Sherry Israel

Sherry is the chair of the NHC and makes sure the Board meetings are productive and fun. She is a member of the Newton Center Minyan in Newton, MA. Her first Institute was in 1983, where she studied Midrash with Nehemiah Pollen and got hooked because it was so special. Another high point for Sherry was the course she taught, “The Song of the Sea.” Institute is special for her because of the community that is formed- multigenerational and multi-faceted in almost every Jewish way. She also treasures the special friendships that have developed over the years. Sherry retired in 2007 from teaching at the Hornstein Program at Brandeis, where she still does some research and consulting on creating a welcoming and meaningful Jewish community.  She loves to cook and bake, sing (she is in a local non-audition Jewish community chorus), study Jewish texts, travel, spend time with friends and family, and keep learning new things about the world and herself. Counting the Omer and Sukkot are tied for her favorite Jewish practices/holidays.