Past Honorary Degree Recipients
| Name | Occupation | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Flam, Rabbi Nancy | Co-founder, Jewish Healing Center and former director of the Jewish Community Healing Program of Ruach Ami: Bay Area Jewish Healing Center in San Francisco | June 2021 |
| Hellner-Eshed, Melila | Faculty, Institute of Jewish Spirituality | June 2021 |
| Weiman-Kellman, Levi | President, Rabbis for Human Rights | June 2020 |
| Atkins, Mark E. | Entrepreneur, Professor, University of Massachusetts Boston | June 2019 |
| Hildegard Shalvi, Alice | Educator, feminist activist, social advocate and professor emerita of English literature | June 2019 |
| Tucker, Mary Evelyn | Senior lecturer and research scholar at Yale University | June 2019 |
| Gottlieb Zornberg, Avivah | Torah scholar, teacher, and author | June 2019 |
| Kotler, Harold | CEO, Chief Investment Officer and Partner at GW&K | June 2018 |
| Moore, Mary Elizabeth | Dean, Boston University School of Theology | June 2018 |
| Summit, Rabbi Jeffrey | Research Professor in the Department of Music and Judaic Studies Program, Tufts University | June 2018 |
| Botstein, Leon | President of Bard College | June 2017 |
| Kates, Judith | Professor of Jewish Women's Studies at Hebrew College | June 2017 |
| Matt, Daniel | Leading authorities on Kabbalah and the Zohar and Professor at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California | June 2017 |
| Ellenson, Rabbi David | Chancellor Emeritus, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion | 2016 |
| Jacobson, Joshua R. | professor of music and director of choral activities at Northeastern University and founder and director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston | 2016 |
| Troderman, Diane | Former chair of Jewish Education Service of North America | 2016 |
| Eisner, Jane | Editor-in-Chief, The Forward | 2016 |
| Brettler, Marc | Doris Golding Professor of Biblical Studies, Brandeis University | 2015 |
| Reinharz, Shulamit | Jacob Potofsky Chair of Sociology, Brandeis University | 2015 |
| Slotnick, Marsha Katz | Senior major gifts officer, Hebrew SeniorLife | 2015 |
| Calderon, Ruth | Member, Israeli Knesset | 2014 |
| Schachter-Shalomi, Rabbi Zalman (z"l) | Founder, Jewish Renewal movement | 2014 |
| Diamant, Anita | Author, lecturer and journalist | 2013 |
| Hartman, Rabbi David z"l (given posthumous) | Founding president, Hartman Institute | 2013 |
| Krupp, George | Co-founder, CEO and senior partner, Berkshire Group | 2013 |
| Mandel, Morton | Chairman and CEO, Mandel Foundation | 2013 |
| Mesch, Barry | Provost, Hebrew College | 2013 |
| Lerner, Anne Lapidus | Author, lecturer and educator | 2013 |
| Korman, Bernard | Business executive and philanthropist | 2012 |
| Reinharz, Jehuda | President emeritus, Brandeis University | 2012 |
| Minnow, Martha | Dean, Harvard Law School | 2011 |
| Sarna, Jonathan | Historian, educator and author | 2011 |
| Wyner, Yehudi | Educator and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer | 2011 |
| Bronfman Sr., Edgar z"l | Businessman and philanthropist | 2010 |
| Brudnick, Betty | Philanthropist | 2010 |
| Hyman, Paula z"l | Historian, educator and author | 2010 |
| Falchuk, Nancy | National president, Hadassah | 2009 |
| Fishbane, Michael | Scholar of Judaism and rabbinic literature | 2009 |
| Golijov, Osvaldo | Grammy Award-winning composer | 2008 |
| Greenberg, Irving | Scholar and author | 2008 |
| Kessler, Diane Cooksey | Former executive director, Massachusetts Council of Churches | 2008 |
| Klagsburn, Samuel | Physician | 2008 |
| Krueger, Harvey | Investment banker and civic leader | 2008 |
| Alpern, Mimi | National chair, American Jewish Committee | 2007 |
| Carter, Rev. Nick | President, Andover Newton Theological School | 2007 |
| Messinger, Ruth | President and CEO, American Jewish World Service | 2007 |
| Pzena, Richard | Investment manager | 2007 |
| Shapiro z"l, Enid | Social-work consultant | 2007 |
| Cail, Mickey z"l | Business executive and real-estate developer | 2006 |
| Fein, Leonard z"l | Writer and educator | 2006 |
| Kaitz, Louis z"l | Business executive and philanthropist | 2006 |
| Sackler, Marietta Lutze | Physician, business executive and philanthropist | 2006 |
| Goodkind, E. Robert | Attorney and civic activist | 2005 |
| Wieseitier, Leon | Writer, critic and magazine editor | 2005 |
| Bacow, Lawrence | President, Tufts University | 2004 |
| Carroll, James | Author, historian and journalist | 2004 |
| Goldman, Ralph '34 z"l | Former director, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee | 2004 |
| Hendler, Lee Meyerhoff | Philanthropist, lecturer and author | 2004 |
| Chafetz, Irwin | Business executive and philanthropist | 2003 |
| Everett, Edith | Business executive and philanthropist | 2003 |
| Frank, Barney | U.S. representative, Massachusetts | 2003 |
| Podwal, Mark | Author and illustrator | 2003 |
| Cutler, Ted z”l | Philanthropist, patron of the arts | 2002 |
| Hyatt, Bernard | Owner and publisher, The Jewish Advocate | 2002 |
