“The measure of Jewish leadership is not the brilliance of what you can accomplish alone, but the beauty of what you can build with others.” – Hebrew College President Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld

MESSAGE FROM THE RABBINICAL CLASS OF 2026/5786
As we approach our ordination this Sunday, May 31, we are reflecting on the transformative time we’ve spent at Hebrew College. Hebrew College is where we have:

• Been nurtured by extraordinary teachers and mentors
• Held in a diverse and pluralistic environment
• Learned what is means to be in lifelong relationship to Torah
• Celebrated our greatest joys and mourned losses in community
• Been empowered to integrate our own voices with the voices of the tradition

And we have been supported unconditionally by you: our family, friends, and community members.

Inspired by our experience, we are committed to paying it forward. In celebration of our ordination, we are hoping to raise $20,000 in scholarship funds to benefit others’ rabbinical studies at Hebrew College. This is our way of ensuring future students can learn in the same nurturing environment that has been pivotal to our growth as emerging Jewish leaders.

Rabbinic leadership is essential in our contemporary moment. Given the rising cost of living and economic uncertainty, it is more and more challenging for passionate students of Torah to access deep Torah learning, even in the context of rabbinical school. Through scholarships, we are able to dedicate more of our time to deep learning that allows us to nurture the creative spirituality that will underpin our rabbinic work.

We invite you to join us in this endeavor by making a gift in honor of the Class of 2026 or an individual ordainee. Every gift, no matter what size, makes an impact in making it possible for students to attend Hebrew College.

Thank you for your continued support and blessings.

Shalom U’vracha (peace and blessing),

The Class of 2026/5786

Watch a video message from the ordainees...

Make a gift to the scholarship fund...

Hebrew College has been training Jewish educators since 1921. Now students in our Graduate School of Education integrate academic learning and professional development in programs designed for leaders looking to grow and deepen their careers:

“I love that my work in Jewish Education is centered in building meaningful relationships and engaging students, with Jewish tradition as the vehicle for engagement. The MJEd program has helped me do that with greater clarity and purpose.” – Dalilah Conen, 2026 MJEd Graduate

“The most challenging part of the Hebrew College Masters' in Jewish Education was juggling a full time job with my classes. But I love to see students learn and have fun in religious school because of the things I am learning about at Hebrew College.” – Tamara Kipper, 2026 MJEd Graduate

"I appreciated learning from rabbis, seasoned educators, and my cohort peers. I especially enjoyed working on my thesis about inclusive supplementary Jewish education programs, which combined my learning with the needs I saw arising in my community." – Eliana Stein, 2026 MJEd Graduate

Learn more about the MJEd program...

Join us for “Celebrate Tamid: Leaders and Learners who Light the Way” on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 from 6:30-8:30 pm at Hebrew College, an evening to honor and lift up our adult learning community. The program will include a celebratory dinner, recognition of learning milestones and achievements, and a panel discussion about resiliency and Jewish learning featuring Hebrew College President Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, CJP President and CEO Rabbi Marc Baker, and Lehrhaus Founder Rabbi Charlie Schwartz. 

Learn more & RSVP...

One of the most iconic liturgical moments in Jewish tradition comes from Parshat Nasso, the Priestly Blessing (birkat Kohanim). In its original context (Num 6:22-27), this benediction was prescribed to be recited on the final day of the Levites’ ordination, to mark the occasion at which both they and the mishkan were ready for service. How fitting, then, that this year we read Nasso on the Shabbat immediately preceding the Hebrew College community’s celebration of our 5786 musmakhim/rabbinic ordainees. Famously, our blessing is three-fold: “May God bless and protect you; may God shine God’s face upon you and be gracious towards you; may God lift God’s face towards you and give you peace” (24-26).

Read 70 Faces...