Weaving together the strands of Judaism.
The following lists members of the Faculty for the past two Academic Years, or those who have an ongoing teaching commitment to the Academy for Jewish Religion.
Rabbi David Almog, Liturgy, Codes
PhD Candidate, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; Rabbi, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah; B.A., Columbia University/The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; Melton Lead Educators’ Program, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Campus Rabbi, Columbia/Barnard Hillel; Teaching Assistant, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Lecturer, Part-Time
Yifat Avner, Hebrew
Studied Sociology and Advertising at Haifa University; Certified Nurse Aid, Manchester Community College; Hebrew Instructor at University of Hartford; Hebrew Teacher at Congregation Kol-Haverim in Glastonbury, CT. Lecturer, Adjunct
Rabbi Elan Babchuck
Rabbi and MA, American Jewish University; BA, Economics, University of Massachusetts at Amherst; National Director of Innovation, Clal; Lecturer, Adjunct
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat
Rabbi, ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal; MFA, Bennington College; MA and BA, Williams College; Co-founder, Bayit: Building Jewish; Rabbi, Congregation Beth Israel; Lecturer, Adjunct
Nathaniel Berman, Mysticism
PhD, University College London; JD, Harvard Law School; BA, Yale College; Rahel Varnhagen Professor of International Affairs, Law, and Modern Culture, Brown University; Professor, Adjunct
Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein, Bible, Rabbinics
Rabbi, Yashrut Institute; MA Candidate, Talmudic Studies, Yeshiva University; BA, Psychology, Columbia University; BA, Talmud and Rabbinics, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; National Educator for Avodah. Lecturer, Adjunct
Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein, Liturgy
Rabbi, MA, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion; MA and BA, Clinical Psychology, Belgrano University; BA, Jewish Studies, University of Judaism; Lecturer, Adjunct
Ilana Davidov, Hebrew Language
Honorary Doctorate in Pedagogy, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; MA, Applied Linguistics, Columbia University; BA, Hebrew Language and Literature, Tel Aviv University; Teaching Certificate and Teaching License, Tel Aviv University. Associate Professor, Part-Time
Hillel Deutsch
JD, University of Pennsylvania Law School; BA, Yeshiva University; Assistant Attorney General, NY; Lecturer, Adjunct
Stanley Dorn, Musical Skills
BA, New York University, MM (Master’s of Music), Mannes College of Music. Guitar studies with Alexander Bellow, Roselyn Dlugin, Eliot Fisk. Theory studies with Robert Cuckson, L. Poundie Burstein, David Loeb, Carl Schachter. Member, The Americas Vocal Ensemble. Chair, Guitar Department, Mannes Preparatory Division. Faculty, Mannes Extension Division. Lecturer, Adjunct
Rabbi Ira Dounn
Rabbi, Academy for Jewish Religion; MA, Jewish Education, Hebrew College; BA, University of Chicago; Lecturer, Adjunct
Yakir Englander, Theology and Gender Studies
Ph.D, Jewish Philosophy, Hebrew University; M.A, Jewish Thought, Hebrew University; B.A., Psychology, Hebrew University; Visiting Scholar in Jewish Studies Department, Rutgers University, Author of several books and articles on the topics of Gender and Sexuality, and the Middle East Conflict. Assistant Professor, Adjunct
Rabbi Scott Glass, Homiletics
Rabbi, MA, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion; BA, Hebrew, Queens College; Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Beth-El, NY, Lecturer, Adjunct
Rabbi Matthew Goldstone, Talmud
See Administration & Staff biographies.
Rabbi Jill Hackell, MD Philosophy (Bio-Ethics)
Rabbi, The Academy for Jewish Religion; M.A. in Judaic Studies, Gratz College; M.D., Johns Hopkins University; B.S., Tufts University; Certification, American Board of Pediatrics. Assistant Professor, Adjunct
Rabbi Jill Hammer, Midrash
See Administration & Staff biographies.
