Jehuda Reinharz
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Jehuda Reinharz (; born August 1, 1944) served as President of
Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...
from 1994–2010. He was the Richard Koret Professor of Modern
Jewish History Jewish history is the history of the Jews, their Jewish peoplehood, nation, Judaism, religion, and Jewish culture, culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Jews originated from the Israelites and H ...
and Director of the Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry at Brandeis. He is the president and CEO of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation. On September 25, 2009, Reinharz announced his retirement as President of Brandeis,Brandeis president to step down
/ref> but at the request of the Board of Trustees, he stayed on until a replacement could be hired. On January 1, 2011, Reinharz became president and CEO of the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Foundation.


Biography

Jehuda Reinharz was born in
Haifa Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...
in the British Mandate of Palestine, now the
State of Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
. For three years (1958-1961), he attended high school in Essen,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, and moved with his family to the United States as a teenager in 1961. He completed his high school education in Newark, New Jersey. Reinharz earned concurrent bachelor's degrees: a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
(B.S) from
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
and a
Bachelor of Religious Education The Bachelor of Religious Education (BRE) is an undergraduate degree. It offers a broad education in the areas of scripture and Christian theology. This degree is primarily offered by institutions of a Christian worldview, though not exclusiv ...
(B.R.E) from the
Jewish Theological Seminary of America The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City, New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism as well as a hub for academic scholarship in Jewish studies ...
. He earned his master's degree in
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
Jewish history from
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
in 1968 and his Ph.D. in modern Jewish history from
Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...
in 1972. His wife,
Shulamit Reinharz Shulamit Reinharz (born 1946) was the Jacob Potofsky Professor of Sociology at Brandeis University until 2017. During her tenure at Brandeis, she was director of the women's studies program from 1991 to 2001 and launched ''The Scholars Progra ...
, was the Jacob Potofsky Professor of
Sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...
at Brandeis University and founded and directed the
Hadassah-Brandeis Institute Brandeis University () is a private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a non-sectarian, coeducational university, Brandeis was established on the site ...
and the Women's Studies Research Center. She retired from her professorship and directorship of the Institutes in 2017. They live in Brookline, Massachusetts. They have two adult daughters, Yael and Naomi.


Academic career

In 1972, Reinharz became the first professor of Jewish history at the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
in
Ann Arbor Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...
, where he created the interdisciplinary program that formed the basis for the University's Frankel Center for Judaic Studies. He became a full professor at the University of Michigan in 1980. In 1982, he became the Richard Koret Professor of Modern Jewish History in the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University. Two years later, he was named Director of the Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry at Brandeis, and eight years later he founded the Jacob and Libby Goodman Institute for the Study of
Zionism Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...
and Israel. From 1991 to 1994, Professor Reinharz served as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. Reinharz was announced as the University's 7th president on March 2, 1994, succeeding Samuel O. Thier. During Reinharz's 17-year tenure, the university underwent major physical changes including the construction of the Village Residence Hall, Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex, Carl and Ruth Shapiro Campus Center, Carl Shapiro Science Center, Carl Shapiro Admissions Center, Mandel Center for the Humanities, Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education, and many other major capital improvements. He raised $1.2 billion during his presidency and quadrupled the endowment, from $194 million to $772 million. Reinharz announced his resignation as President of Brandeis University at midnight on September 25, 2009, after serving the Brandeis community for seventeen years. He stayed on as President until a successor was selected and ready to assume office. On January 1, 2011, Reinharz was officially replaced by
Frederick M. Lawrence Frederick M. Lawrence (born 1955) is an American lawyer, civil rights scholar and 10th Secretary and CEO of Phi Beta Kappa society, the nation's first academic honor society, founded in 1776. Lawrence is a Distinguished Lecturer at the Georgetown ...
, and on that date, he became president of the Mandel Foundation. Upon stepping down, he made a $5 million personal gift to Brandeis for scholarships and fellowships.


Awards and recognition

Reinharz is twice the recipient of the President of Israel Prize, awarded by the Israeli Parliament (
Knesset The Knesset ( , ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Israel. The Knesset passes all laws, elects the President of Israel, president and Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister, approves the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet, and supe ...
) in 1990 and 2024, in recognition of his scholarly publications. He was elected Fellow of the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...
in 1995 and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in 1999. He twice received the National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship to enable him to pursue his research. He also received a Guggenheim Research Fellowship. In 1998, Reinharz was appointed by President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
to serve on the Presidential Advisory Commission on
Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
Assets in the United States. Reinharz is the recipient of honorary doctorates from
Hebrew Union College Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and remained in regular use as a first language until ...
, the Jewish Theological Seminary,
Fairfield University Fairfield University is a private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942. In 2023, the university had about 5,000 full-time undergraduate students and 1,200 gra ...
, Ben Gurion University,
Weizmann Institute of Science The Weizmann Institute of Science ( ''Machon Weizmann LeMada'') is a Public university, public research university in Rehovot, Israel, established in 1934, fourteen years before the State of Israel was founded. Unlike other List of Israeli uni ...
,
Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...
,
Hebrew College Hebrew College is a private college of Jewish studies in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. Founded in 1921, the college conducts Jewish scholarship in a pluralistic, trans-denominational academic environment. Its president is Rabbi Sharon Cohen ...
,
Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) is a Public university, public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Located in northwest Tel Aviv, the university is the center of teaching and ...
and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In 2017, Reinharz was elected chairman of the International Board of the Weizmann Institute in Israel and served until 2020. In 2024 he was elected as life member of the international Board. He also serves on many other Boards in the United States and Israel.


