Odessa Jewish University celebrated the graduation of its senior class last week, marking the program’s 10-year anniversary. The 17 new graduates received diplomas in finance, pre-law, graphics, education, and psychology – all prestigious degrees that will help their holders down the road. Along the way the graduates also continued to learn about Jewish tradition and culture, investing not only in intellectual knowledge but developing as individuals.

“We are very proud of our graduates. It is important to remember that higher education institutions are not only training students for professional excellence – they are taking an active part in shaping them as human beings, and we hope that our graduates will only continue their growth, their connection to Jewish heritage and will influence others,” said Chief Rabbi of Odessa Avraham Wolf at the graduation ceremony.

Odessa Jewish University opened ten years ago at the initiative of Rabbi Wolf and the help of generous donors and sponsors, many of them banks and local businesses that often also employ the program’s finalists after graduation.

There are currently about 110 students, while over the ten years of the university’s activity it saw over 180 graduates.

The University is an educational continuation of the city’s Or Avner kindergarten and school systems, providing a unique and valuable opportunity for those students who want to stay in a Jewish environment while studying for their bachelor’s degrees. This year almost all of the Odessa’s Or Avner high school graduates enrolled there. The university includes three high-standard faculties: economics, law, arts & humanities.