December 18, 2025 | 28 Kislev 5786
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Reimagining Jewish learning and leadership for an interconnected world.
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Parashat Miketz | Candlelighting 3:55 PM EST
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Hebrew College mourns the destruction and loss of life caused by last weekend's antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, along with recent acts of devastating violence at Brown University and the Reiner home in Los Angeles. As we join Jews around the world kindling the Hanukkah lights this evening, may we find strength and comfort in community. May the increasing lights of Hanukkah chase out darkness, bring us hope and resilience, send healing to all those affected by the attacks, and inspire us all to continue to work for a more compassionate world.
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Coming Together for Greater Purpose
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By Rabbi Becky Silverstein `14
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The opening paragraph of Havdalah begins “Gd is my salvation, I have faith and will not be afraid.” This is the framing for letting go of Shabbat and returning to the work of the world. This week, the work of the world came fast and furious: News of a shooter at Brown University. An email from colleagues about the possibilities of upcoming Health and Human Services guidelines regarding gender affirming healthcare. A shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach. Given our different proximities to different events, we feel different tugs of connection and resonance. When confronted with a tragedy like the one in Sydney, we might ask ourselves — did I know anyone on that beach? Would I have been on the beach? Could it happen here, to me and my community? Underlying these questions are even bigger questions: Who are my people? To whom do I belong, and who belongs with me? To whom am I accountable?
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David and Beryl Hoffman: Jewish Learning is a Way of Life
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Beryl and David z"l Hoffman’s shared love of learning began long before they discovered Hebrew College. When they married in 1988, their Ketubah included a commitment to learning. Decades later they found their way to Hebrew College’s Adult Learning programs, where the Hoffmans became devoted students and enthusiastic ambassadors. They studied subjects as diverse as the fragility of democracy, Jews and race in America, and the musical landscape of Zionism. “It wasn’t surface knowledge learning. It wasn’t just facts, it was deeper,” says Beryl. “It connected in so many ways for us; relevance, that was so important to David and me.” As David’s health declined, the couple discussed establishing a legacy rooted in the values that shaped their marriage. Supporting Tamid with a gift in David’s honor reflects their belief that Jewish learning should be accessible, relevant, and transformative for adults at every stage of life.
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David z"l and Beryl Hoffman
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Hebrew College Alumni & Students Enrich Jewish Life Across Greater Boston
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Hebrew College alumni are deeply woven into the fabric of the Greater Boston Jewish community, serving as inspiring leaders for communities in 38 Boston-area synagogues. They bring wisdom, compassion, and creativity to their roles as rabbis, spiritual leaders, educators, chaplains, and heads of nonprofits. Our rabbinical student interns lead services, support those in need, and help to strengthen the institutions that sustain Jewish life, making an impact across the region even as they pursue ordination. Together, students and alumni embody a shared commitment to Jewish learning, service, and community.
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TAMID OF HEBREW COLLEGE: YOUR HOME FOR ADULT LEARNING
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A Taste of Tamid Adult Learning
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Sunday, January 25 | Free | Online
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Join us online on Sunday evening, January 25, to sample Tamid of Hebrew College’s dynamic and relevant courses! Unpack Judaism’s baggage—and your own—in God Is Nothing (And So Are You). Dive into Jewish Short Stories of Childhood featuring authors such as Grace Paley and Isaac Bashevis Singer, or explore the legacy of Jewish storytelling in musical theater with From Fiddler to Falsettos. Curious about learning conversational Hebrew? Get started with A Taste of Hebrew Language Ulpan. During this 75-minute learning experience, participants will sample two of these four sessions. “Tamid of Hebrew College offers a wide variety of courses each semester designed to deepen your connection to Judaism and the Jewish people. Join our learning community and be inspired by our amazing instructors and by your fellow students,” says Kim Bodemer, Director of Tamid of Hebrew College Adult Learning.
Learn more...
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Support our home of learning.
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The first letter of the first word of the Torah is beit, ב, closed on three sides like a house with an open door, an invitation to live in and alongside our tradition:
Breshit. In the Beginning.
Beit is also the word for house or home. Beit Midrash House of Study. Beit Knesset House of Meeting. Beit Tefilah House of Prayer. A home for learning, a place to belong, a dwelling of Divine presence. This is Hebrew College: belonging, becoming, building bridges.
In the midst of difficult times, Hebrew College has been a place to call home. As we enter a new secular year, Hebrew College will be there to receive you with warmth and light. Please consider making a gift of gratitude for this home of purpose and community by December 31, 2025.
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Soul Sounds Hanukkah Concert
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Thank you to all who attended “Hidden Melodies Lost and Found”, a Soul Sounds Hanukkah concert! Boston luminary Hankus Netsky, noted vocalist Rabbi Yosef Goldman, violinist Abigale Reisman, percussionist Grant Smith, and guitarist Nadav Brenner joined Hebrew College Artist-in-Residence Rabbi Jessica Kate Meyer`14 to explore lesser-known Hanukkah melodies drawn from the diversity of Jewish culture across time and place. (Photo by Kris Snibbe)
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Teen Beit Midrash Celebrates Hanukkah
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On Tuesday, December 17, Hebrew College Teen Beit Midrash students and families remembered those killed on Sydney's Bondi Beach and then transitioned to their Hanukkah celebration, learning texts about core values of Judaism, lighting candles, and enjoying TBM Director Rabba Claudia Marbach's homemade latkes.
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Impromptu Rabbinical School Reunion!
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Hebrew College Rabbinical School faculty, former faculty, students, and alumni found time for a group photo this week while attending HIGA 2025, the Hillel International Global Assembly in Boston.
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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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HEIDI URICH ANNUAL LECTURE
Antisemitism, An American Tradition
Sunday, January 18 | 1:30-4 PM | Zoom
Please join Hebrew College and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston (JGSGB) online for a lecture with Pamela Nadell, a leading scholar of antisemitism and the Jewish response over the last four centuries.
Learn more & RSVP
TAMID OF HEBREW COLLEGE FREE ONE-HOUR LEARNING
GROW January: “After Me”: The IDF and Israeli Society
Wednesday, January 21 | 12-1 PM | Zoom
Join author and former IDF lone soldier Joel Chasnoff as he explores some of the surprising ways that mandatory military service shapes Israeli society. He is author of the comedic memoir The 188th Crybaby Brigade and co-author of Israel 201, winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award.
Learn more & RSVP
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
DIGNITY PROJECT CELEBRATION
"Seeing the Sacred: Envisioning the World We Need”
Sunday, February 8 | 2-4 PM | Hebrew College
Join the 2025-2026 Dignity Project Fellows who will share their photo exhibit as well as insights and reflections 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
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