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About
Ismar Schorsch (born November 3, 1935) is an American historian, rabbi, and academic leader best known as Chancellor Emeritus of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in New York and the Rabbi Herman Abramovitz Distinguished Service Professor of Jewish History. He served as Chancellor of JTS until his retirement in 2006, during which he advanced the academic study of Judaism in the tradition of 'Wissenschaft des Judentums,' the 19th-century German scholarly movement. Schorsch is an honorary member of the World Jewish Congress and has authored books such as Canon Without Closure, with ongoing work on a biography of Leopold Zunz. He graduated from Ursinus College in 1957, received rabbinic ordination from JTS in 1962, and earned master's degrees from both JTS and Columbia University, followed by a PhD in Jewish History from Columbia in 1969. His career exemplifies rigorous academic inquiry into Jewish history, blending rabbinic leadership with university teaching. Post-retirement, he continues as a distinguished professor at JTS.