Becca Sigal
‘18 (Jewish studies, minors in Jewish oral history and nonprofit studies)
Becca is the community research and grants management administrator at The Columbus Foundation, a large community foundation whose mission is strengthening and improving the Columbus community for the benefit of all its residents. She oversees the administration of the foundation’s nonprofit directory, the crowdfunding platform “Better Together,” capacity-building programming and the summer fellowship program, among other responsibilities.
She chose to major in Jewish studies because she has always loved learning about and experiencing Judaism. After a gap year program in Israel, she attended Ohio State. She said, “The Melton Center has one of the top Jewish studies programs in the country, and I felt so fortunate to be able to participate in such a prestigious program so close to home.”
She chose to major in Jewish studies with minors in Jewish oral history and nonprofit studies, which allowed her to focus on specific areas of interest that led her to begin her planned career in the Jewish nonprofit world. She also serves the Jewish community on several boards, “all of which I was more prepared for because of the classes I took through the Melton Center.”
Becca received several scholarships from the Melton Center and recently began a master’s degree program in Jewish professional studies at Gratz College.
Rabbi Adam Raskin
‘96 (Jewish studies)
Adam Raskin is senior rabbi of a vibrant, 700-family Conservative synagogue in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. He oversees clergy, educators and youth professionals, a five-day-a-week early childhood center, a supplemental religious school program and a palette of adult Jewish learning, family programming and religious services. He is also active in the larger Washington, D.C. Jewish community and as a representative and advocate for Jewish causes.
“When I tell people that I attended Ohio State as an undergraduate, some comment about the tremendous size of the university. But then I explained that the Jewish studies program was an amazing, nurturing community within the school, where I had meaningful relationships with professors and seminar-style classes that created a wonderful rapport with other students and scholars. As a result, I was able to refine my aspirations for further study and my career with people who knew me, and whom I considered mentors,” he said.
When Adam entered graduate school and seminary, he had a solid grounding in Jewish philosophy, ancient and modern Jewish history, Biblical and Rabbinic literature and Hebrew language. “This was indispensable to my success at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where I was honored to be a Wexner Graduate Fellow. I attribute so much of my preparation and inspiration for future study to my professors at Ohio State.”
