October 2, 2026 | 21 Tishrei, 5787
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Reimagining Jewish learning and leadership for an interconnected world.
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Shabbat Shemini Atzeret | Candlelighting 6:05 PM EST
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Opening Our Broken Hearts:
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How Do We Celebrate Simchat Torah After October 7?
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By Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, Hebrew College President
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How do we celebrate Simchat Torah after October 7? How do we sing, dance, and celebrate with the memory of the brutal massacre that took place on that day? How do we sing, dance, and celebrate with the awareness of the terrible violence and immense suffering that has unfolded during the years of war since then?
We cannot possibly roll time back. But as we roll our Torah scrolls back to the beginning of B’reishit, can we reconnect with the possibility of beauty and renewal, in our own lives and in the world around us? As we dance and carry the Torah scrolls in our arms, can we carry each other in our hearts with love? As we mark this day, can we remember October 7 without allowing it to become the only story we tell about ourselves?
Read more...
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Consider marking this Simchat Torah by choosing to make Jewish learning part of your life this year. To learn more and register, click here. (above: quilt by Walnut Street Minyan)
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Miller Center Hosts Interreligious Sukkot Gathering
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This week the Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership partnered with BTI, the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium, to host a gathering for Boston area theology students in the Hebrew College sukkah on our shared campus in Newton. Attendants enjoyed dinner and conversation, sang and reflected together, and assembled soup packs to address Boston-area food insecurity in partnership with Repairing Our World. Miller Center Director Rabbi Or Rose and our rabbinical students were thrilled to host guests in the sukkah, built with a porous roof and temporary walls serve to remind us to stay open to the world.
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Sharing the Meaning of Sukkot
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Join Rabbi Daniel Klein, Dean of the Hebrew College Rabbinical School, as we learn about the emotional, physical, and historical meanings of Sukkot. Featuring the Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership and our friends at the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium.
Watch the YouTube video...
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Journey of Wonder: Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah
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By Deborah Feinstein, MJAS, Hebrew College Arts Initiative Chair
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The following is adapted from Journey of Wonder, by Deborah Feinstein, a "visual dance with the Hebrew Calendar" featuring short essays about the Jewish holiday cycle, published as a companion to Feinstein’s Journey of Wonder art exhibit hosted by Hebrew College last spring.
Our Sages extended the last day of Sukkot, to culminate in this special holiday on the 22 of Tishrei, already a fully developed holiday by 700 CE. Sukkot is also called the “Festival of Ingathering”, and here Sukkot gathers Shemini Atzeret into its observance, even while they are considered separate festivals. This gathering reflects a desire to bringing God closer and to hold on to the experience of the High Holy Days. One extra day of gratitude and joy in God’s presence.
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NEW DATE
Psalm 27: A Dialogue with Text and Art Opening Reception
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Hebrew College’s new exhibition, Psalm 27: A Dialogue with Text and Art, features pieces from 18 artists working across painting, photography, sculpture, mosaic, printmaking, and mixed media. Each artist brings a distinct visual language, aesthetic practice, and spiritual perspective to this biblical poem, creating works that stand on their own while participating in a larger conversation. “It is a broad, enveloping exhibition,” says Hebrew College Arts Committee Chair and contributing artist Deborah Feinstein. We invite you to join us for the exhibit's rescheduled opening reception on October 15, featuring poetry and teaching from Rav Rachel Adelman and Rabbi Or Rose.
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Detail, “Rays of Awe” by Emily Sper, 18″ x 24″, photograph
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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.
Share your news with us...
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LECTURE SERIES
The Book of Esther: A Lecture Series
Monday, October 5 | 4 Mondays: 10/5, 10/12, 10/19 & 10/26 | 7-8:30 PM | Zoom
Hebrew College is delighted to partner with the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum to present a special lecture series offered in conjunction with the museum’s exhibition, The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt.
Learn more & RSVP
FREE ONE-HOUR LEARNING
GROW October: Exile as Homeland: The Jewish Experience of Diaspora
Wednesday, October 14 | 12-1 PM | Zoom
Join Rabbi Leonard Gordon as he examines two trajectories in Jewish history: the drive to build a homeland in the Land of Israel and the desire to make sense of the Jewish experience of exile and diaspora.
Learn more & RSVP
FALL ART EXHIBIT
Opening Reception: “Psalm 27: A Dialogue with Text and Art”
Wednesday, October 15 | 5-7 PM | Hebrew College
Join us to celebrate the opening of “Psalm 27: A Dialogue with Text and Art,” which features works by 18 artists responding creatively to this timeless biblical poem. The invitational exhibit underscores our mission to offer creative methods of learning and exploring Torah as well as other Jewish texts and history.
Learn more & RSVP
OPEN HOUSE FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
Ta Sh'ma (Come & Hear) Fall Ordination Programs
Monday, November 16 at Hebrew College | Sunday, December 6 Online
Experience the vibrant pluralistic community of Hebrew College’s rabbinical program. In-person and virtual options.
Learn more & RSVP
FREE ONE-HOUR LEARNING
GROW November: Balance the Tough by Looking for the Good
Wednesday, November 18 | 12-1 PM | Zoom
Join Rabbi Marcia Plum as she explores how to balance difficulties with the Mussar trait of Hakarat Hatov—looking for the good. If you don’t know what it is, come and learn about this hidden gem of Judaism.
Learn more & RSVP
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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. Make a gift.
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