Honoring the Future of Jewish Leadership at Hebrew Union College’s Los Angeles Graduation Ceremony

LOS ANGELES, CA – Following Los Angeles’ successful, encouraging, and memorable ordination ceremony, Hebrew Union College honored graduates from the Class of 2025/5785, 25-Year Honorary Degree recipients, and Doctors of Humane Letters. The celebration took place with esteemed guests, faculty and board members, students, family, and friends in the audience.

The Graduating Class of 2025 and 25 Year Alumni Honorary Doctorates

As part of the celebrations, Hebrew Union College held a special Havdalah honoring Marcie and Howard Zelikow for transforming Jewish leadership at Hebrew Union College’s Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management and recognizing the newest class.

President Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D, Howard Zelikow, Board of Governors member Marcie Zelikow, and Rabbi Shirley Idelson, Ph.D., ’91, Director of the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management at the Havdalah in the honor of the Zelikows.

The event opened with a moving rendition of “Hinei MaTov” (Music and English lyrics by Cantor Jonathan Comisar ’00; from Psalm 133), performed by Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro ’03, Cantor of the Jack H. Skirball Campus, and Cantor Randall Schloss ’07 from Temple Isaiah.

Rabbi Joshua Garroway Ph.D. opened the ceremony.

In his welcome, Rabbi Joshua Garroway Ph.D., Dean of the Los Angeles Campus, noted the significance of the Processional for the day “How appropriate that a song of ascent opened this ceremony because today is a day of ascent—literally, a day of ascent. Graduations are called so because gradus, in Latin, means step, and today we celebrate students whose learning has prepared them to step up and take on the challenges of the world.”

President Rehfeld Ph.D. addressed the audience.

Indeed, the question of the new leaders’ responsibility, too, was raised by President Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D. in his remarks, namely as current events will quickly call upon graduates to support those around them: “At a time when science, reason’s handmaiden, is under attack, as Reform Jews, we recognize that our faith must be bounded by reason. That our commitments to our own communities, people, and tradition must be limited by the universal values of justice and peace towards which they aim.”

President Rehfeld, David Myers, Jennifer Kaufman and Rabbi Zachary Shapiro

In recognition of their achievements and contributions to Jewish leadership, honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters were bestowed upon Jennifer Brodkey Kaufman, Immediate Past Chair of the North American Board of the Union for Reform Judaism and Member of the Hebrew Union College Board of Governors, and David N. Myers, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor and Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History at The University of California, Los Angeles.

In delivering the graduation address, David Myers drew inspiration from his friendship and academic collaboration with Rabbi David Ellenson, z”l, former president of Hebrew Union College, as well as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., evoking the importance of making time to be lifelong learners: “As you, future educators and communal service professionals, make your way out into the world, you will benefit from discovering, honing, and practicing a spiritual practice that can center you in the midst of your overstimulated, multi-task-filled lives.”

The 25 year Doctor of Divinity recipients with leadership.

On Monday, May 19th, the following degrees were conferred:

• 5 rabbis received their Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa
• 4 alumni received their Doctor of Jewish Religious Education, honoris causa
• 5 alumni received their Doctor of Jewish Nonprofit Management, honoris causa
• 12 students received their Master of Arts in Jewish Nonprofit Management
• 5 cantorial students received their Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Innovation
• 6 students received their Master of Educational Leadership
• 6 students received their Master of Arts in Teaching
• 1 student received their Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters
• 1 student received their Bachelor of Arts, Jewish Students at USC
• And 2 students received their Minor in Jewish Students at USC

Confirmation of degrees was offered by Rabbi Zachary R. Shapiro ’97, Senior Rabbi at Temple Akiba, member of the Hebrew Union College Board of Governors.

Shayna Leah Dollinger ’25, Master of Educational Leadership gave the student address.

Shayna Leah Dollinger ’25, Master of Educational Leadership, gave the student perspective, presenting both questions and answers to her fellow classmates about how they might embark upon these next steps in their journeys: “How will each of us separate the light and the dark? How will we create order out of chaos in our world today? There’s a Jewish mystical idea that within each of us is a vessel of light. As we move through the world, we give light and we collect light, our vessels brightening in every interaction.”

Miriam Heller-Stern, Ph.D. offered the benediction to the graduates.

In her benediction, Miriam Heller-Stern, Ph.D., ignited the graduates with words of hope: “Looking out at the rows of dreamers, be brave enough to cry when you need to; it will give you the strength to be generous with your joy. Learn, and teach others, to hold the pain with the promise. Bring your full souls to your leadership and your work; for we are the beneficiaries of your harvest.”

Graduation and Ordination for the Cincinnati class follows on May 30th and May 31st.

View the full ceremony here.

The full program can be found here.