Edited by: Fern Sidman

In a landmark initiative blending academic excellence with a profound commitment to Jewish identity, American Friends of Bar-Ilan University announced on Tuesday, the creation of a new annual lecture series that seeks to leverage the power of Jewish Studies to strengthen and sustain Judaism in Israel and across the globe. The Adam Cherrick & Bernard Cherrick Memorial Lecture Series is being launched with an initial endowment of over $100,000 from Jordan B. and Lorraine S. Cherrick, together with their daughter Rachel M. Cherrick.

The first lecture in the series, entitled “More than Words: Living Out Biblical Justice,” will be delivered by Prof. Eliyahu Assis on June 5th and will be available free to the public both on campus and online through Bar-Ilan University’s website and social media platforms.

According to the university and its supporters, the goal of the lecture series is to promote a rich, intellectually rigorous, and spiritually inspiring exploration of Jewish Studies. Each year, the Dean of the Faculty of Jewish Studies will appoint a prominent scholar to deliver a lecture covering one or more facets of the Jewish intellectual tradition — from biblical Hebrew and Jewish law, to mysticism, art, culture, archaeology, feminism, and more.

“We deeply appreciate not only the Cherricks’ generosity but also their vision in creating a lecture series that simultaneously enriches the academic community and strengthens Jewish life,” said Jessica Feldan, CEO of American Friends of Bar-Ilan University. “Crucially, the Cherrick family has recognized that Bar-Ilan — a Jewish university with Jewish values — is the ideal home for actualizing that vision. Students at Bar-Ilan, the only major research university in Israel with a Jewish Studies requirement, graduate with a deeper understanding of what it means to be Jewish and to have a Jewish state. This lecture series promises to take the university’s impact on Israeli and global Jewish identity to even greater heights.”

The new lecture series honors the memory of Adam Cherrick z”l, late son of Jordan and Lorraine Cherrick, and Bernard Cherrick z”l, Jordan’s cousin and religious mentor who served as Vice President of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. A distinguished figure in Jewish education and a rabbinic leader in London before moving to Israel in 1947, Bernard Cherrick’s name carries profound meaning in the spheres of Israeli academia and Jewish thought.

“We are gratified that the Adam Cherrick & Bernard Cherrick Memorial Lecture Series will transmit the highest level of a broad range of Jewish educational topics and consequently, serve to bolster Jewish identity and continuity,” said Jordan Cherrick. “Our family chose Bar-Ilan University to host the annual lecture due to the university’s acclaimed Jewish Studies program, which truly stands out among its peers at other higher education institutions across Israel. Bar-Ilan advances the vibrancy of Judaism in the context of the religious and ethical model established by Rabbi Soloveitchik himself, rooted in his belief that Torah and secular studies are both essential for leading a genuine religious Jewish life in modern times.”

Cherrick is a graduate of Yeshiva University (summa cum laude) and Boston University School of Law, and was deeply influenced by the teachings of Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik z”l, the modern Orthodox luminary whose commitment to blending traditional Torah learning with secular scholarship inspired generations.

Lorraine Cherrick, a Yale alumna and attorney who serves as executive president, general counsel, and secretary of CSI Leasing, Inc., and Rachel Cherrick, a graduate of Barnard College with a Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis, are also integrally involved in the project, underscoring a multigenerational commitment to Jewish continuity and education.

The inaugural lecture will be delivered by Prof. Eliyahu Assis, a highly respected Bible scholar and former Dean of Bar-Ilan’s Faculty of Jewish Studies. His distinguished career includes service as the chair of the Bible Studies Committee at Israel’s Ministry of Education and significant contributions to biblical narrative analysis.

Oversight for the annual series will be led by Prof. Michael Avioz, current Dean of the Faculty of Jewish Studies and a full professor in the Department of Bible. Prof. Avioz specializes in biblical historiography and prophetic literature and is a noted authority on early Jewish interpretation, especially the writings of Josephus.

The university expects the series to become a cornerstone of its public educational outreach, with the potential to reach thousands of students, academics, and laypeople across Israel and the Jewish diaspora.

As Jewish communities worldwide face challenges to tradition, education, and identity, the Adam Cherrick & Bernard Cherrick Memorial Lecture Series at Bar-Ilan stands as a powerful testament to the enduring role of Jewish scholarship in shaping the future of Jewish life. Through thoughtful dialogue and rich academic engagement, this initiative promises to inspire, inform, and elevate generations to come.