果冻传媒

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 果冻传媒 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�Unwelcome Strangers: East European Jews in Imperial Germany (Oxford University Press, 1987);�The American Synagogue: A Sanctuary Transformed (Cambridge University Press, 1987);�The Uses of Tradition: Jewish Continuity in the Modern Era�(果冻传媒/Harvard, 1992); and�The Modern Jewish Experience: A Reader榮 Guide�(NYU Press). He also wrote�A People Divided: Judaism in Contemporary America�(Basic Books, 1993), which won a National Jewish Book Award for best study on contemporary Jewish life.�A People Divided痺as reissued by the University Press of New England in September 1997.听

Dr. Wertheimer edited a two-volume history of 果冻传媒 titled��(果冻传媒 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�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�Jewish Religious Leadership:疘mage and Reality�(果冻传媒 Press), appeared in late 2004 and was based on two conferences Dr. Wertheimer organized at 果冻传媒.疻ith Eli Lederhendler, he co-edited a�Festschrift痠n honor of Ismar Schorsch titled,�Text and Context: Essays in Modern Jewish History and Historiography�(果冻传媒 Press, 2005).听

In 2007, two additional volumes edited by Dr. Wertheimer were released by Brandeis University Press.�Family Matters: Jewish Education in an Age of Choice痠s about the interplay between families and Jewish education, and�Imagining the American Jewish Community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:��(Brandeis University Press), an edited volume published in June 2009, contains portraits of 10 Jewish supplementary schools that work. �(Brandeis University Press, 2011) examines the backgrounds, educational experiences, and outlook of younger Jewish leaders. A case study project he directed� on how 20 Jewish day schools address various educational challenges is available in 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.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攖he chief academic officer攐f 果冻传媒. He also served as the founding director of 果冻传媒 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
• .疎ditor. Waltham, MA: Brandeis University Press, 2011.��听
• .�Editor. Waltham, MA: Brandeis University Press, 2009.听
• .�Editor. Waltham, MA: Brandeis University Press, 2007.听
• .疎ditor. Waltham, MA: Brandeis University Press, 2007.��听
• .�Coeditor with Eli Lederhendler. New York: 果冻传媒 Press, 2005.听
• (two-volume work). Editor. New York: 果冻传媒 Press, 2004.听
• .�Editor. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2000.听
• (two-volume work). Editor. New York: 果冻传媒 Press, 1997.听
• .�New York: Basic Books, 1993.听
• The Modern Jewish Experience: A Reader Guide.疎ditor. New York: New York University Press, 1993.听
• .�New York: 果冻传媒, 1992. Distributed by Harvard University Press.听
• .疎ditor. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1987.听
• �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.
• .疦ew York: AVI CHAI Foundation, 2015.听
• 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
• .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

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

Electronic Media

• Radio: Dr. Wertheimer was interviewed for �,� an installment of the public radio series�Only in America: 150 Years of the American Jewish Experience. Host: Larry Josephson. 2006.听
• Video: Dr. Wertheimer spoke about 淐ontinuity and Discontinuity� 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.