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Author: David Ellenson

Rabbi David Ellenson has served as president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion since 2001. Rabbi Ellenson was ordained at HUC-JIR in 1977. He received his PhD in the sociology of religion from Columbia University in 1981. He has published several books including Between Tradition and Culture: The Dialectics of Jewish Religion and Identity in the Modern World.
How Modernity Changed Judaism – Interview with Rabbi David Ellenson

How Modernity Changed Judaism – Interview with Rabbi David Ellenson

September 15, 2008 | David Ellenson
The advent of modernity led to radical political and legal changes for Jewry, particularly in the West. Coercive belonging to a community was replaced by voluntary adherence to what might best be called a congregation. The political and legal changes also led to many religious, cultural, financial, and social developments.
The Future of Reform Jewry

The Future of Reform Jewry

June 15, 2007 | David Ellenson
In a general social context marked by intermarriage and cultural homogeneity among Jews, the Reform movement in the United States is growing rapidly, with almost nine hundred congregations having over 1.5 million members. In 2006, about fifty thousand new members joined Reform congregations. When American Jews under the age of forty affiliate, a large plurality join the Reform movement.