“Why at the ripe age of 70 would I consider leading a board of Trustees? Having studied for over a decade with [Hebrew College President] Rabbi Sharon in a group we call ‘The Torah Babes,’ I became deeply connected to the Hebrew College mission. I experienced first-hand the importance and therapeutic value of pluralistic Jewish and rabbinical education. Hebrew College ignites the power of possibilities in a complicated and troubled world,” said Belsky. “The College feels like a laboratory of learning and leadership, exploring opportunities to instill hope in humanity and faith in Jewish study and practice.”  —Nancy Kaplan Belsky

“As a teacher, I grew as my students grew, encouraging their questions and accompanying them through their trials of confidence, skill, and learning. My students’ bravery and determination, insights, and struggles inspired me to continue to grow and learn myself. I was inspired every time a student began to hear and express their true voice, discovering it through practice and determination. Every time they allowed themselves to be vulnerable and open up to mastering the art of nusach, chanting, hearing, and feeling how they could express the text and discover for themselves what they didn’t imagine they could do.” — Cantor Lynn Togove `12

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"The Talmud is an amazing anthology of the greatest thoughts of the Jewish people gathered over 700 years. Jews have been studying, thinking about and arguing about its stories, laws, history, values, ethics and jokes ever since. The rabbis who wrote the Talmud were interested in big questions such as how do we create systems of justice that work, why do bad things happen to good people, and how to make God do what we want? Teens are also interested in these big questions and how to make the world a better place." 

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In the Hebrew College-JArts Artist Beit Midrash exhibition The Spiral That Reconnects, curated by Shirah Rubin, coco rosenberg, and Deb Feinstein, member artists asked: How might an internal road map for activists developed by Dr. Joanna Macy, inspire and deepen our creative work? What happens when we put "The Spiral" in dialogue with Jewish texts?  “The work exemplifies our tradition's call to be partners with the Divine in both creation and the healing of the world. I am grateful to Shirah Rubin and the community members who put the show together to share with the broader community,” said Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman`14, co-founder and director of the Artist Beit Midrash. 

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