Zev Eleff
American rabbi and scholar in Jewish studies
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Zev Eleff is an American scholar in Jewish studies and American religion and a rabbi. He is the twelfth president of Gratz College.[1]
Biography
Eleff was born Philadelphia and raised in Baltimore.[2] He received M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University (2011)[3] and Ph.D. from Brandeis University (2015)[3][1] He is also a graduate of Yeshiva College (BA 2009) and Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (ordained in 2011).[3][1]
Eleff was elected president of Gratz College in 2021, succeeding Paul Finkelman.[2] Before that he was chief academic officer of Hebrew Theological College and vice provost of Touro College Illinois.[1]
Books
- 2009: Living from Convention to Convention: A History of the NCSY, 1954 – 1980
- 2016: Who Rules the Synagogue?: Religious Authority and the Formation of American Judaism
- 2016: Modern Orthodox Judaism: A Documentary History[4]
- 2018: A Century at the Center: Orthodox Judaism & The Jewish Center
- 2020: Authentically Orthodox: A Tradition-Bound Faith in American Life[5]
- 2023: Dyed in Crimson: Football, Faith, and Remaking Harvard's America
- 2025: The Greatest of All Time: A History of an American Obsession
Awards
- 2017: Wasserman Prize of the American Jewish Historical Society[1][3]
- 2014: Rockower Award for Excellence by the American Jewish Press Association[1][3]
Personal
As of 2026[update] Eleff lives in Merion Station, Pennsylvania . He and his wife, Melissa have four children.[1]