Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion has announced that Rabbi Laura Novak Winer, '95, Ed.D., MAJE '94 has been appointed Associate Rabbinical School Director as of July 1, 2025. She will be based on the Jack H. Skirball Campus in Los Angeles.

Novak Winer's appointment follows the rabbinical school transitions announced last August, said Provost Rabbi Andrea Weiss, Ph.D., in a message to the HUC-JIR community. "After sixteen years of distinguished service as Rabbinical Program Director in Los Angeles and five years as our inaugural national Rabbinical School Director, Rabbi Dvora Weisberg, Ph.D., will pass the baton to me on July 1 when I complete my tenure as Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Provost and become Hebrew Union College's next Rabbinical School Director and new Seminary Dean," Weiss wrote.

Rabbi Novak Winer currently serves as Director of the Master of Educational Leadership (MEdL) Program and will continue in this role through May 2026, along with her new position. An experienced Jewish educator with a specialization in clinical education and an academic focus on Israel education, Rabbi Novak Winer has been a valued member of the School of Education leadership team and Hebrew Union College faculty since 2016.

In recognition of her many gifts and accomplishments, last year Novak Winer was awarded the 2024 Distinguished Educator Award by the Association of Reform Jewish Educators (ARJE). In bringing her expertise in teaching, learning, and mentorship to the Associate Rabbinical School Director position, Rabbi Novak Winer will contribute to the ongoing adaptation and implementation of the new rabbinical school curriculum and oversee the development of additional paths for rabbinical and cantorial students to benefit from studying in the School of Education.

"As Hebrew Union College approaches its 150th anniversary, Rabbi Novak Winer and I have high expectations for what we will accomplish through a collaborative leadership model that seeks to realize a vision for a thriving rabbinical school with a growing cadre of students on our stateside campuses and our new virtual pathway," Weiss told the HUC-JIR community.

"As we build upon the achievements of our predecessors, we look forward to working with our inspiring students, exceptional faculty, dedicated staff, and generous supporters to fulfill the vital mission of Hebrew Union College to educate exceptional rabbis to serve Jewish communities around the globe."