91抖阴

Biography

BA and MA, Queens College, CUNY; PhD, Columbia University听

Dr. Jack Wertheimer served as the Joseph and Martha Mendelson Professor of American Jewish History at 91抖阴 until January 2025. His area of specialization is modern Jewish history, with a focus on trends in the religious, educational, and organizational sectors of American Jewish life since World War II.听

Dr. Wertheimer is the author or editor of eighteen volumes, including鈥�Unwelcome Strangers: East European Jews in Imperial Germany (Oxford University Press, 1987);鈥�The American Synagogue: A Sanctuary Transformed (Cambridge University Press, 1987);鈥�The Uses of Tradition: Jewish Continuity in the Modern Era鈥�(91抖阴/Harvard, 1992); and鈥�The Modern Jewish Experience: A Reader鈥榮 Guide鈥�(NYU Press). He also wrote鈥�A People Divided: Judaism in Contemporary America鈥�(Basic Books, 1993), which won a National Jewish Book Award for best study on contemporary Jewish life.鈥�A People Divided鈥痺as reissued by the University Press of New England in September 1997.听

Dr. Wertheimer edited a two-volume history of 91抖阴 titled鈥�鈥�(91抖阴 Press, 1997). This richly illustrated history contains freshly commissioned essays by 40 scholars from the United States, Canada, and Israel. Dr. Wertheimer also coordinated a major sociological study of Conservative synagogues, under a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts. A volume of essays on the project, titled鈥�Jews in the Center: Conservative Synagogues and Their Members, was published in the summer of 2000 (Rutgers University Press). A two-volume edited collection of essays, titled鈥�Jewish Religious Leadership:鈥疘mage and Reality鈥�(91抖阴 Press), appeared in late 2004 and was based on two conferences Dr. Wertheimer organized at 91抖阴.鈥疻ith Eli Lederhendler, he co-edited a鈥�Festschrift鈥痠n honor of Ismar Schorsch titled,鈥�Text and Context: Essays in Modern Jewish History and Historiography鈥�(91抖阴 Press, 2005).听

In 2007, two additional volumes edited by Dr. Wertheimer were released by Brandeis University Press.鈥�Family Matters: Jewish Education in an Age of Choice鈥痠s about the interplay between families and Jewish education, and鈥�Imagining the American Jewish Community鈥痗onsists of essays on the ways in which Jews have conceived of Jewish communal life in the United States.听

Dr. Wertheimer also has written a number of studies about the rapidly evolving field of Jewish education:鈥�鈥�(Brandeis University Press), an edited volume published in June 2009, contains portraits of 10 Jewish supplementary schools that work. 鈥�(Brandeis University Press, 2011) examines the backgrounds, educational experiences, and outlook of younger Jewish leaders. A case study project he directed鈥� on how 20 Jewish day schools address various educational challenges is available in 鈥疢arch 2015. And with Alex Pomson, he co-authored two studies of how Israel and Hebrew are taught in Jewish day schools. (Hearts and Minds: Israel in North American Jewish Day Schools.鈥疉VI CHAI Foundation, 2014 and Hebrew for What? Hebrew at the Heart of Jewish Day Schools. AVI CHAI Foundation, 2017.) In 2022, he co-authored a book with Alex Pomson titled, Inside Jewish Day Schools: Leadership, Learning and Community (Brandeis University Press).听

His report Giving Jewish: How Big Givers Have Transformed American Jewish Philanthropy appeared in March 2018. And in August of that year, his book was published by Princeton University Press. It was awarded a National Jewish Book Award for the best book in American Jewish Studies.听

His most recent book, Jewish Giving: Philanthropy and the Shaping of American Jewish Life, was published by NYU Press in July 2025.听

From 1997 to 2007, Dr. Wertheimer served as provost鈥攖he chief academic officer鈥攐f 91抖阴. He also served as the founding director of 91抖阴鈥檚 Joseph and Miriam Ratner Center for the Study of Conservative Judaism from 1987 to 2008.听