Rabbi Jeffrey Hoffman, Liturgy, Rabbinics
DHL in Liturgy, Rabbi, MA, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; BA, The State University of New York at Albany; Author of Karov L’Chol Korav, For All Who Call: A Manual For Enhancing the Teaching of Prayer; Professor, Part-Time
Cantor Sandy Horowitz
Cantor, Academy for Jewish Religion; MA in Jewish Studies, Gratz College; BA, English Literature and Composition, Colgate University; Lecturer, Adjunct
Dr. Job Jindo, Bible
PhD, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; M.A., Harvard University; B.A., The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Berkowitz Fellow at NYU Law School. Associate Professor, Part-Time
Cantor Robin Joseph, Cantorial
Cantor, The Academy for Jewish Religion; BA, Dramatic Literature, Purchase College of the State University of New York. Cantor Joseph has been associated with Temple Beth Shalom in Hastings, New York, for more than thirty years. She is also a professional songwriter and writes, directs, and acts in original plays with her husband, Albi Gorn. Lecturer, Adjunct
Cantor Michael Kasper, Cantorial
See Administration & Staff biographies.
Rabbi Peg Kershenbaum, Hebrew
Rabbi, The Academy for Jewish Religion; Doctoral study in Classics, NYU and City University of New York; M.A. in Classics, Columbia University; B.A. in Greek and Classics, Brooklyn College. Outreach Fellow, Union for Reform Judaism. Formerly: Adjunct Lecturer, Brooklyn College Department of Classics; Continuing Education Instructor, City University of New York, Foreign Language Institute. Lecturer, Adjunct
Cantor Lisa Klinger-Kantor, Nusah
See Administration & Staff biographies.
Rabbi Leonard Levin, Philosophy, Personal Theology
Rabbi, PhD, Jewish Theological Seminary; PhD, Brandeis University; BA, University of Pennsylvania. Author of Seeing With Both Eyes: Ephraim Luntshitz and the Polish-Jewish Renaissanceand Why God Is Subject To Murphy’s Law; translator of Eliezer Schweid: The Classic Jewish Philosophers and Philosophy of the Bible and Isaac Heinemann: The Reasons for the Commandments; collaborated with Gordon Tucker on A.J. Heschel’s Heavenly Torah. Professor, Part-Time
Eliana Light, Prayer
M.A., Experiential Jewish Education, JTS; B.A., Sociology, Brandeis University; Founder & Head-T’fillahsopher, the Light Lab; Lecturer, Adjunct.
Rabbi David Evan Markus, Rabbinics, Theology & Spirituality
Rabbi, ALEPH Ordination Program; Spiritual Director, ALEPH Ordination Program; J.D., Harvard Law School; M.P.P., Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government; B.A., Williams College. Rabbi of Temple Beth El of City Island (New York, NY), 2015-present. Senior Builder, Bayit: Building Jewish. Faculty in Spiritual Direction, ALEPH Ordination Program. Rabbi Markus served as co-chair of the ALEPH Board, as instructor at universities in New York. Rabbi Markus presides as judicial referee in New York Supreme Court, Ninth Judicial District, as North America’s only pulpit rabbi also to maintain a full-time oath of office. Senior Lecturer, Adjunct
Fran Mendelowitz, Professional Skills
DSW. Candidate, NYU; MSW, Columbia University; M.A., JTS; Lecturer, Adjunct.
Eric Miller, History
PhD candidate, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; MPhil., The Jewish Theological Seminary; B.A., Queens College; Adjunct Professor, SUNY-Stony Brook. Lecturer, Adjunct
Rabbi Leana Moritt, Professional Skills
Rabbi, Academy for Jewish Religion & Aleph Ordination Program; BA, New York University, Gallatin; Rabbi, Temple Beth-El, Jersey City, former Adjunct Lecturer, Aleph Ordination Program; Rabbinic Fellow, CLAL Rabbis Without Borders; Lecturer, Adjunct.
