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Within Zionism as a national Jewish movement, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem plays a specific, if not central, role. As an institution of higher education, it is tasked with embodying cultural Hebrew renewal, as a distinct entity from the inherited traditions of the diaspora and the solely religious aspects of Judaism. The article examines the origins of this institution and its function, as established by the founding fathers of the Jewish national movement. It first outlines the different elements of Jewish science, religion and culture within the theoretical Zionist ideology that existed before the university was established. Then, the article looks at the role of these elements in applied Zionism, illustrated during the university’s first decades by the creation of separate curricula for “Jewish science” and “general science”.