Aryeh Davidson

BIOGRAPHY

BA, Columbia University; BHL, The Jewish Theological Seminary; MA and PhD, Columbia University

Aryeh Davidson is assistant professor emeritus of Jewish Education at The Jewish Theological Seminary. Dr. Davidson, a member of the JTS faculty since 1983, is the founder and former dean of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education, established in 1996. Dr. Davidson has extensive practical experience in both Jewish and general education, as a classroom teacher and administrator, in both formal and informal educational settings.

Dr. Davidson’s research interests include teacher preparation, leadership development, and program evaluation. For the past several years he has focused on a series of empirical studies that explore the identity development of Jewish professionals. His publications include The Test Resource Guide (1981), Seminary Rabbinical Students: Who Attended and Why (1997), and Making a Difference: Jewish Identity and Education (1995).   

Prior to beginning a career in Jewish education, Dr. Davidson served on the faculty of Teachers College, Columbia University, where he directed the teacher-training program for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. Working closely with the New York City public schools, he played a key role in designing professional development programs in the areas of multiculturalism and special education in the 1970s. In 1980, he was appointed director of clinical staff development for the New York City Board of Education. The recipient of numerous grants and fellowships, Dr. Davidson was a Jerusalem Fellow in 1987–88. He has been a visiting faculty member at Teachers College, Columbia University; Auburn Theological Seminary; the City University of New York; and Stanford University. Dr. Davidson served as principal of the Rebecca and Israel Ivry Prozdor High School and is the founder of Tikvah, a program for adolescents with learning disabilities at a camp in northern Wisconsin. Dr. Davidson is a graduate of the Joint Program between JTS and Columbia University. He earned his master’s degree and doctorate from Columbia University in Special Education and Developmental Psychology.

PUBLICATIONS

• The Test Resource Guide (1981)
• Seminary Rabbinical Students: Who Attended and Why (1997)
• Making a Difference: Jewish Identity and Education (1995)