Record-Breaking Year: Hebrew Union College Raises More Than $50 Million

Hebrew Union College has raised more than $50 million in the fiscal year concluded on June 30, 2026, marking the most significant year for institutional advancement in the College's history. Driven by three landmark gifts, this achievement reflects extraordinary donor confidence in the College's mission to educate and inspire the next generation of Jewish leaders.

Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., The Gus W. Herrman President and Professor of Political Thought, said of the gifts, "We are humbled and inspired by the commitment of all who have invested in Hebrew Union College's future.  They recognize that meeting this moment in Jewish history requires the resources to attract the best people, maintain the best programs, and advance our work with purpose and intention. Their investment will ensure that Hebrew Union College remains the source of exceptional Jewish leadership for another 150 years."

This milestone marks a period of remarkable momentum for Hebrew Union College. It is anchored by two transformative lead gifts of $15 million and $5 million - both given anonymously - to help fund the reimagining of Hebrew Union College's newly acquired home at the First Battery Armory at 56 West 66th Street in Manhattan. The investment will create a state-of-the-art center for Jewish learning, worship, and communal life, serving rabbinical, cantorial, and graduate students across the College's programs for generations to come.

In a separate landmark commitment, anonymous donors have endowed the Tisch Initiative for Clergy Excellence with a $15 million gift - one of the most significant student support initiatives in Hebrew Union College's history. The fellowship provides stipends that allow students to focus fully on their studies; gives each fellow access to a global network of dynamic rabbis and thought leaders; and provides intensive one-on-one mentorship, monthly evening discussions with guest speakers, and fall and winter retreats each year. More than 70 alumni have benefited from the program in its twenty-year history, going on to lead synagogues, leadership centers, and nonprofits, as well as returning to be leaders at Hebrew Union College.

At the heart of this historic year is a renewed investment in the people who make Hebrew Union College's mission possible: its students and faculty. Scholarship support remains essential to ensuring that a career in Jewish leadership is accessible to anyone called to it. Sustained investment in faculty, through endowed chairs and research support, allows the College to recruit and retain the scholars and teachers who shape the intellectual and spiritual formation of every student. As physical spaces are transformed, these gifts ensure that the people at the center of Hebrew Union College's mission remain its highest priority.

A donor whose support is helping to bring the new Manhattan campus to life put it this way: "For years I have watched Hebrew Union College graduate extraordinary Jewish leaders and I have been honored to play a part in that work. Our new home will serve our students, faculty, administration, and community. I can think of no more powerful expression of faith in our collective future."

These gifts are part of a broader, ongoing effort to transform Hebrew Union College's campuses as vibrant centers of Jewish life, learning, and leadership. They reflect new gifts and pledges and irrevocable testamentary commitments. Across its campuses, the College is investing in the spaces and resources that will carry its mission forward, ensuring that every student who walks through its doors is equipped to shape the future of the Jewish world.

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