Mission Statement
The Council of Alumni Associations of HUC-JIR fosters a mutually
supportive and collaborative relationship between the College-Institute
and its alumni by providing a voice for alumni, a link between alumni
and the College-Institute, and support to each of the Alumni Associations.
We achieve these three goals by:
To achieve these goals, the Council is made up of representatives
of each of the College-Institute’s alumni associations including
the Graduate School, the New York School of Education, the Rabbinic
School, the Rhea Hirsch School of Education, the School of Jewish
Communal Service, and the School of Sacred Music working together
with members of the HUC-JIR administration.
Bylaws
HUC-JIR ALUMNI COUNCIL
Bylaws
Article I -- Name
This association is to be known as Moats`ot Bogrei HaKolege --
The Alumni Council of the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute
of Religion, hereinafter referred to as the “Alumni Council”.
Article II -- Purpose
It is the purpose of the Alumni Council to promote the welfare
of the College-Institute, its graduates, and the school's essential
mission (as appended in the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute
of Religion catalogue).To achieve these goals, the Alumni Council
brings together representatives of the College-Institute's alumni
constituencies in a leadership forum to deliberate on issues and
concerns in regard to HUC-JIR alumni, programs and policies, and
the overall welfare of the College-Institute. The members of the
Alumni Council act as liaison to the individual alumni associations
such as they exist.
The Alumni Council also functions as an all-school advisory cabinet
for the College-Institute's president on matters of policy or other
alumni concerns.
Finally, the chair of the Alumni Council will represent the Council
on the Board of Governors. Any additional representation will be
designated by the Alumni Council itself.
Article III -- Membership
Section 1
The Alumni Council shall be comprised of eleven (11) alumni delegates:
three (3) representatives of the Rabbinic School alumni, two (2)
representatives of the School of Sacred Music alumni, two (2) representatives
of the School of Graduate Studies, two (2) representatives of the
Schools of Education, and two (2) representatives of the School of Jewish Communal Service.
Section 2
REPRESENTATION OF THE RABBINIC ALUMNI: The following officials
will represent the alumni of the Rabbinic School: the president,
vice president and immediate past chair of the Rabbinic Alumni Association.
Section 3
REPRESENTATION OF THE SCHOOL OF SACRED MUSIC ALUMNI: The president
of the School of Sacred Music Alumni Association and one additional
person designated by the Association will represent the alumni of
the School of Sacred Music.
Section 4
REPRESENTATION OF THE ALUMNI OF THE SCHOOL (PROGRAMS) OF GRADUATE
STUDIES: The president of the School of Graduate Studies Alumni
Association and one additional person designated by the Association
will represent the alumni of the School of Graduate Studies.
Section 5
REPRESENTATION OF THE ALUMNI OF THE SCHOOLS OF EDUCATION: The president
of the Rhea Hirsch School of Education Alumni Association and one
additional person designated by the Association will represent the
alumni of the Schools of Education.
Section 6
REPRESENTATION OF THE School OF JEWISH COMMUNAL SERVICE
ALUMNI: The president of the School of Jewish Communal
Service Alumni Association and one additional person designated
by the Association will represent the alumni of the School of Jewish Communal Service.
Section 7
In the event that there is no formalized alumni association for
one of the HUC-JIR graduate schools referred to in Article III,
sections 2 through 6, then the director(s)/dean(s) of the school(s)
will nominate an official alumni representative to the National
Director of Alumni Affairs.
Section 8
Alumni delegates who are officers of formal alumni associations
serve as long as they hold office in their association. Alumni delegates
who have been appointed to serve on the Alumni Council will serve
for a two-year term. Alumni delegates who have been appointed may
serve a maximum of three (3) consecutive two-year terms on the Alumni
Council. The terms of office for officers and council members commence
on July 1st.
Section 9
The president of HUC-JIR will confirm all appointments to the Alumni
Council.
Section 10
The following shall serve as members of the Alumni Council, ex-officio:
the president of HUC-JIR, the provost of HUC-JIR, the National Director
of Alumni Affairs and the past chair of the Alumni Council.