Books

• . NYU Press, 2025.听
• , co-authored with Alex Pomson, Brandeis University Press, 2022.听
• , Princeton University Press, 2018.听
• .鈥疎ditor. Waltham, MA: Brandeis University Press, 2011.鈥�鈥�听
• .鈥�Editor. Waltham, MA: Brandeis University Press, 2009.听
• .鈥�Editor. Waltham, MA: Brandeis University Press, 2007.听
• .鈥疎ditor. Waltham, MA: Brandeis University Press, 2007.鈥�鈥�听
• .鈥�Coeditor with Eli Lederhendler. New York: 91抖阴 Press, 2005.听
• (two-volume work). Editor. New York: 91抖阴 Press, 2004.听
• .鈥�Editor. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2000.听
• (two-volume work). Editor. New York: 91抖阴 Press, 1997.听
• .鈥�New York: Basic Books, 1993.听
• The Modern Jewish Experience: A Reader鈥檚 Guide.鈥疎ditor. New York: New York University Press, 1993.听
• .鈥�New York: 91抖阴, 1992. Distributed by Harvard University Press.听
• .鈥疎ditor. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1987.听
• 鈥�New York: Oxford University Press, 1987.听

Research Reports

• Jewish Funders Network, May 2020.听
• . The Avi Chai Foundation, March 2018.听
• . With Alex Pomson. New York: AVI CHAI Foundation, March 2017.
• .鈥疦ew York: AVI CHAI Foundation, 2015.听
• 鈥疻ith Alex Pomson and Hagit Hacohen-Wolf. New York: AVI CHAI Foundation, 2014.听
• Project Director.听
• . New York: AVI CHAI Founation, September 2010.听
• .鈥疦ew York: AVI CHAI Foundation, March 2009.听
• . AVI CHAI Foundation, August 2008.听
• . AVI CHAI Foundation, March 2007.听
• . AVI CHAI Foundation, December 2005.听

Articles

• 鈥�鈥� With Samuel J. Abrams, Tablet, June 24, 2022.听
• 鈥�鈥� Tablet, January 11, 2022.听
• 鈥�鈥� With Alex Pomson, Commentary, January 2021.听
• 鈥�鈥� Mosaic, March 1, 2021.听
• 鈥�,鈥� Mosaic, October, 2021.听
• 鈥�鈥� Wall Street Journal, September 6, 2018.听
• With Steven M. Cohen. Mosaic symposium. November 2014.听
• 鈥淎s School Resumes, How to Talk to Children About the Gaza War.鈥� JTA / Jewish Telegraphic Agency, August 18, 2014.听
• 鈥�鈥� Lead essay of a symposium in鈥�Mosaic, August 3, 2014.听
• 鈥�.鈥浓赌�Commentary, July 1, 2014.听
• 鈥�.鈥浓赌�Jewish Action, June 16, 2014.听
• 鈥�鈥� Lead essay of a symposium in鈥�Mosaic, September 3, 2013.听
• 鈥淭he Outreach Revolution.鈥浓赌�Commentary, April 1, 2013.听
• 鈥淔irst New York鈥檚 Jews, Then America鈥檚?鈥濃��Commentary, September 1, 2012.听
• 鈥淭he Ten Commandments of America鈥檚 Jews.鈥浓赌�Commentary, June 1, 2012.听
• 鈥�.鈥浓赌�Commentary,鈥疢arch 1, 2010.听
• 鈥�.鈥� A three-part exchange of letters with Joey Kurtzman.鈥�Jewcy, June 2007.听
• 鈥�.鈥� With Steven M. Cohen. Commentary 121, no. 6 (June 2006), 33鈥�37.听
• 鈥�.鈥浓赌�Commentary 120, no. 3 (October 2005), 39鈥�44.听

Electronic Media

• Radio: Dr. Wertheimer was interviewed for 鈥�,鈥� an installment of the public radio series鈥�Only in America: 150 Years of the American Jewish Experience. Host: Larry Josephson. 2006.听
• Video: Dr. Wertheimer spoke about 鈥淐ontinuity and Discontinuity鈥� at the opening plenary session of the annual conference of the Jewish Funders Network; he also spoke at the closing plenary session.听

Research

Dr. Wertheimer is currently completing a book on the history and current state of American Jewish philanthropy.