Dr. lsmar Schorsch          Avital Morris          Francine Klagsbrun

 

 

Dr. lsmar Schorsch | 2018 Vision in Leadership Award
Dr. Schorsch graduated from the Rabbinical School of the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1962, after earning a B.A. at Ursinus College in 1957. Following a two-year stint in the U.S. army as a chaplain, he returned to Columbia University, where he had received an M.A. in 1961, to earn a Doctorate in History in 1969. From 1968-1970, he taught full time at Columbia and returned to the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1970, as an assistant professor of Jewish history. From 1975-79, he served as the Founding Dean of the Seminary's Graduate School and from 1980-84, as its Provost. In 1986, the Seminary's Board elected him as the institution's sixth Chancellor, a post which he held for 20 years. In 2006, Dr. Schorsch returned to full time scholarship. He currently holds the titles Chancellor Emeritus and the Herman Abramowitz Distinguished Service Professor.

 

 

Avital Morris | Inaugural Alumni Impact Award
Avital Morris is a 2008 graduate of Schechter Manhattan. After high school, Avital studied at Ein Hanatziv for one year. She then attended the University of Chicago where she majored in History and Religious Studies. In addition to her studies, Avital was the Co-Founder of the Hyde Park Teen Beit Midrash at Rodfei Zedek, creating a new community for middle and high school students. This program aims to develop literacy in reading core Jewish texts, including Mishna, Midrash, and Talmud; to nurture a mature attitude to learning that builds on socialization and collaboration; and to motivate excitement about Judaism through the creative energy of Torah study. Avital is currently living in New York City.

 

 

Francine Klagsbrun | Special Guest Presenter
Francine Klagsbrun's newest book, "Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of lsrael,"was named the 2017 Book of the Year by the National Jewish Book Awards. She is the author of more than a dozen other books, and was the editor of the best-selling "Free To Be ... You and Me." She is a regular columnist for The Jewish Week and a contributing editor to Lilith magazine. Her writings have also appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Newsweek, and Ms. Magazine.