| Joel, Richard | President and international director, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life | 2002 |
| Marks, Nancy Lurie | Philanthropist | 2002 |
| Spack, Norman | Pediatric endrocrinologist, Children's Hospital Boston | 2002 |
| Gann, Joseph z"l | Philanthropist | 2001 |
| Roland, Miriam Aaron | Philanthropist | 2001 |
| Safdie, Moshe | Architect, urban designer, educator and author | 2001 |
| Shrage, Barry | President, Combined Jewish Philanthropies | 2001 |
| Wiesel z"l, Elie | Novelist, professor, political activist and Nobel laureate | 2001 |
| Ahlmark, Per Axel | Swedish writer and politician | 2000 |
| Chiel, Rabbi Samuel z"l | Special adviser to the president and director of the Rabbinic Institute, Hebrew College; former rabbi, Temple Emanuel, Newton | 2000 |
| Eizenstat, Stuart E. | Diplomat, statesman and public servant | 2000 |
| Friedman, Howard I. | Civil-rights attorney and chairman of the board of the Susan and David Wilstein Institute of Jewish Policy Studies | 2000 |
| Goldberg, Carol Rabb | Business excutive and philanthropist | 2000 |
| Elliot, Rev. Dr. Ralph H. | Interim president, Andover Newton Theological School | 1999 |
| Fein, Ruth Breslau | President and campaign chair, Combined Jewish Philanthropies | 1999 |
| Hertzberg, Rabbi Arthur z"l | Author, scholar and activist | 1999 |
| Teplow, Theodore H. | Business executive, philanthropist and chairman of the Hebrew College Board of Trustees | 1999 |
| Cohen, Julian z"l | Real-estate developer, philanthropist and patron of the arts | 1998 |
| Elenko, Stuart Stanley z"l | (z"l) Founder, Holocaust Museum and Studies Center, Bronx High School of Science | 1998 |
| Post, Marlene Edith | National president, Hadassah | 1998 |
| Brustein, Robert Sanford | Theatrical critic, producer, playwright and educator | 1997 |
| Kreitman, Rabbi Benjamin Zvi z"l | Rabbinical leader in Conservative Judaism | 1997 |
| Krupp, A. Philip z"l | Real-estate developer, philanthropist and retired national commissioner, Anti-Defamation League | 1997 |
| Vanderpol, Netty Schwarz | Artist and Holocaust survivor | 1997 |
| Breslau, Maxwell z"l | Former chairman, Hebrew College Board of Trustees | 1996 |
| Schwartz, William | Vice president for academic affairs, Yeshiva University | 1996 |
| Shoolman, Edith G. z"l | Philanthropist | 1996 |
| Steinberg, Dr. Theodore '31 z"l | Ophthomologist and attorney | 1996 |
| Dreben, Raya S. | Associate justice, Massachusetts Appeals Court | 1995 |
| Gordon, Cyrus H. z"l | Scholar and educator | 1995 |
| Reisman, Bernard z"l | Founding director, Hornstein Program in Jewish Communal Service, Brandeis University | 1995 |
| Trustman, Benjamin Arthur z"l | Lawyer, cultural leader, philanthropist and former chairman of the Hebrew College Board of Trustees | 1995 |
| Berman, Herbert | Senior partner, Foley, Hoag & Eliot; immediate past chairman, Board of Trustees | 1995 |
| Epstein, Mary Wolfman z"l | Singer and actor | 1994 |
| Haar, Charles z"l | Louis D. Brandeis Professor of Law, Harvard Law School | 1994 |
| Kaufman, Solomon z"l | Engineer, businessman and former chairman of the Board of Trustees | 1994 |
| Aronson, David z"l | Painter and educator | 1993 |
| Cardin, Shoshana | Women's activist, philanthropist | 1993 |
| Gittleman, Sol | German scholar and provost, Tufts University | 1993 |
| Lipset, Seymour z"l | Political sociologist and educator | 1993 |
| Kekst, Gershon | Strategic, corporate and financial communications executive | 1992 |
| Rothchild, Sylvia z"l | Novelist, reviewer and cellist | 1992 |
| Zuckerman, Mortimer | Real-estate developer and media proprietor | 1992 |
| Hiatt, Jacob z"l | Business executive and philanthropist | 1991 |
| Kopelman, Frances z"l | Philanthropist | 1991 |
| Rosenthal, Abraham z"l | Former executive editor, The New York TImes | 1991 |
| Sarna, Nahum z"l | Modern bliblical scholar | 1991 |
| Peretz, Martin | Editor in chief, The New Republic | 1990 |
| Stone, Stephen z"l | Periodontist | 1990 |
| Strom, Margot Stern | Executive director, Facing History and Ourselves | 1990 |
| Kunin, Madeleine | Governor, Vermont | 1989 |
| Leventhal, Norman z"l | Developer, philanthropist and civic leader | 1989 |
| Halpern, Bernjamin z"l | Retired professor of Judaica, Brandeis University | 1988 |
| Ozick, Cynthia | Short-story writer, novelist and essayist | 1988 |
| Rabb, Irving z"l | Vice chairman, Stop & Shop | 1988 |
| Ackerman, Walter z"l | Education chair, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev | 1987 |
| Band, Arnold, MAJS'57 | Professor, Hebrew and comparative literature, UCLA | 1987 |
| Drinan, Rev. Robert z"l | Priest, former congressman and educator | 1987 |
| Rosovsky, Henry | Economist and Harvard University professor | 1987 |
| Sachar, Abram z"l | Founding president, Brandeis University | 1987 |
| Savitz, Dr. Harry z"l | Physician and Jewish scholar | 1987 |
| Weinstein, Lewis z"l | Attorney and Jewish communal leader | 1987 |
| Wyzanski, Gisela Warburg z"l | Zionist Leader | 1987 |