Arnold M. Eisen, one of the foremost authorities on American Judaism, is the seventh chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary. Since taking office in 2007, Chancellor Eisen has transformed the education of religious, pedagogical, professional, and lay leaders for North American Jewry, with a focus on graduating highly skilled, innovative leaders who bring Judaism alive in ways that speak powerfully to Jews at a time of rapid and far-reaching change.
Under the chancellor’s leadership, JTS undertook a major project to re-imagine its Morningside Heights campus. Opening this spring, the renewed campus is designed to foster innovation, learning and teaching, and a deep sense of community, while advancing JTS’s mission to be a center of inquiry, conversation, and inspiration for the Jewish community of North America.
Chancellor Eisen has emphasized strengthening Jewish learning in our communities, an initiative that includes increased digitization of JTS Library treasures, the opportunity to learn with JTS scholars through in-person and online courses, and a rich menu of commentaries, videos, and podcasts at JTS Torah Online. The chancellor’s initiatives also include the Block/Kolker Center for Spiritual Arts; the interfaith Center for Pastoral Education; the Hendel Center for Ethics and Justice; and the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue.
Before coming to JTS, Chancellor Eisen served on the faculties of Stanford, Tel Aviv, and Columbia universities. An award-winning writer and advocate for the Jewish community, the chancellor’s many publications include Rethinking Modern Judaism, and most recently, Conservative Judaism Today and Tomorrow, a collection of essays that explore essential matters of Jewish belief and practice from a Conservative perspective.
He contributes regularly to print and online media, and he discusses Jewish education, philosophy, and values on his blog, On My Mind: Arnie Eisen. He is a lifelong and devoted Conservative Jew.