Spertus Institute: A Century of Jewish Learning and Leadership
Introduction
Spertus Institute, formerly known as the College of Jewish Studies, marks a century of commitment to Jewish education, leadership development, and community engagement. Since its inception in 1924, the institute has evolved to meet the changing needs of the Jewish community and beyond, while maintaining its core values of academic excellence, inclusivity, and real-world impact.
A Legacy of Learning
The Founding and Early Years
The institution was founded as the College of Jewish Studies in 1924 with the primary goal of training teachers and leaders for Jewish youth. This addressed a critical need for formal Jewish education at the time. The college offered programs for youth, teacher training, and undergraduate studies.
Evolving Educational Programs
Over the decades, Spertus Institute has adapted its academic offerings to remain relevant. The institute shifted its focus to graduate education by the end of the 1980s, discontinuing all undergraduate courses.
A Global Reach
Today, Spertus Institute's graduate and certificate students come from twenty-six US states and six foreign countries. This broad reach demonstrates the institute's commitment to serving a diverse and global audience.
Shaping Jewish Leaders
Commitment to Leadership Development
Spertus Institute's certificate and degree programs emphasize the importance of strong Jewish leaders for thriving communities. These programs, led by experienced faculty, aim to equip students with the skills and vision necessary to lead Jewish organizations effectively.
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Preparing Leaders for a Changing World
Spertus Institute prepares its alumni to lead with confidence and integrity in an ever-changing world. The institute's programs focus on both theory and practice, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities they will face.
A Gathering Place for Ideas and Dialogue
A Nondenominational Environment
Since its founding, Spertus Institute has been a nondenominational gathering place for ideas, dialogue, and community building. The institute welcomes learners from various denominations of Judaism and diverse backgrounds, fostering an open and accepting environment for all.
Convening Across Differences
Spertus Institute is committed to bringing people together in an open environment. The institute has served as a community convener, hosting events and programs that promote understanding and collaboration.
Spertus Institute: An Institution of Higher Jewish Learning
Mission and Values
Spertus Institute is dedicated to real-world action. The institute believes that Jewish history, thought, and texts have meaning both as academic pursuits and as catalysts for action. The learning offered is relevant to contemporary challenges and to building a stronger future.
Programs and Offerings
At its core, Spertus Institute offers degree and certificate programs that merge theory and practice. These programs educate Jewish professionals, community leaders, and those seeking reflection-driven scholarship. The institute's offerings are designed to promote personal growth, community leadership, and professional advancement.
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Impactful Programs
Spertus Institute complements its core academic and professional offerings with a range of innovative continuing education and public programs. These programs serve thousands of adult learners annually. Faculty publications, think tanks, and thought leadership further expand the institute's reach, serving communities of Jewish scholars, activists, interfaith leaders, and educators.
A New Home for Jewish Education
Architectural Significance
In November 2007, Spertus Institute opened a new facility at 610 S. Michigan Avenue. Designed by Chicago-based Krueck Sexton Partners, the building features interconnected interior spaces and a ten-story faceted window wall. This design offers views of the Chicago skyline, Grant Park, and Lake Michigan.
A Landmark Building
The Spertus building was the first new construction in the Historic Michigan Boulevard District after the area was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2002. The building has won multiple architectural and design awards.
Sustainability
Sustainability was a core component of the building’s design, driven by the Jewish tenets of bal taschit (do not destroy or waste) and tikkun olam (repair of the world). The glass facade is insulated and coated with a reflective frit pattern to minimize heat gain. A green roof provides stormwater retention and heat mitigation. Building systems are configured for maximum efficiency and use 100% renewable energy. Spertus’ sustainability efforts resulted in LEED Silver certification for the building.
Luminaries, Learners, and Leaders
Influential Faculty and Presenters
During and following World War II, many renowned refugee scholars from Nazi-occupied Europe served on the Spertus faculty. Among them were Dr. Fritz Bamberger, who later ran Esquire magazine, and Simon Rawidowicz and Nahum N. Glatzer, who established the Jewish Studies Department at Brandeis University. Key figures in Jewish scholarship, literature, and culture have shared their insight and expertise in Spertus Institute classrooms and programs.
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Notable Figures
Well-known presenters and degree recipients have included Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Elie Wiesel. More recent times have featured programs with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jonathan Safran Foer, Moshe Safdie, Y-Love, Thomas Friedman, Leonard Nimoy, Hershey Felder, Nate Silver, and Tal Ben-Shahar.
Strategic Planning for the Future
Centennial Milestone
In 2024, Spertus Institute reached its centennial, marking a century of fostering Jewish scholarship, training Jewish leaders and educators, preserving Jewish history, and providing compelling ways for graduate students, educators, scholars, and members of the public to discover the Jewish experience.
Strategic Plan
As Spertus Institute approached its centennial, a comprehensive strategic plan was developed as a roadmap for its second century. The planning process involved evaluating the institute's strengths and conducting a scan of key academic areas: Jewish Studies, Jewish Education, and Jewish Communal Studies. The institute researched educational innovations and networked with industry leaders to understand the emerging needs of those it serves.
Key Priorities
Spertus Institute is positioning itself to be the leading center for applied Jewish learning, providing Jewish learning that is rich, relevant, and far-reaching, with real-world application and the power to address pressing issues within and beyond the Jewish community. The institute is committed to creativity, innovation, and risk-tolerance, which will inform new, scalable programs and products developed for impact and reach.
A Case Study in Strategic Adaptation
Addressing Challenges
The Spertus Institute’s home is a stunning, LEED-certified skyscraper on Chicago’s South Michigan Avenue that has won multiple architectural and design awards since it opened in 2007. With enviable views of the city’s skyline, Grant Park, and Lake Michigan, the building has also provided a major stream of revenue from event space rentals. For more than a decade, business was brisk, with rentals for weddings and corporate events generating 25 to 30 percent of Spertus’s budget. Then the pandemic brought in-person events to a halt, and rental revenue plunged to zero. Post-pandemic, event space rentals have been slow to come back.
Leveraging Expertise
To address this challenge, Spertus Institute turned to the Golub Capital Board Fellows Program at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. The program matched MBA students Mary Kircher and Ben Kurschner with Spertus to serve as nonvoting board members and complete a pro bono consulting project.
Strategic Recommendations
Kircher and Kurschner conducted a thorough analysis of Spertus’s event space operations. Their recommendations included rightsizing the business and identifying the best types of events that fit with the institute's mission and goals. They also provided guidance on staffing and advertising.
Impactful Outcomes
The Board Fellows’ recommendations were incorporated into Spertus Institute’s strategic plan. By adding a few larger corporate events each quarter, Spertus could return to pre-pandemic revenue levels. The project highlighted the importance of aligning event space rentals with the institute's educational mission.
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