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Past Honorary Degree Recipients

NameOccupationYear
Rabbi Sharon KleinbaumSenior Rabbi, Congregation Beit Simchat TorahJune 2024
Dr. Cochav Elkayam-LevyFounder and Chair, Dvora Institute for Gender and Sustainability Studies and Civil Commission on Oct. 7th Crimes by Hamas against Women and ChildrenJune 2024
Parker J. PalmerWriter, speaker and activistJune 2024
David BrozaInternationally renowned Israeli singer-songwriterJune 2023
Rev. Liz WalkerJournalist, humanitarian, and ministerJune 2023
Rabbi Nancy FlamCo-founder, Jewish Healing Center and former director of the Jewish Community Healing Program of Ruach Ami: Bay Area Jewish Healing Center in San FranciscoJune 2021
Melila Hellner-EshedFaculty, Institute of Jewish SpiritualityJune 2021
Levi Weiman-KellmanPresident, Rabbis for Human RightsJune 2020
Mark E. AtkinsEntrepreneur, Professor, University of Massachusetts BostonJune 2019
Alice Hildegard ShalviEducator, feminist activist, social advocate and professor emerita of English literatureJune 2019
Mary Evelyn TuckerSenior lecturer and research scholar at Yale UniversityJune 2019
Avivah Gottlieb ZornbergTorah scholar, teacher, and authorJune 2019
Harold KotlerCEO, Chief Investment Officer and Partner at GW&KJune 2018
Mary Elizabeth MooreDean, Boston University School of TheologyJune 2018
Rabbi Jeffrey SummitResearch Professor in the Department of Music and Judaic Studies Program, Tufts UniversityJune 2018
Leon BotsteinPresident of Bard CollegeJune 2017
Judith KatesProfessor of Jewish Women's Studies at Hebrew CollegeJune 2017
Daniel MattLeading authority on Kabbalah and the Zohar and Professor at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CaliforniaJune 2017
Rabbi David Ellenson z"lChancellor Emeritus, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion2016
Joshua R. JacobsonProfessor of music and director of choral activities at Northeastern University and founder and director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston2016
Diane TrodermanFormer chair of Jewish Education Service of North America2016
Jane Eisner Editor-in-Chief, The Forward2016
Marc BrettlerDoris Golding Professor of Biblical Studies, Brandeis University2015
Shulamit ReinharzJacob Potofsky Chair of Sociology, Brandeis University2015
Marsha Katz SlotnickSenior major gifts officer, Hebrew SeniorLife2015
Ruth CalderonMember, Israeli Knesset2014
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi z"lFounder, Jewish Renewal movement2014
Anita DiamantAuthor, lecturer and journalist2013
Rabbi David Hartman z"l (given posthumously) Founding president, Hartman Institute2013
George KruppCo-founder, CEO and senior partner, Berkshire Group2013
Morton Mandel z"l Chairman and CEO, Mandel Foundation2013
Barry MeschProvost, Hebrew College2013
Dr. Anne Lapidus LernerAuthor, lecturer and educator2013
Bernard KormanBusiness executive and philanthropist2012
Jehuda ReinharzPresident emeritus, Brandeis University2012
Martha Minnow Dean, Harvard Law School2011
Dr. Jonathan SarnaHistorian, educator and author2011
Yehudi WynerEducator and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer2011
Edgar Bronfman Sr. z"l Businessman and philanthropist2010
Betty BrudnickPhilanthropist2010
Paula Hyman z"l Historian, educator and author2010
Nancy FalchukNational president, Hadassah2009
Michael FishbaneScholar of Judaism and rabbinic literature2009
Osvaldo Golijov Grammy Award-winning composer2008
Rabbi Irving "Yitz" GreenbergScholar and author2008
Diane Cooksey Kessler Former executive director, Massachusetts Council of Churches2008
Samuel Klagsburn Physician2008
Harvey KruegerInvestment banker and civic leader2008
Mimi AlpernNational chair, American Jewish Committee2007
Rev. Nick Carter President, Andover Newton Theological School2007
Ruth Messinger President and CEO, American Jewish World Service2007
Richard PzenaInvestment manager2007
Enid Shapiro z"l Social-work consultant2007
Mickey Cail z"l Business executive and real-estate developer2006
Leonard Fein z"l Writer and educator2006
Louis Kaitz z"lBusiness executive and philanthropist2006
Marietta Lutze Sackler z"lPhysician, business executive and philanthropist2006
E. Robert GoodkindAttorney and civic activist2005
Leon WieseitierWriter, critic and magazine editor2005
Lawrence BacowPresident, Tufts University2004
James CarrollAuthor, historian and journalist2004
Ralph Goldman '34 z"lFormer director, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee2004
Lee Meyerhoff HendlerPhilanthropist, lecturer and author2004
Irwin ChafetzBusiness executive and philanthropist2003
Edith EverettBusiness executive and philanthropist2003
