Speaker Profile Rabbi Dr. Zev Eleff

Rabbi Dr. Zev Eleff is president of Gratz College. He was previously chief academic officer of Hebrew Theological College and vice provost of Touro College Illinois. A prolific scholar, he is the author or editor of nine books and more than fifty scholarly articles in the fields of Jewish Studies and American Religion. His most recent book is Authentically Orthodox: A Tradition-Bound Faith in American Life (Wayne State University Press, 2020). Zev's research in American Jewish history has received numerous awards, including the American Jewish Historical Society’s Wasserman Prize and the Rockower Award for Excellence by the American Jewish Press Association. He is also a two-time finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, a member of the Academic Council of the American Jewish Historical Society, and one of the youngest faculty members promoted to full professor in Touro College’s history. Dr. Eleff received his Ph.D. from Brandeis University and M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University. At Yeshiva University, Rabbi Eleff graduated from Yeshiva College and received ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He is a past Wexner Graduate Fellow/Davidson Scholar, a prestigious program for Jewish leaders and professionals. He resides in Merion Station, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Melissa, and their three children.