Article IV -- Duties of Alumni Delegates
Section 1
Delegates are responsible for reporting on the deliberations of
the Alumni Council to their collective alumni constituencies.
Section 2
Should a delegate be unable to complete his or her term on the
Alumni Council, a new delegate must be chosen within a period of
six months in accordance with the procedures outlined in Article
III.
Section 3
Should a delegate be unable to attend a given meeting of the Alumni
Council, the representative alumni association may elect to send
a duly appointed substitute.
Article V -- Officers
Section 1
The officers of the Alumni Council will consist of a chair and
a vice-chair who will serve for a two-year term. The vice-chair
will succeed to chair.
Section 2
The chair and vice-chair shall be occupied by representatives of
the various alumni constituencies in accordance with the following
rotation: Rabbinic School, School of Sacred Music, School of Graduate
Studies, Schools of Education, and School of Jewish
Communal Service. The first school will occupy the chair, the second
listed the vice-chair, and so forth. This rotation will continue
until the last alumni association occupies the chair, and then the
rotation will begin again.
The chair and vice-chair shall have at least one year of experience
on the Council immediately prior to assuming their position and
shall come from different schools.
The Alumni Council shall have the authority to make adjustments
to the rotation to ensure balanced representation.
Section 3
If a member of the Alumni Council vacates his/her alumni association
office, he/she will be replaced by the duly appointed successor.
Only alumni representatives cited in Article III may assume a seat
on the Alumni Council. If the chair or vice-chair vacates the Alumni
Council mid-term, the vice-chair will become chair and the rotation
shall continue as described in Section 2.
Article VI -- Duties of Officers
Section 1
The chair of the Alumni Council will perform the usual duties of
that office. The chair will convene meetings, set agendas, execute
the decisions of the Alumni Council, and represent the Alumni Council
whenever appropriate.
Section 2
The vice-chair will perform the duties of the chair in the event
that the chair is absent or unable to serve.
Article VII -- Meetings
The Alumni Council will convene at least semi-annually, whether
by meeting, by tele-conference, or video-conference.
Article VIII -- Archives and Records
At the end of each year, the National Director of Alumni Affairs
shall file with the head archivist of the American Jewish Archives
all minutes, records and correspondence of the Alumni Council.
Article IX -- Amendments
Any proposition to amend the foregoing By-Laws or any part thereof,
will be made in writing and submitted to the chair of the Alumni
Council and the National Director of Alumni Affairs thirty (30)
days prior to a meeting of the Alumni Council. A two-thirds vote
of the entire Alumni Council (all eleven members) is necessary to
pass such a proposition.
Notice of said amendment must be circulated to the members of the
Alumni Council fifteen (15) days prior to a meeting of the Alumni
Council.
Representatives
New York School of Education
Yonni Wattenmaker (N ’96, MARE)
Joanne Doades (N ’01, MARE)
Rabbinical School
Rabbi Leslie Gutterman (C ’70)
Rabbi Sally Priesand (C ’72)
Rabbi Michael Berk (C ’80)
Rabbi Deborah Zecher (N ’82)
Rhea Hirsch School of Education
Dr. Roberta Goodman (L ’81, MAJE)
Mindy Davids (L ’90, MAJE/MAJCS)
School of Graduate Studies
Dr. Wave Nunnally (C ’92, Ph.D.), Chair
Dr. W. David Nelson (C ’92, M.A./M.Phil.)
School of Jewish Communal Service
Karen Bernstein (L '85, MAJCS/MSW), Co-Chair
Larry Nathan (L '96, MAJCS/MSW), Co-Chair
School of Sacred Music
Cantor Rebecca Garfein (N ’93)
Cantor Dana Anesi (N ’80)
Ex Officio
Dr. Norman Cohen, Provost, HUC-JIR
Erica Frederick, Vice President of Development, HUC-JIR
Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser, Director, Joint Commission for Sustaining
Rabbinic Education
Joy Wasserman, National Director of Alumni Affairs, HUC-JIR
Gregg Alpert, National Director of Distance Education, HUC-JIR
