Dr. Jeffrey Kress Appointed Dr. Bernard Heller Chair in Jewish Education at The Davidson School

Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) recently appointed Dr. Jeffrey Kress, associate professor of Jewish Education and academic director of the Experiential Learning Initiative at the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education, to the position of Dr. Bernard Heller Chair in Jewish Education. Dr. Kress’s work is focused on creating vibrant Jewish educational settings that inspire the next generation of Jewish leaders. Dr. Kress succeeds Dr. Carol Ingall, Dr. Bernard Heller Professor of Jewish Education Emerita.

“Jeff Kress has long been an outstanding and path-breaking scholar and a source of pride to all of us, his colleagues, at JTS. His recent work on “the meaning of ‘meaning'” has challenged existing approaches to the subject including mine. I am grateful to the Heller Foundation for funding the chair Jeff now assumes and congratulate Jeff as he assumes it.”  

The Dr. Bernard Heller Foundation was established in 1976 as an expression of Dr. Heller’s deep commitment to Jewish life and education. The generosity of the Dr. Bernard Heller Foundation has enabled JTS to establish the Dr. Bernard Heller Third Floor Reading Center, the Saul Lieberman Institute for Talmudic Research, and fellowships in the Gershon Kekst Graduate School, in addition to the named chair in Jewish Education.