Saul J. Berman (born April 30, 1939) is an American scholar and Modern Orthodox

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

. Berman was ordained at

Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a Private university, private Modern Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.

, from which he also received his B.A. and his M.H.L. He completed a degree in law, a J.D., at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

, and an M.A. in political science at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

, where he studied with

David Daube David Daube (8 February 1909, in Freiburg, Germany – 24 February 1999, in Berkeley, California) was the twentieth century's preeminent scholar of ancient law. He combined a familiarity with many legal systems, particularly Roman law and biblic ...

. He spent two years studying ''mishpat ivri'' in Israel at

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; ) is an Israeli public university, public research university based in Jerusalem. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann in July 1918, the public university officially opened on 1 April 1925. ...

and at

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 ...

Career

Berman was the rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel (Berkeley, California) from 1963 to 1969, of Young Israel of Brookline from 1969 to 1971. In 1971, following his departure from Young Israel of Brookline Berman was appointed Chairman of the Department of Judaic Studies of Stern College for Women of Yeshiva University. Under his leadership over the next thirteen years, it grew into the largest undergraduate Department of Jewish Studies in the United States. In 1984, he accepted the position as senior rabbi of Lincoln Square Synagogue in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, New York where he served until 1990.Our Staff
Edah website. Accessed August 19, 2009. During those years, he spearheaded an expansion of the adult education program, the creation of an extensive social action program based on

frum Frum (, ) is a word that describes Jewish religious devotion. The term connotes the observance of Halakha, Jewish religious law in a way that often exceeds its bare requirements. This not only includes the careful study of Torah, daily prayers, ...

commitments, the growth of the Synagogue's Women's Tefillah Group, and the creation of new outreach programs to the unaffiliated. In 1990, Berman returned to academic life, as associate professor of Jewish Studies at Stern College, and as an adjunct professor at Columbia University School of Law, where he teaches a seminar in Jewish Law. From 1995 to 1997, he served as Scholar in Residence at the JCC on the Palisades in New Jersey.

Edah

In 1997, Berman became Director of Edah, a new organization devoted to the invigoration of modern Orthodox ideology and religious life. Due to financial constraints, Edah was absorbed into the Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, at which Berman took on an administrative position. He now serves as an associate professor at

Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a Private university, private Modern Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.

YU ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF JEWISH STUDIES
YU website. Accessed January 22, 2014. and teaches at Columbia University Law School."An Orthodox Choice"
San Jose Mercury News (CA) - September 30, 2000

Works

Berman contributed to the

Encyclopedia Judaica The ''Encyclopaedia Judaica'' is a multi-volume English-language encyclopedia of the Jewish people, Judaism, and Israel. It covers diverse areas of the Jewish world and civilization, including Jewish history of all eras, culture, Jewish holida ...

and is the author of numerous articles which have been published in journals such as Tradition, Judaism, Journal of Jewish Studies, Dinei Yisrael, and many others.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berman, Saul, J. 1939 births Living people American Modern Orthodox rabbis Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni New York University School of Law alumni Orthodox rabbis from New York City Tel Aviv University alumni UC Berkeley College of Letters and Science alumni Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary semikhah recipients Yeshiva University alumni 21st-century American rabbis