abouttournewsletterlecture topicslinkscontact

Curriculum Vitae

BIOGRAPHY:

  • Born in Brooklyn, New York, 25 September 1935
  • Died in Ein Karem, Jerusalem, 28 August 2015
  • Educated at Lafayette High School, Brooklyn, New York
  • Eagle Scout, Ner Tamid Award, Boy Scouts of America

HIGHER EDUCATION:

  • Amherst College, Amherst MA, Bachelor of Arts cum laude, 1956
  • Honors thesis: spinoza and judaism
  • Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, New York,
  • Bachelor of Hebrew Letters, 1958
  • The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, special student, 1958-59
  • Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, New York,
  • Master of Arts, 1962
  • Thesis: berdichevsky's cultural critique of judaism
  • Ordained Rabbi, June 1962
  • Awarded degree of Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa) by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Jerusalem, November 2007

PROFESSIONAL CAREER: 

  • Rabbi of Harford Jewish Center (Aberdeen, MD), 1959-61
  • Rabbi of Temple Sinai (Massapequa, NY), 1961-62
  • Chaplain (Captain) U.S. Air Force, Southeast Asia, 1962-64
  • Teacher of English and student of Japanese, Nagoya, Japan, 1964-65

IN ISRAEL:

  • Emigrated to Israel,  January 1966
  • Assistant to the publisher and contributor to the ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, 1966-72
  • Assistant to the Advertising Manager, THE JERUSALEM POST, 1972-73
  • Completed Guides' course, 1974; licensed Guide for Israel, from 1974
  • Occasional writer/reviewer/columnist for THE JERUSALEM POST
  • Columnist for ISRAEL SCENE magazine, Jerusalem, 1985-92
  • Columnist for BIBLE TIMES QUARTERLY, Jerusalem, 1987
  • Guide on weekly television program, HELLO JERUSALEM, Tempo (SPN)
  • Cable Network, from 1982 to 1986
  • Contributor to the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF JUDAISM, Jerusalem, 1988
  • Writer and Publisher of monthly Newsletter, FROM JERUSALEM, from 1988 to 2015.
  • Contributor and member of the Editorial Board, JEWISH BIBLE QUARTERLY, from 2001

AUTHOR: 

  • JERUSALEM, The Great Cities Library, New Haven, 1991
  • THE LAND OF ISRAEL, World Zionist Organization, Jerusalem, 1991 (in Russian) 

CREATOR OF FILMS AND VIDEO PROGRAMS:

1. As writer and presenter:

  • HELLO JERUSALEM, for Kastel Films, Jerusalem, 1982-1986
  • TOUR ISRAEL WITH WALTER ZANGER, Israel Foreign Ministry, 1985
  • Video Cassettes produced from HELLO JERUSALEM series:
JERUSALEM CARDO
SEA OF GALILEE SPECIAL
MASSADA

2. As part-writer and presenter:

  • TREASURES FROM THE HOLY LAND, accompanying an exhibition from the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Autumn 1986. Broadcast (PBS) 30 December 1986, and subsequently. Book-of-the-Month Video selection, 1987 

3. As writer:

  • CHRISTMAS IN BETHLEHEM, Biblical Productions, 1986
  • THE GREAT AND HOLY WEEK, Biblical Productions, 1988
  • MONA LISA OF THE GALILEE, Biblical Productions, 1988

4. As editorial advisor and commentator:

  • MYSTERIES OF THE BIBLE, A&E network, 1994 to present 

FILM AWARDS:

  • Special Prize, 3rd International Biennial of Tourist Films, Montecatani Terme, Italy,
  • October 1986, for THE SEA OF GALILEE SPECIAL 

SEMINAR INVITATIONS:

  • Aspen Institute, Wye Plantation, Maryland, May 1983
  • Shamrock Management Conference, Colorado Springs, July 1987
  • Amherst College alumni gathering, 2001 and again in 2011

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:

  • Central Conference of American Rabbis
  • International Jewish Media Association
  • Israel Tour Guides Association

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES:

  • Israel Police, Civil Guard, 1974 - 1987
  • Israel Police, Tourist Unit, 1987 - 2005

CIVIC AWARDS:

  • Ministry of Tourism Award: "Distinguished Tourism Employee", 1988

LECTURE TOURS:

  • In the United States & Canada in 1983, and from 1986 to 2014

אחסון אתרים