. ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago . ▁ ▁He ▁self - ident ifies ▁as ▁an ▁Orth odox ▁ra bbi . ▁ ▁Hir sch field ▁was ▁raised ▁in ▁a ▁sec ular ▁Jewish ▁home ▁but ▁began ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁more ▁tradition ally ▁observ ant ▁life ▁as ▁a ▁te en ager ▁thus ▁becoming ▁a ▁ba al ▁t es hu va . ▁ ▁He ▁moved ▁to ▁Israel ▁and ▁became ▁involved ▁with ▁a ▁sett ler ▁group ▁near ▁Heb ron . ▁ ▁Be coming ▁dis en ch anted ▁with ▁this ▁approach , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁where ▁he ▁met ▁and ▁worked ▁for ▁Orth odox ▁ra bbi ▁and ▁CL AL ▁founder ▁Ir ving ▁Green berg . ▁ ▁He ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁purs ue ▁his ▁own ▁rabb in ical ▁studies , ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁pro ponent ▁of ▁inter fa ith ▁dialog ue ▁and ▁pl ural ist ▁att itudes . ▁ ▁Hir sch field ▁is ▁a ▁current ▁co - pres ident ▁of ▁CL AL – The ▁National ▁Jewish ▁Center ▁for ▁Learning ▁and ▁Le ad ership , ▁which ▁describes ▁itself ▁as ▁" a ▁leadership ▁training ▁inst itute , ▁think ▁tank ▁and ▁resource ▁center ▁committed ▁to ▁religious ▁pl ural ism ▁and ▁the ▁health ier ▁use ▁of ▁religion ▁in ▁American ▁public ▁life ." ▁ ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁Hir sch field ▁was ▁featured ▁on ▁ABC ' s ▁Night line ▁Up Close , ▁and ▁P BS ' s ▁Front line : ▁Fa ith ▁and ▁Dou bt ▁at ▁Gr ound ▁Zero ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁he ▁was ▁interview ed