Barney FrankU.S. representative, Massachusetts2003
Mark PodwalAuthor and illustrator2003
Ted Cutler z”l Philanthropist, patron of the arts2002
Bernard Hyatt z"l Owner and publisher, The Jewish Advocate2002
Richard JoelPresident and international director, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life2002
Nancy Lurie MarksPhilanthropist2002
Dr. Norman SpackPediatric endrocrinologist, Children's Hospital Boston2002
Joseph Gann z"lPhilanthropist2001
Miriam Aaron RolandPhilanthropist2001
Moshe SafdieArchitect, urban designer, educator and author2001
Barry ShragePresident, Combined Jewish Philanthropies2001
Elie Wiesel z"lNovelist, professor, political activist and Nobel laureate2001
Per Axel AhlmarkSwedish writer and politician2000
Rabbi Samuel Chiel z"lSpecial adviser to the president and director of the Rabbinic Institute, Hebrew College; former rabbi, Temple Emanuel, Newton2000
Stuart E. EizenstatDiplomat, statesman and public servant2000
Howard I. FriedmanCivil-rights attorney and chairman of the board of the Susan and David Wilstein Institute of Jewish Policy Studies2000
Carol Rabb GoldbergBusiness excutive and philanthropist2000
Rev. Dr. Ralph H. ElliotInterim president, Andover Newton Theological School1999
Ruth Breslau Fein z"lPresident and campaign chair, Combined Jewish Philanthropies1999
Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg z"lAuthor, scholar and activist1999
Theodore H. Teplow z"lBusiness executive, philanthropist and chairman of the Hebrew College Board of Trustees1999
Julian Cohen z"lReal-estate developer, philanthropist and patron of the arts1998
Stuart Stanley Elenko z"lFounder, Holocaust Museum and Studies Center, Bronx High School of Science1998
Marlene Edith PostNational president, Hadassah1998
Robert Sanford Brustein z"lTheatrical critic, producer, playwright and educator1997
Rabbi Benjamin Zvi Kreitman z"l Rabbinical leader in Conservative Judaism1997
A. Philip Krupp z"lReal-estate developer, philanthropist and retired national commissioner, Anti-Defamation League1997
Netty Schwarz Vanderpol z"lArtist and Holocaust survivor1997
Maxwell Breslau z"lFormer chairman, Hebrew College Board of Trustees1996
William Schwartz z"lVice president for academic affairs, Yeshiva University1996
Edith G. Shoolman z"lPhilanthropist1996
Dr. Theodore Steinberg '31 z"lOphthomologist and attorney1996
Hon. Raya S. Dreben (ret.)Associate justice, Massachusetts Appeals Court1995
Cyrus H. Gordon z"lScholar and educator1995
Bernard Reisman z"lFounding director, Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service, Brandeis University1995
Benjamin Arthur Trustman z"lLawyer, cultural leader, philanthropist and former chairman of the Hebrew College Board of Trustees1995
Herbert Berman z"lSenior partner, Foley, Hoag & Eliot; immediate past chairman, Board of Trustees1995
Mary Wolfman Epstein z"lSinger and actor1994
Charles Haar z"lLouis D. Brandeis Professor of Law, Harvard Law School1994
Solomon Kaufman z"lEngineer, businessman and former chairman of the Board of Trustees1994
David Aronson z"lPainter and educator1993
Shoshana Cardin z"lWomen's activist, philanthropist1993
Sol GittlemanGerman scholar and provost, Tufts University1993
Seymour Lipset z"lPolitical sociologist and educator1993
Gershon Kekst z"lStrategic, corporate and financial communications executive1992
Sylvia Rothchild z"lNovelist, reviewer and cellist1992
Mortimer ZuckermanReal-estate developer and media proprietor1992
Jacob Hiatt z"lBusiness executive and philanthropist1991
Frances Kopelman z"lPhilanthropist1991
Abraham Rosenthal z"lFormer executive editor, The New York TImes1991
Nahum Sarna z"lModern bliblical scholar1991
Martin PeretzEditor in chief, The New Republic1990
Stephen Stone z"lPeriodontist1990
Margot Stern Strom z"lExecutive director, Facing History and Ourselves1990
Madeleine KuninGovernor, Vermont1989
Norman Leventhal z"lDeveloper, philanthropist and civic leader1989
Benjamin Halpern z"lRetired professor of Judaica, Brandeis University1988
Cynthia OzickShort-story writer, novelist and essayist1988
Irving Rabb z"lVice chairman, Stop & Shop1988
Walter Ackerman z"lEducation chair, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev1987
Arnold Band MAJS'57 z"lProfessor, Hebrew and comparative literature, UCLA1987
Rev. Robert Drinan z"lPriest, former congressman and educator1987
Henry Rosovsky z"lEconomist and Harvard University professor1987
Abram Sachar z"lFounding president, Brandeis University1987
Dr. Harry Savitz z"lPhysician and Jewish scholar1987
Lewis Weinstein z"lAttorney and Jewish communal leader1987
Gisela Warburg Wyzanski z"lZionist Leader1987