Hebrew College Koleinu: Gala Save-the-Date, Strengthening Jewish Education, Winter/Spring Events

January 22, 2026 | 4 Shevat 5786

Koleinu |our voice|

Reimagining Jewish learning and leadership for an interconnected world.

Parashat Bo | Candlelighting 4:28 PM EST

Honoring Commitment, Creativity, and Community at Hebrew College Spring Gala

At our 2026 Spring Gala this May, Hebrew College will gather to honor individuals and a family whose lives and work reflect the values at the heart of our community: learning across generations, creative expression rooted in Jewish tradition, and leadership guided by courage and curiosity. The Gelber family will receive the L’dor Vador Award for Intergenerational Learning and Leadership, Joshua Meyer will receive the Betzalel Award for Leadership in Arts and Culture, and Terry Rosenberg will receive the Esther Award for Courageous Women’s Leadership. These recipients represent different pathways into Jewish life in Greater Boston, contributing in enduring ways to the strength, imagination, and continuity of our shared future.

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Learning, Teaching, Becoming: Current MJEd Student Reflects on Her Experience

Choosing a graduate program is a big decision—and in Jewish education, it's often a deeply personal one. "Engaging deeply with reflective practice has shaped how I understand my Jewish journey as an ongoing process rather than a fixed destination," says LilyFish Gomberg of Society Hill Synagogue in Philadelphia, reflecting on how Hebrew College's Master of Jewish Education (MJEd) program is impacting her Jewish journey. "The program invites me to continually ask how my values, experiences, and responsibilities as a Jewish educator show up in my teaching and leadership."

Now acceptation applications...

SEVENTY FACES OF TORAH

By Rabbi Neal Gold, Tamid of Hebrew College Faculty

These days, every Jewish community is weighing the conflicting values of security versus welcoming. Surely everyone wants to spread open our doorways and welcome people into our sacred spaces, as it says in Pirkei Avot (1:5) in the name of Yosei ben Yochanan of Jerusalem: “Make your home so that it is wide open.” But, sadly, we are living through a moment in history when other voices are telling us that we must take security seriously—the list of Jewish institutions that have been attacked is growing at a dizzying and terrifying pace. Some have even been tempted to tone down the public Jewish identifiers of our buildings (as many Jewish communities in Europe have been doing for years as antisemitism surges), which is rather tragic. So we have to ask ourselves: What Jewish identifiers are we willing to put on the outside, for all the world to see?

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Hebrew College & Hebrew at the Center Partnership

Hebrew College's MaTaRoT: Center for Professional Learning & Leadership is proud to offer two new six-week courses in partnership with Hebrew at the Center, a leader in advancing Hebrew teaching and learning across Jewish educational settings: The Science of Learning: Cognition, Emotion, and Differentiation in Hebrew Teaching and Teaching Hebrew: Educational Philosophies and Tools for Overcoming Practical Instructional Dilemmas. "Hebrew is no longer just a language," says HATC Director of Education Dr. Esty Gross. "It transforms classrooms into spaces that cultivate thoughtful, informed and engaged Jewish citizens who are both proficient in Hebrew and meaningfully connected to Israeli society."

Learn more...

Pictured l-r: Facing History Program Associate David Rhodes, Hebrew College Vice President Dr. Susie Tanchel, Miller Center Director Rabbi Or Rose, Luvaghn Brown (seated), and Lew Zuchman.

Miller Center Hosts Freedom Riders

On Tuesday, January 20, Hebrew College’s Miller Center for Interreligious Learning & Leadership partnered with Facing History and Temple Beth Zion of Brookline to host a sold-out event with Lew Zuchman and Luvaghn Brown, who joined the Freedom Riders in Mississippi in the summer of 1961, risking their lives for the cause of racial justice. Zuchman and Brown reflected on their path to joining the Freedom Riders, the trajectories that followed, and the way their struggle for civil rights resonates today.

