Lehrhaus Judaica is a unique non-denominational Jewish studies adult school. Every course is open to the general public, and all interested adults are welcome, regardless of age, religion, or ethnicity. Our faculty is made up of local university professors, advanced Ph.D. students, rabbis, and other experienced educators, as well as visiting scholars from major universities in the U.S. and abroad. We offer engaging seminars and lecture courses throughout the Bay Area on Jewish history, philosophy, sociology, theology, literature, Hebrew and Yiddish, and the arts.

Whether you're looking for a basic "Introduction to Judaism" course, a modern Hebrew conversation class, a history of the Middle East conflict, or an in-depth exploration of classic Jewish texts, we have something for you! We also provide national and international study tours exploring the Jewish worlds of New York, Israel, Europe, the Caribbean, and more. Lehrhaus maintains a 5,000-volume academic Jewish studies library at our Berkeley center. Click to browse our online course catalog, and stop by to enjoy the collection in our comfortable Reading Room. To learn more, or to receive our free course catalog each semester, please call our office at (510) 845-6420, or email us at info@lehrhaus.org.

Our History
Founded in 1974 with historian Fred Rosenbaum as its first director, Lehrhaus took its name (meaning "house of learning") and inspiration from a school for Jewish studies founded by philosopher Franz Rosenzweig in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1920. Attracting scholars such as Martin Buber, S.Y. Agnon, A.J. Heschel, Gershom Scholem, and Erich Fromm, the original Lehrhaus -- until its closure by the Nazis -- was the focal point of a Jewish intellectual revival between the wars. Dialogue between the student and teacher was the primary method of learning, which, according to Rosenzweig and Buber, "could restore something genuinely Jewish to the Western intellectual."