Haberman Institute For Jewish Studies, Inc.

What Haberman Institute For Jewish Studies, Inc. does

The Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 by Rabbi Joshua O. Haberman (originally as the Foundation for Jewish Studies, renamed in his memory in 2018) to provide adult Jewish education in the Greater Washington DC area and online. Headquartered at 2200 Baltimore Road, Suite B in Rockville, Maryland, the Institute delivers lectures, multi-session classes (e.g., Introduction to Judaism, Forgotten Books of the Second Temple Period), Days of Learning, film screenings with director talks, and cultural programs featuring international scholars from institutions including Stanford, UCLA, Princeton, Harvard, American Jewish University, and Ben-Gurion University. Its primary customer segment is highly educated adult learners — including Jews across denominational lines, interfaith couples, and secular or alienated Jews — seeking sophisticated content beyond youth-oriented religious education.

Programming is delivered through a hybrid model: in-person classes at partner congregations (B'nai Israel in Rockville, Temple Beth Ami and Kol Shalom in the Chevy Chase/Rockville area) plus Zoom webinars for global reach, with audience claims spanning 49 states and 35 countries. The technical backbone combines Zoom (delivery), NeonCRM (donations and registration), Constant Contact (email), Squarespace (web), and Bonfire (merchandise). The cornerstone content asset is a free, searchable Program Recording Archive of video and audio recordings dating to 2008, organized by speaker, category, and chronology.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through donations and charitable contributions (underpinned by a $1 million founding anonymous gift endowment), with marginal fees from select programs (e.g., $18 for film screenings), named program sponsorships (Andrew R. Ammerman for 2026; Edie and Art Hessel, Hack Family for specific lectures), and merchandise sales through Bonfire. The organization holds a Charity Navigator four-star rating and a Candid Platinum Seal of transparency, and participates in coalition partnerships with JCPA, the Rabbinic Assembly, and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism among 100+ Jewish organizations. Matthew Silverman has served as Executive Director since April 2020.

Name

Haberman Institute For Jewish Studies, Inc.

Legal name

Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies, Inc.

Website

https://habermaninstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 that delivers adult Jewish education through lectures, classes, and cultural programs in the Greater Washington DC area and globally online, serving educated adult learners across denominational lines with a free archive dating back to 2008.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Jewish Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Jewish Theological Seminaries & Rabbinical Colleges (EDAHAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Interfaith & Ecumenical Theological Colleges (EDAHAKAL)

Keywords

• Adult Jewish education
• Religious studies programs
• Online Jewish learning
• Cultural programming
• Community education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Institute relies heavily on donations from supporters. The organization maintains an endowment established with a founding anonymous gift and receives donations from endowment donors and program sponsors.
2. Program Registration Fees: Some programs require paid registration, such as film screenings ($18 for The Catskills screening and director talk). Most lectures and classes appear to be free with optional donations.
3. Merchandise Store: Online store selling Haberman Institute merchandise through Bonfire, with proceeds supporting adult Jewish education programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Haberman Institute For Jewish Studies, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides adult Jewish education through in-person and online lectures, multi-session courses, and cultural programs. Programming is led by rabbinical and academic scholars, delivered at partner synagogues and Jewish Community Centers as well as via Zoom Webinar, and supported by an on-demand Program Recording Archive. Most programs are offered free of charge, with the Institute sustained by tax-deductible donations and sponsorships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Person Lectures and Classes

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches learners in 49 states and 35 countries
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Americans for Ben-Gurion UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2024Jewish-Christian Interactions in the Talmud program was presented in partnership with Americans for Ben-Gurion University. Professor Michal Bar-Asher Siegal is faculty at Ben-Gurion University as well as the university's Vice President for Global Engagement.
• JCPA (Jewish Public Affairs Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Haberman Institute has joined JCPA along with Rabbinic Assembly, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and 100+ other Jewish organizations in a coalition statement on democracy. This represents alignment with major Jewish policy organizations on advocacy issues.
• Rabbinic AssemblycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Rabbinic Assembly in coalition with JCPA and 100+ Jewish organizations to address threats to democratic norms and values.
• Religious Action Center of Reform JudaismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in coalition addressing democratic norms and values alongside JCPA and 100+ other Jewish organizations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Sefaria: Free digital library and learning platform for Jewish texts. Comparable as a peer because it serves the same educated-adult Jewish learner demographic with on-demand textual and contextual content, complementing rather than replacing lecture-based study.

Direct peers

• My Jewish Learning: Online destination for adult Jewish learning covering thought, history, culture, and practice. Directly comparable to the Haberman Institute because both target educated adult Jews seeking substantive content outside of formal seminary study, and both distribute primarily through digital channels.
• Mechon Hadar: Independent, egalitarian Jewish learning community offering classes, singing, and study fellowships for adults. Closely comparable to Haberman in serving educated Jewish adults seeking serious textual and philosophical study outside rabbinical seminaries.
• Shalom Hartman Institute: Israel- and North America-based Jewish thought and education organization running lectures, seminars, and rabbinic programs. Comparable as a peer because it targets the same intellectually engaged adult Jewish audience with scholar-led programming.
• Drisha Institute for Jewish Education: New York-based adult Jewish education institute offering lectures, classes, and study programs for sophisticated adult learners. Highly comparable in mission, audience (college-educated adults), and curriculum depth to the Haberman Institute.

Broad incumbents

• 92nd Street Y (92Y): Long-running New York cultural and Jewish educational institution with a robust adult lecture and course programming slate. Comparable because it offers scholar-led adult Jewish learning, but at far larger scale and as part of a broader cultural-program portfolio.
• American Jewish University (AJU): Jewish university offering undergraduate, graduate, rabbinic, and adult education programs including the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. Comparable as a peer because it serves adult Jewish learners through scholar-led programming, but at much larger institutional scale.
• Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS): Conservative Jewish seminary offering rabbinical, academic, and adult learning programs. Comparable because both organizations serve college-educated adults studying Jewish thought, history, and texts, though JTS is anchored in formal degree programs.
• Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC): Reform Jewish seminary offering rabbinic, graduate, and adult education programs. Overlaps with Haberman in adult Jewish learning content, though anchored in degree-granting rabbinical training rather than community-based lecture programming.

Others

• Reconstructionist Rabbinical College: Jewish seminary that has historically partnered with adult Jewish learning initiatives. Comparable as an adjacent peer because it trains rabbis and educators who frequently teach in adult Jewish education settings, and Haberman's Executive Director is an alumnus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HabermanInstitute

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Haberman Institute For Jewish Studies, Inc.