A Message from the Alumni Association

The Pines School of Graduate Studies Alumni Association sends warm greetings and wishes of encouragement to alumni and friends this fall of 2024. There are many ways that alumni have supported each other in the past year, and we trust that PSGS alumni will continue to support other alumni and friends of HUC in the future.

We mourn the passing last December of Rabbi David Ellenson, Ph.D. z’’l who (among many important roles) served as President of HUC–JIR. As alumni, we share in this sorrow and remember with tremendous gratitude how blessed we were to have known him.

Events in and around Israel continue to be of deep concern for all. Along with the rest of the HUC-JIR community, we hope for the release of the hostages and grieve the evil Hamas and the tragedies of war.

​Graduates of the PSGS continue to write, teach, and lead in many institutions of higher learning throughout the world. Current Ph.D. students are transitioning out of course work and into the comprehensive exams and dissertation phases of their education. The PSGS alumni association will be exploring new ways to keep alumni and students connected, promote the work we are doing in our various locations, and deepen our connections to HUC–JIR. We are deeply grateful for the faculty and staff of HUC–JIR, in thankful memory of our years spent at the Cincinnati campus with its many treasures, such as the Klau Library, the Skirball Museum, and the American Jewish Archives.

Graduation

Graduation ceremonies for the Pines School of Graduate Studies were held in Cincinnati, on May 31, 2024 / 23 Iyar, 5783. A thoughtful and timely address was delivered by Frederick M. Lawrence, Secretary and CEO of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and Distinguished Lecturer at the Georgetown Law Center, who was honored with the degree of Doctor of Humane letters. For degrees in the PSGS, David Johnson, Robert Thomas Murphy, and Christopher Slane were recognized for completing the requirements for the Master of Philosophy degree, and Jonathan Beck, Thomas Carroll, and Darhla Miles were recognized for completing the requirements for the Master of Arts in Jewish Studies. Finally, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy was conferred on Steven L. Donnally. We offer a special “Congratulations!” to Steven, and we congratulate all who were honored for their hard work.

SBL/AAR Alumni Gathering and Alumni Bibliography

We look forward to the annual November gathering of PSGS Alumni in conjunction with the SBL/AAR meetings. This year’s gathering will take place on Sunday, November 24, 2024, 11:30 am – 1 pm PST, at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina (333 W. Harbor Drive). Check your email for registration details. We hope that this annual gathering of HUC–JIR alumni can be a place where we who share so much in terms of education, relationships, and experiences can continuously stay connected with each other and with HUC-JIR.

Finally, we are still compiling a bibliography of Pines School of Graduate Studies alumni publications. For those PSGS alumni who have not yet submitted a bibliography of their published works or wish to update what they sent, feel free to send your bibliography to Dr. Hélène Dallaire at helenedallaire@denverseminary.edu.

View the publications we have received so far.