Beit Berl was established in 1949 on the grounds of Kalmania farm as an educational institution of Mapai.

After migrating to Mandatory Palestine, Katznelson worked on the educational issues of the Yishuv as a whole and of the Zionist Labor Movement in particular.

In 1938, during the fourth Mapai conference, Katznelson publicly presented his views on the seminary of the Labor movement.

Weeks after his death, in September 1944, it was decided that a seminary would be established for youth counselors and activists in his name.

[4] Under the leadership of Shechori, HaMidrasha moved to buildings in Herzliya in 1972, which were made available to the Ministry of Education and Culture by the municipality.

Following the end of Shechori's term, in 1980, Shlomo Vitkin was appointed director of HaMidrasha and stayed in the role until 1997.

In 1995, HaMidrasha moved to a dedicated campus in the “Kalmania” complex at Beit Berl College.

In 1999, HaMidrasha became an academic institution and received accreditation from the Council of Higher Education to award a B.Ed.

In 2019, artist Doron Rabina was appointed head of the school and an undergraduate Film Studies program (B.Ed.F.A.)

The faculty's programs work to enable the student to develop independent thinking and to establish their own unique artistic path.

[9] The Faculty of Society and Culture offers courses and teaching programs in a variety of fields in social sciences and humanities.

Headed by Dean Nurit Buchweitz, the faculty teaches courses in the fields of social sciences and citizenship, literature, bible studies, Jewish culture, Arabic, languages, history, and Israeli studies and geography for teacher training.

[10] In 2018, Professor Nava Ben-Zvi was awarded the Israel Prize, the country's highest honor.