The Board of Governors of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) has approved a plan for its future at a meeting on November 2, 2009. This plan, entitled "A New Way Forward," charts a five-year process based on three principles: attaining financial sustainability, sustaining academic excellence, and maintaining geographic presences in Cincinnati, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, and New York. It provides a vision for the College-Institute as the intellectual, spiritual, and professional leadership development center for Reform Judaism and the Jewish people.

The dedication of the $12.1 million renovation and expansion of the Klau Library and The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati Library Pavilion at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), including a $550,000 state-of-the-art geothermal system, took place on Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 2 p.m. on the campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion at 3101 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio. Several hundred national and local civic and religious leaders convened for this milestone event, including Mark Mallory, Mayor of City of Cincinnati; Rabbi David Ellenson, President, HUC-JIR; Barbara Friedman, Chair, HUC-JIR Board of Governors; Gary Heiman, The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, which donated the lead institutional gift of $6.5 million; Sanford R. Cardin, on behalf of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation; and Lucille Carothers, on behalf of the Klau Family. Dr. Michael A. Meyer, Ochs Professor of Jewish History presented the keynote address on "The Soul of the College." Dr. Gregory H. Williams, President, University of Cincinnati, presented the keynote address at the celebratory program and reception, which was attended by over 1000 persons at the Manuel D. & Rhoda Mayerson JCC on The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati campus at 7:30 pm that evening.

Stan Rabin was inducted onto the Board of Governors of HUC-JIR at the November 2, 2009 Board meeting. A distinguished communal leader of Dallas, Texas, Rabin recently retired as chief executive officer of Commercial Metals Company (CMC), a $7.7 billion company that has manufactured, recycled, and marketed steel, metal products, and related materials around the world since 1915. Rabin is a past president of Temple Emanuel and currently chairs the congregation's capital campaign to rebuild the sanctuary. He has also served as president of the Dallas Jewish Federation, currently is a trustee of United Jewish Communities, and serves on the Boards of the American Jewish Committee and American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.