JTS Receives Generous Gift to Establish the Robert S. Rifkind Professorship of Jewish History
Robert S. Rifkind, longtime trustee and supporter of JTS, endows gift to support a new tenured member of the JTS faculty
December 12, 2024 (New York, New York) — The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is pleased to announce a gift of $2.5 million from JTS trustee Robert S. Rifkind of New York. This significant contribution will establish the Rifkind Professorship of Jewish History, strengthening JTS’s academic programs and commitment to excellence in the field of American Jewish history.
Throughout its history, JTS has been home to some of the leading Jewish Studies scholars, playing a key role in educating the future leaders who will shape tomorrow’s North American Jewish community. This endowed professorship will be held by a newly appointed tenured or tenure-track JTS faculty member specializing in American Jewish history. JTS will seek a scholar with a passion for teaching a broad array of courses in Modern Judaism and American Jewish history to JTS’s diverse student body.
Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz, a groundbreaking scholar of American Jewish history herself, acknowledged the impact of Rifkind’s gift. “I am deeply moved by Bob’s enduring support and know what a difference it will make,” said Chancellor Schwartz. “The Rifkind Professorship will ensure that JTS students from across our academic programs will graduate with an appreciation for the complexity and richness of the American Jewish experience, enabling them to locate their own lives within its rich tapestry and to approach contemporary challenges with perspective and clarity.”
In establishing the new professorship, Mr. Rifkind observed: “The large, energetic, and prosperous Jewish population of America will inevitably continue to have a profound influence on the future of Judaism and Jewish civilization in the years ahead. To bear that responsibility it needs to understand itself, its strengths and shortcomings, its challenges and opportunities. It is the indispensable role of JTS to help explore, shape, and articulate that understanding.”
Rabbi Joel Seltzer, Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement, expressed gratitude for Rifkind’s longstanding relationship with the institution. “Bob’s generous contribution will significantly enhance our academic programs and further our commitment to excellence in the field of American Jewish history. We are so thankful.” said Rabbi Seltzer.
The search for the inaugural holder of the Robert S. Rifkind Professorship of Jewish History is currently underway. JTS looks forward to welcoming a distinguished scholar who will contribute to the institution’s rich academic legacy.
Read more about this gift in Jewish News Syndicate.
Read Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz’s piece in EJewish Philanthropy about the Rifkind Professorship: Investing in the Future with One Eye on the Past.
