200 Jewish Leaders Gather in Jerusalem to Celebrate Reform Jewish Life, Dedicate Plaza at Taube Family Campus

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

From left: Sue Neuman Hochberg, Past Chair, Board of Governors; HUC President Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D.; Shana Penn, Executive Director, Taube Philanthropies; Moshe Safdie, architect of the HUC Taube Family Campus in Jerusalem; Juddson Taube, Director, Taube Family Foundation; David Edelson, Chair, HUC Board of Governors

JERUSALEM – In a milestone moment for Israeli Reform Judaism, more than 200 religious, academic, and political leaders convened on Sunday to dedicate a new plaza at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion’s Taube Family Campus along King David Street in Jerusalem. Attendees heard from students, lay and professional leaders, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog about the value of Israel’s growing Reform Movement and the centrality of HUC-JIR to educating a new generation of Reform leaders firmly rooted in Israel.

Delivering virtual, celebratory remarks to the HUC-JIR community, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said, “I hold my word from earlier this week, that Israel is a Jewish and democratic state. The state is committed to the rights of all minorities within, committed to the rule of law and committed to freedom of expression and human rights.”

Jerusalem City Councilor Laura Wharton at the dedication

The plaza, designed by globally-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, opens up the campus to the broader Jerusalem community. Safdie has spent more than four decades working with HUC-JIR to develop the campus with the goal of connecting the campus with the city. This plaza is the culmination of that work, enhanced by a partnership with the Jerusalem Foundation.

Shai Doron, President of The Jerusalem Foundation, addressing the dedication of the Taube Family Campus Entrance Plaza

In remarks to those gathered, Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., President of HUC-JIR shared, “Reform Zionism’s mission of promoting progressive values, religious pluralism, and inclusion in Israeli society, as well as its universal values of justice, are deeply planted and flourishing here. Our goal is to inspire and engage Israelis and visitors from around the world with tradition and innovation, continuity and creativity, diversity, human rights, and social engagement. The Taube Family Campus stands as a living symbol of our abiding devotion to this nation.”

From left: Rabbi Naamah Kelman, Dean, Taube Family Campus; David Edelson, Chair, HUC Board of Governors; Shana Penn, Executive Director, Taube Philanthropies; Shai Doron, President, Jerusalem Foundation; Juddson Taube, Director, Taube Family Foundation; HUC President Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D.

HUC-JIR’s Taube Family Campus is the centerpiece of Reform Jewish life in Israel. It houses an array of educational offerings for students in Israel, in addition to the Year-in-Israel program for North American HUC-JIR students. Graduates of HUC-JIR’s Israeli rabbinical program now lead more than 50 Reform communities across Israel. This year, for the first time since the campus’ founding in 1962, the entering class of HUC-JIR’s Israeli rabbinical program is composed entirely of students who were raised in the Israeli Reform Movement.

Rabbi Amy Perlin and Yaron Horovitz, Co-Chairs, HUC Board Israel Committee

Juddson Taube, a trustee of Taube Philanthropies, shared, “My family is proud to support HUC-JIR/Jerusalem. The new Taube Family Campus serves as a physical expression of the growth of Reform Jewish life in Israel. Sunday’s dedication of the new plaza, designed by Moshe Safdie, is a milestone moment in that story.”