Celebrating Leadership and Scholarship

For thirty-five years, Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz has been an integral part of 91. Serving as faculty member, dean, provost, and now Chancellor, she has brought intellectual rigor, academic distinction, and visionary leadership to every role she has held. Students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the wider community—Jewish and non-Jewish alike—have all been enriched by her teaching, scholarship, and thoughtful engagement with the world around her. Through her teaching, writing, and presence, Chancellor Schwartz has inspired and influenced countless individuals, leaving a lasting impact.

Below is a collection of her thought leadership during her tenure as Chancellor.

Thought Leadership

Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz at commencement

Inauguration Address of Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz, May 17, 2022

Throughout her tenure, Chancellor Schwartz shared numerous communications and reflections on 91, the Jewish community, and the broader world.

Year in Review: Adapting and Thriving
June 17, 2021

Thoughts on Ukraine
February 25, 2022

Finding Our Next Jewish Leaders
June 27, 2023

Chancellor Schwartz Shares Her Thoughts on the Passing of Rabbi David Ellenson (z”l)
December 8, 2023

Chancellor Schwartz Responds to Protests on Columbia University’s Campus 
April 22, 2024

Antisemitism, Resilience, and Leadership: A Video Message from Chancellor Schwartz
May 2, 2024

Chancellor Schwartz Shares Her Thoughts on the Passing of Robert S. Rifkind (z”l), Beloved Board Member
March 13, 2025

In the Media

Through articles and opinion pieces, Chancellor Schwartz offers her insights to the broader community and is often called upon for expert comment.

EJewish Philanthropy—July 21, 2021

EJewish Philanthropy—December 7, 2021


JTA—April 12, 2022


Times of Israel—April 14, 2022

Hadassah Magazine—September 2022

EJewish Philanthropy—November 4, 2022

JTA—November 14, 2022


JTA—January 14, 2024 


JTA—October 8, 2024 


EJewish Philanthropy—December 12, 2024 


Times of Israel—September 17, 2025 


Times of Israel—March 4, 2025


Lilith—June 9, 2025 

Publications

“Solomon Schechter in America—and of America,” , ed. Martin S. Cohen (Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies: Jerusalem 2025), 381-97.

“An Old/New Zionism for an Old/New People,” , no.6, April 2023, 22-24, 58.

With Mary C. Boys, “Reorienting ‘Settled Identities’: A Course on Jewish-Christian Relations,” Studies in Jewish-Christian Relations 17:1 (2022), 1-17.

“Choosing Nuance: Inauguration Address, Jewish Theological Seminary, May 17, 2022,“  67, No. 1, Winter 2022-2023, 9-16.

With Mary C. Boys,” Passover and Easter,” in 2020, ed. Walter Homolka, Rainer Kampling, Amy-Jill Levine, Christopher Markschies, Peter Schäfer, and Martin Thurman.

Holiday Messages

Hanukkah Message
December 2020

Believing We Can Do Better 
Aug 31, 2021 (High Holidays)

Claiming the Story of Pesah as Our Own
April 3, 2023 (Passover)

The Torah’s Stories—and Our Own
September 12, 2023 (High Holidays)

A Hanukkah Message
December 11, 2023 (Hanukkah)

How We Are All the Four Children 
April 17, 2024 (Passover)

Psalm 27, the Yamim Nora’im, and October 7 
September 20, 2024 (High Holidays)

Asking the Question, “What is Hanukkah?” 
December 23, 2024 (Hanukkah)

Passover 5785: While Much Remains the Same, We Don’t 
April 7, 2025 (Passover)

No Shade for Jonah: Engaging the Other in Challenging Times
September 17, 2025 (High Holidays)

Asserting Our Jewishness  
December 15, 2025 (Hanukkah)

On Israel

War in Israel
October 9, 2023

A Difficult and Painful Week
October 16, 2023

Shabbat Message from the Chancellor
October 20, 2023

Marking Sheloshim
November 7, 2023

Reflections on the March for Israel
November 15, 2023


November 14, 2024

An Emotionally Stirring and Memorable Visit to Israel 
February 28, 2024 

Commemorating October 7
October 7, 2024

Approaching the Anniversary of October 7 
October 1, 2025 

Chancellor Schwartz Reflects on the World Zionist Congress 
November 5, 2025 

In the Community

Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz Receives “Award for Achievement in Elevating Higher Education”
October 16, 2025

Neighborhood Interreligious Open House in the Sukkah
October 21, 2025

Chancellor Schwartz: Engaged Globally and Honored Locally
May 20, 2025

Chancellor Schwartz’s Summer Visit in New England
July 15, 2025

Commencement Addresses

2021 91 Commencement
2023 Commencement
2025 Commencement
2022 Commencement
2024 Commencement

Convening Panels

Fostering Dialogue and Unity for Dignity and Democratic Preservation
Upholding Human Dignity in Turbulent Times: An Interreligous Convening (November 2025)
Religious Roots of Antisemitism
Antisemitism and Allyship: Assessing the Present, Imagining the Future (April 2024)
The Roots of North American Zionism
Zionism: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond
(November 2024)
The Impact of Antisemitism on American Jews Antisemitism and Allyship: Assessing the Present, Imagining the Future (April 2024)

Chancellor Schwartz’s Time as Faculty Member, Dean, and Provost

Dr. Schwartz, who earned her PhD at 91, became one of the first women on its faculty and was instrumental in the addition of Jewish gender studies to the curriculum. As a scholar of American Jewish history, she brought to light the previously overlooked contributions of women to the development of American Judaism and expanded our understanding of modern American Jewish society and culture. During her career, she has taught courses exploring Jewish identity, the Jewish family, the depiction of Jews in American popular culture, and Jewish gender studies. Her award-winning book, , is a penetrating examination of the role of rabbis’ wives in the development of American Jewish life. She is also the author of The Emergence of Jewish Scholarship in America: The Publication of the Jewish Encyclopedia and numerous articles on modern Jewish life, including pioneering research into the founding of the Ramah Camping Movement.