagement.

Strategic Plan

The Gratz College Board of Governors approved the 2025-2028 Strategic Plan on June 30, 2025. The plan outlines the College’s vision for strengthening academic excellence, expanding digital and community presence, and ensuring long‑term sustainability. Developed by over 40 contributors across the institution, the plan builds on the successful completion of goals from the previous 2022–2025 plan, including the expansion of academic programs, the launch of nationally distinctive degrees in Antisemitism Studies and Jewish Studies, and the development of the Grayzel Digital Platform. A major milestone was the 2024 purchase of a new campus in Bala Cynwyd, which will serve as a hub for in‑person learning and community engagement.

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History

Gratz College, founded in 1895, is recognized as the first independent Jewish college in North America and the first Jewish institution of higher education in the world to admit women on an equal basis with men. Since its inception, the College has advanced Jewish learning, prepared scholars and educators, and supported the preservation and transmission of Jewish wisdom. 

Origins of the College 

The vision for Gratz College began on December 18, 1856, when Philadelphia philanthropist Hyman Gratz submitted his will establishing a trust to support Jewish education. A member of a prominent early American Jewish family, Hyman was part of a lineage deeply engaged in communal life. His sister, Rebecca Gratz, became one of the most influential Jewish women of the 19th century, helping found organizations such as the Philadelphia Orphan Asylum (1815), the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society (1819), and the first Hebrew Sunday School (1838). 

Hyman’s will directed the trustees of Congregation Mikveh Israel to create and maintain a “college for the education of Jews residing in the city and county of Philadelphia.” Inspired partly by the educational vision of Rev. Isaac Leeser, the Hyman Gratz Trust became the first Jewish educational endowment in the United States and a lasting memorial to the Gratz family’s philanthropic legacy. 

Founding and Early Development 

Gratz College was formally chartered in 1895 through cooperation between the Gratz trustees and the Hebrew Education Society of Philadelphia. On January 3, 1898, the College opened its doors to its first 24 students in a temporary space at Mikveh Israel. While initially focused on preparing Hebrew teachers, it soon added two more tracks: a preparatory program for teens pursuing Jewish education and a collegiate program for young adults seeking advanced Jewish learning. 

In 1909, Gratz moved into its first dedicated building on Broad and York Streets. As programs expanded, the College relocated several times—in 1953 to Congregation Rodeph Shalom, and in 1962 to a new building on Tenth Street and Tabor Avenue near Einstein Hospital. 

Expanding Academic Reach 

As Jewish education evolved, Gratz grew with it. In 1967, the College earned accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, affirming its academic standing. Six years later, it launched its first master’s program, the Master of Hebrew Literature, marking a shift to graduate-level professional training. 

Throughout the late 20th century, Gratz broadened its offerings with degrees in Jewish Education, Jewish Music, and Nonprofit Studies. In 1997, it created an Education Department serving teachers in both Jewish and public-school settings. 

A major shift came in 2001 when Gratz began offering online courses—long before digital instruction became standard in higher education. In 2009, the College introduced its first doctoral program in Jewish Education, followed by additional graduate and doctoral degrees, including the internationally recognized Ph.D. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. This commitment to online and hybrid learning enabled Gratz to expand its global footprint. 

Leadership in Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Studies 

Today, Gratz College is an international leader in Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Studies. Its graduate programs, which are among the largest of their kind, attract educators, researchers, military personnel, museum professionals, clergy, and community leaders. Gratz also offers the only online degree programs in Antisemitism Studies in the United States, underscoring its mission to combat hatred through scholarship. 

The College is active in digital scholarship and archival preservation. Through the creation of the Grayzel Digital Platform, it stewards major digital collections related to figures such as Elie Wiesel and Rebecca Gratz and carries forward its long-standing commitment to testimony collection, which began with the establishment of its Holocaust Oral History Archive in 1979. 

A Cornerstone of Philadelphia Jewish Life 

Gratz has long served as a hub for Jewish education in Philadelphia. Supported for many years by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, the College shaped supplementary education for local teens. Programs such as the Isaac M. Wise initiative (1960), Gratz Hebrew High School, and later the Jewish Community High School (JCHS) helped educate generations of Jewish teens. In 1989, Gratz moved to the Mandell Education Campus, where its teen programs grew into Gratz Academy. The program has continued to evolve and offers Hebrew, Holocaust education, and Jewish Studies. 

A New Chapter: Bala Cynwyd 

In 2024, Gratz College announced the purchase of a new campus in Bala Cynwyd, marking its transition from the Mandell Campus after more than three decades. The move positions Gratz to expand adult learning, deepen community engagement, and better serve the northern and western Philadelphia suburbs—signaling both a return to its urban roots and a strategic investment in a more accessible future.