2025-2026 Ellenson Conferences

It is hard to overestimate the impact that Professor David Ellenson, Ph.D. z”l, Chancellor Emeritus of HUC-JIR, had on generations of Jewish scholars in the fields of Jewish thought, history, and religion. As a legendary and beloved mentor, David contributed to the careers of countless scholars, offering a unique mix of encouragement, constructive criticism, and professional advice.

As a scholar, Rabbi Ellenson employed his prodigious talents to explore the encounter between Jewish tradition and modernity in Europe, America, and Israel through a wide range of prisms. These included the study of modern Halakhah, liturgy, theology, denominationalism, feminism, Zionism, rabbis and rabbinical training, Jewish legal status, and more.

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is organizing two scholarly conferences that will not merely reflect on and celebrate the impact of David Ellenson’s career but also build on his extraordinary legacy.  Invited participants will explore modern Jewish thought, law, and liturgy in the spirit of innovation and collaboration that David so valued.

The conference will be co-chaired by Alyssa M. Gray (HUC-JIR), Michael Marmur (HUC-JIR), and David N. Myers (UCLA). More details will be forthcoming.

Conference Dates

• New York City: Monday, September 8 and Tuesday, September 9, 2025
• Jerusalem: July 2026

Contact Us

Please address any inquiries to the following email address: EllensonConference@huc.edu.

Institutional Partners