TAMID OF HEBREW COLLEGE GROW

“After Me”: The IDF and Israeli Society

Yesterday, author and former IDF lone soldier Joel Chasnoff spoke about his time in military service and Israeli society for Tamid of Hebrew College's free lunch & learn January GROW program. He discussed what it means to be a "lone soldier" and touched on how mandatory military service impacts the Israeli parenting as well as adolescent and post-military experiences. "In Israel, where you serve in the army tells people who you are and lends you certain status," he said. "It's huge for job networking—for example, being an officer opens up a vast network of career opportunities."

Joel Chasnoff, who will be teaching "Israel Unfiltered: Beyond the Usual Stories" for Tamid beginning Feb. 10.

Catch up on recent Hebrew College news and stories, including articles about faculty, students, and alumni who have been recognized for their work and scholarship here.

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Hebrew College Spring Gala 2026

Thursday, May 14 | 6:30 PM Dinner, Program, and Dessert Reception | Hebrew College

Join us to celebrate our three award recipients: Helene, Seth, and Benjamin Gelber; Joshua Meyer; and Terry Rosenberg. Watch for your invitation.

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A TASTE OF TAMID: HEBREW COLLEGE ADULT LEARNING

Sunday, January 25 | 7-8:30 PM | Zoom

Join us online for a free program to introduce you to Hebrew College’s high-quality adult Jewish learning offerings.

Learn more & RSVP

POETRY AND MUSIC AS MIDRASH IN MOTION

Monday, February 2 | 7-8:30 PM | Hebrew College

Join us for Part II of our salon series, featuring guest poet Ben Corvo and Hebrew College students. Co-sponsored by RUACH.

Learn more & RSVP

DIGNITY PROJECT CELEBRATION
"Seeing the Sacred: Envisioning the World We Need”

Sunday, February 8 | 2-4 PM | Hebrew College

Visit the 2025-2026 Dignity Project Fellowship photo exhibit and hear the Fellows reflect and share insight from their interreligious and cross-cultural journey.

Learn more & RSVP

TAMID OF HEBREW COLLEGE FREE ONE-HOUR LEARNING
GROW February: Jewish Teachings for the End of Life

Wednesday, February 11 | 12-1 PM | Zoom

Join Rabbi Allison Berry as she explores biblical, rabbinic, and modern texts that illuminate the transition of death, the relationships that sustain us at the end of life, and the enduring force of memory and love.

Learn more & RSVP

NEW! BOOK TALK

American Reich: A Murder in Orange County, Neo-Nazis, and a New Age of Hate

Sunday, February 22 | 10-11:30 AM | Hebrew College

Join us at Hebrew College’s collaborative campus when campus partner Temple Reyim hosts a talk with author Eric Lichtblau about his new book.

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TAMID OF HEBREW COLLEGE

Hiding in Holland: A Resistance Memoir - A Conversation with Dr. Shulamit Reinharz

Thursday, March 19 | 7-8:30 PM | Hebrew College

Join us for a free talk with Dr. Shulamit Reinharz about her book, Hiding in Holland: A Resistance Memoir, penned with her father Max Rothschild. Together, they tell the story of a Jewish man who saved Max's life repeatedly during the Holocaust.

Learn more & RSVP

ART EXHIBIT

A Journey of Wonder: A Visual Dance with the Hebrew Holiday Calendar

Sunday, March 29 | 5-7 PM | Hebrew College

Join us for the opening of our spring art exhibit with works by artist Deborah Feinstein, chair of the Hebrew College Arts Committee and a trustee of the college. Featuring paintings that celebrate and correspond with the Jewish calendar cycle, inspired by medieval illuminated manuscripts.

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SUPPORT JEWISH LEARNING & LEADERSHIP IN OUR DIVERSE AND INTERCONNECTED WORLD
Please help open the doors of Jewish learning to students of all backgrounds and ages—and join Hebrew College in making our lives more meaningful, our communities more vibrant, and our world more whole. Your gift of any amount will make a real difference.

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