Carrying Forward Rabbi Ellenson’s Legacy in Israel

Hebrew Union College’s second iteration of A Conference in Memory of David Ellenson: Assessing His Impact, Advancing His Legacy, brought scholars, students, and members of the College community to Jerusalem in July 2026. Building on the themes explored during the first conference in New York in 2025, this program reflected on Rabbi Ellenson’s enduring impact on Jewish thought, Israel-Diaspora relations, scholarship, and Jewish leadership. 

The Jerusalem conference brought together distinguished scholars and thought leaders to reflect on Rabbi Ellenson’s extraordinary career while advancing the questions that animated his life’s work. Co-chaired by Professors Alyssa M. Gray, J.D., Ph.D.; Rabbi Michael Marmur ’92, Ph.D.; and David N. Myers, Ph.D., the program featured sessions on Jewish law, modern Jewish thought, Israel and Zionism, and Rabbi Ellenson’s multidisciplinary legacy, culminating in a public panel on Israel-Diaspora relations. Hosted in partnership with the Shalom Hartman Institute, Bar-Ilan University, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Leo Baeck Institute, and The Schechter Institutes, the conference embodied Rabbi Ellenson’s commitment to rigorous scholarship, open dialogue, and collaborative engagement with the most pressing issues facing the Jewish people today. 

Please enjoy these photos and a recording from the Jerusalem gathering as we continue to celebrate Rabbi Ellenson’s remarkable legacy.

Jewish Law

In the opening sessions, leading scholars – conference co-chair Professor Alyssa Gray, Ph.D., Hebrew Union College; Professor Rabbi David Golinkin, The Schechter Institutes; Professor Ronit Irshai, Bar-Ilan University; Professor Rabbi Alona Lisitsa, Ph.D., Hebrew Union College; and Professor Zvi Zohar, Bar-Ilan University – gathered to explore David Ellenson’s enduring contributions to the study of halakhah, examining how Jewish law has responded to the challenges of modernity while remaining rooted in tradition. Pictured below are Professors Golinkin, Irshai, and Zohar. 

Responses on The Challenges of Sovereignty 

This session examined David Ellenson’s enduring reflections on Israel, Zionism, and Jewish sovereignty, highlighting the themes explored in the newly published essay collection The Challenges of Sovereignty and their continued relevance today. Co-chaired by Professor Rabbi Talia Avnon-Benveniste ’08, the discussion featured Iddo Haklai, Ph.D., Brandeis University; Professor Yehudah Mirsky, Ph.D., Brandeis University; Professor David N. Myers, Ph.D., UCLA; and Rabbi Naamah Kelman ’92, Ph.D. 

Modern Jewish Thought 

In this, speakers explored David Ellenson’s far-reaching contributions to modern Jewish thought, reflecting on his scholarship and its lasting influence on contemporary discussions of Jewish history, philosophy, and identity. Pictured below are conference co-chair Professor David N. Myers, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles and Professor Menachem Lorberbaum, Tel Aviv University. The panel also included Professor Julie Cooper, Ph.D., Tel Aviv University; Professor Maoz Kahana, Ph.D., Tel Aviv University; and Professor Melila Hellner-Eshed, Ph.D., Shalom Hartman Institute. 

The Legacy of David Ellenson: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach

David Ellenson’s enduring legacy as a scholar, educator, leader, and mentor, and the lasting impact of both his academic contributions and his personal relationships was explored in this panel. Speakers included conference co-chair Professor Rabbi Michael Marmur ’92, Ph.D., pictured speaking below, as well as Professor Shmuel Feiner, Bar-Ilan University; Professor Michal Muszkat-Barkan, Ph.D.; and Rabbi Rafi Ellenson, Congregation Shir Hadash. 

Panel on Israel-Diaspora Relations

Led with an opening speech by Rabbi Jackie Ellenson ’83, the closing panel of the conference drew a large audience both in-person and virtually. The panel featured Dean Nachman Shai, Ph.D.; Ruth Calderon, Ph.D. Former Member of Knesset; Rabbi Donniel Hartman, Ph.D. of the Shalom Hartman Institute; and Joshua Leifer, Reporter and Researcher. Together, they explored the urgent challenges and future possibilities shaping Israel-Diaspora relations in the spirit of David Ellenson’s legacy.