Other awards

* 1985 Present Tense/Joel H. Cavior Literary Award * 1985 Kenneth B. Smilen Literary Award * 1986 National Jewish Book Award * 1988 Shazar Prize in History (Israel). * 1990 First recipient of the President of Israel Prize awarded by the Knesset (Israeli parliament). * 1992 Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (England). * 1993 Fellow of the American Academy for Jewish Research. * 1995 Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. * 1996
National Jewish Book Award The Jewish Book Council (Hebrew: ), founded in 1943, is an American organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature. The goal of the council, as stated on its website, is "to promote the reading, writing and publishing of qual ...
in the Biography category for ''Chaim Weizmann, The Making of a Zionist Leader'' * 1998 Spirit of Liberty Award presented by People for the American Way. * 1999 Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. * 2021 Yad Ben Zvi Award for the third volume of the Weizmann biography, “Founding Father”, co-authored with Professor Motti Golani. * 2024 Leo Baeck Institute Medal.


Published works

Reinharz is the author, co-author and editor of more than one hundred articles and 34 books in various languages. His ''The Jew in the Modern World'', edited with Paul Mendes-Flohr, appeared in two expanded editions and is one of the most widely adopted college texts in modern Jewish history. His two-volume biography of
Chaim Weizmann Chaim Azriel Weizmann ( ; 27 November 1874 – 9 November 1952) was a Russian-born Israeli statesman, biochemist, and Zionist leader who served as president of the World Zionist Organization, Zionist Organization and later as the first pre ...
, the first
President of Israel The president of the State of Israel (, or ) is the head of state of Israel. The president is mostly, though not entirely, ceremonial; actual executive power is vested in the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet led by the Prime Minister of Israel, pr ...
, has won many prizes in Israel and the United States. The third and final volume of the biography was written with Professor Motti Golani and appeared in Hebrew in 2021. ''Zionism and the Creation of a New Society'', co-authored with the late Professor Ben Halpern, was published in 1998. ''Glorious, Accursed Europe'', co-authored with Yaacov Shavit, was published in 2010. A full-length biography, ''Chaim Weizmann: A Biography'', written with Motti Golani, appeared (in English) in 2024. ''The Blessed River'', also co-authored with Yaacov Shavit, was published in 2024. His latest books are published in
Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
, English, and German. In October 2005 he co-edited with Shulamit Reinharz and Motti Golani the letters and documents relating to the life and times of
Manya Shochat Manya Shochat (; also Mania, Wilbuszewicz/Wilbushewitz; later Shochat; 1880–1961) was a History of the Jews in Russia, Russian-Jewish politician who was a leading figure in the Zionism, Zionist movement. She was influential in the establishment ...
, a remarkable pioneer of the
Second Aliyah The Second Aliyah () was an aliyah (Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel) that took place between 1904 and 1914, during which approximately 35,000 Jews, mostly from Russia, with some from Yemen, immigrated into Ottoman Palestine. The Sec ...
. His book ''Israel in the Middle East'', co-edited with Itamar Rabinovich, was published in 2008 (second edition); three books, ''Darwin and Some of His Kind'' (2009), ''The Scientific God'' (2011) and ''Window Unto the World'' (2017), were co-authored with Professor Yaacov Shavit. Reinharz co-wrote with Yaacov Shavit a book on the history of the donkey in literature, ''The Donkey: A Cultural History,'' which was published in 2014 in Hebrew. In 2013 Reinharz co-authored ''The Road to September 1939'' with Yaacov Shavit (an English expanded version in 2018), as well as ''Die Sprache der Judenfeindschaft im 21. Jahrhundert'', co-authored with Professor Monika Schwarz-Friesel (2013). An English translation appeared in January 2017 and is titled ''Inside the Antisemitic Mind''. Together with Professors Aharon Barak and Yedidia Stern, he edited (in Hebrew and English) a volume on Israel as a Jewish and Democratic State, called ''A Jewish State: 75 Perspectives'' (2023).


References


External links


Brandeis University Bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reinharz, Jehuda 1944 births Living people Educators from Haifa Presidents of Brandeis University Brandeis University alumni Brandeis University faculty Columbia University School of General Studies alumni Harvard University alumni University of Michigan faculty Israeli historians Jewish historians Israeli emigrants to the United States