Rabbi Bronwen Mullin
Rabbi, M.A. The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; Music Composition Fellow, Drisha Institute for Jewish Education; B.A., Sarah Lawrence College. Rabbi, Congregation B’nai Jacob, Jersey City, NJ. Served as rabbinic artist-in-residence at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America and at Art Kibbutz, NY. Several credits as a playwright, artist, and composer. Lecturer, Adjunct
Michal Nachmany, Hebrew
MA, Urban Planning, Teaching Certificate, Hebrew University; BA, Educational Psychology and Geography, Hebrew University; Lecturer, Adjunct
Rabbi Beth Naditch, Chaplaincy
Rabbi, MA, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; BA, Brandeis University; Lecturer, Adjunct
Rabbi Debra Orenstein
Rabbinic Ordination, M.A., The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; B.H.L., The University of Judaism; A.B., Princeton University. Certificate in Positive Psychology, Whole Being Institute; Certification in Interpersonal Communication and Parenting, Pepperdine Center on the Family; Mediation Training, Pepperdine Law School – Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution; Synagogue Administration Course Certification, Hebrew Union College. Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Israel, Emerson, NJ. Publications include Lifecycles 1: Jewish Women on Life Passages and Personal Milestones; Lifecycles 2: Jewish Women on Biblical Themes in Contemporary Life; Lifecycles 3: Jewish Women on Holy Days and Communal Celebrations. Lecturer, Adjunct
Rabbi David Paskin
Rabbi, Academy for Jewish Religion; BA, Brandeis University; Director of Youth Education at Temple Sinai, FL; Lecturer, Adjunct
Ayal Prouser
M.A., Film and Media Studies, Columbia University; B.A., Clark University. Awards including, Go! Emerging Artists Commissioning Program; Jason Michael Simpkins Endowment for Screen Studies.” Presenter at several conferences including Popular Culture & American Culture Association Conference, Circus and Its Others 2 (Prague); American Men’s Studies Association. Publication: “Under the Bi(g) Top: An Investigation of the ‘Bisexual Vantage’ in Circus Cinema,” in Circus Space: The Big Top on the Big Screen. Lecturer, Adjunct
Dr. Ora Horn Prouser, Bible
See Administration & Staff biographies.
Rabbi Lisa Sacks, Liturgy
Rabbi, MA, Academy for Jewish Religion; MPA, Columbia University; Director of Community Engagement & Lifelong Learning, Bet Torah, NY. Lecturer, Adjunct
Rabbi Robert Scheinberg, Bible, Liturgy
See Administration & Staff biographies.
Rabbi Julie Schwartz, Professional Skills
Rabbi & MAHL, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion; Blended Track Faculty and Associate Dean, Cincinnati Campus, ACPE Certified Educator; Lecturer, Adjunct.
Rabbi Jeffrey T. Segelman, Professional Skills
Rabbi, M.A., The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; B.H.L, Boston Hebrew College; B.A., Boston University, Rabbi of the Westchester Jewish Center, Mamaroneck, NY. Lecturer, Part-Time
Jennifer Shaw, History
PhD candidate, Department of Women’s Studies and Feminist Research, University of Western Ontario; M.A., Department of History, University of Alberta; B.A., Department of Women’s Studies, University of Western Ontario. Instructor at AJR since fall, 2018; Instructor at The University of Western Ontario; Research Assistant, Centre for Education and Research Innovation, Shulich School of Medicine. Awarded numerous research grants and scholarships. Author of several articles as well as a book based on her PhD thesis. Lecturer, Adjunct
Rabbi David Schuck
Rabbi, M.A., The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; B.A., Rutgers University. Senior Rabbi, Beth El Synagogue Center, New Rochelle, NY. Member of the Medical Professionals Spiritual Group Steering Committee of the Pastoral Care Department of The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Lecturer, Adjunct
Dr. Samuel Torjman Thomas, Music
BA in Woodwind performance and Jazz Composition, Berklee College of Music. PhD in Ethnomusicology, City University of NY. A multi-instrumentalist (saxophone, clarinet, flute, nay, oud, frame drums, and piano) and educator for many years in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary school settings focusing on jazz, Arab and Jewish musical traditions, and improvisation and composition. Lecturer, Adjunct
Susan Werk, Professional Studies
MA in Jewish Education, Jewish Theological Seminary; Held leadership roles in the Jewish Education Association’s Principals Forum, the Conservative movement’s Jewish Educational Assembly, and the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education; Educational Director, Congregation Agudath Israel. Lecturer, Adjunct
Cantor Sol Zim, Nusah
Cantorial study at The Jewish Theological Seminary; M.A., New York University; B.A., Brooklyn College; Cantor, Hollis Hills Jewish Center (since 1964, life tenure); master-cantor, master coach, educator, concert performer, international recording artist of twenty cassettes and cd’s featuring all original music; Zimray Ent., Publisher, eleven books of original music used by rabbis, cantors and educators, The Cantors Assembly has endorsed Cantor Zim’s Musical Siddur: Shabbat as the standard synagogue music of Conservative congregations throughout America. Professor, Full-time
