Days after Hebrew Union College (HUC) held its final rabbinical graduation ceremony in Cincinnati, a newly formed entity has moved to intervene in a legal battle over the future of the historic campus. The College for Contemporary Judaism (CCJ) officially added its voice to a lawsuit brought by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, asserting its intent to serve as the new steward of the campus and its associated assets.
The state’s underlying lawsuit alleges that HUC, the primary seminary of the Reform movement, violated nonprofit law and misled donors by closing its Cincinnati site. The state contends that the institution’s charter included a commitment to “permanently maintain” a campus in the city, a promise the Attorney General argues remains binding. The assets in question are substantial, encompassing the Klau Library, the American Jewish Archives, the Skirball Museum, and significant donor funds.
A Bid for Stewardship
In its motion to intervene, the CCJ argues that the court now has a “concrete, mission-aligned Ohio candidate” capable of upholding the charitable obligations tied to the Cincinnati assets. CCJ’s leadership, which includes former HUC board chair Andrew Berger and former HUC archives director Rabbi Gary Zola, contends that they are uniquely positioned to continue the work of ordaining liberal rabbis in the Midwest—a mission they believe HUC has abandoned.
The move comes as HUC continues to defend its decision to consolidate operations at its New York and Los Angeles campuses. HUC President Andrew Rehfeld has pushed back against the state’s litigation, characterizing the allegations as a misrepresentation of the school’s stewardship and good-faith decision-making. Representatives for HUC have stated they will respond appropriately to the new legal filings, while the Attorney General’s office has declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Context and Implications
The tension surrounding the campus closure highlights a broader debate regarding the future of Jewish institutional life in the Midwest, South, and Mountain West. Proponents of the CCJ argue that the centralization of seminaries on the coasts will exacerbate an existing shortage of clergy in the interior of the country. Conversely, HUC has cited declining enrollment numbers at the Cincinnati campus as a primary driver for the consolidation, noting that students have increasingly preferred to study in New York and Los Angeles.
The CCJ’s request to take over the assets relies on the legal doctrine of “cy pres,” which allows a court to redistribute charitable assets to an organization with a similar mission if the original purpose can no longer be fulfilled by the current holder. However, the CCJ currently exists as an institution in name only; it has no permanent facility, has yet to enroll students, and lacks a defined timeline for its first academic class.
Potential Future Developments
As the legal proceedings continue, the court may be tasked with determining whether the CCJ qualifies as a viable successor to manage the historic Cincinnati assets. Should the court rule in favor of the state’s position, the ownership of the campus and its archives could be transferred to a new entity, potentially forcing a significant shift in the landscape of American Jewish education.
If the litigation remains unresolved, the future of the physical campus and its rare collection of books and historical documents could remain in legal limbo. Analysts might expect that the court’s interpretation of the “permanently maintain” clause in HUC’s charter will serve as the deciding factor in whether the seminary can retain its Cincinnati holdings or if it will be forced to relinquish them to a new steward.