Bernie is the President and Director of Harvard Hillel. His life-work is devoted to fostering interaction between diverse kinds of Jews; between different generations; and between the academy and the community at large. His educational career focuses on making the classical sources of Judaism accessible and relevant, on leadership education, and on the exploration of Jewish identity in Israel. He received his B.A. in literature from Wesleyan University, an M.A. in contemporary Jewish thought from Brandeis University, and a Ph.D. in Jewish philosophy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His doctorate explores the relationship between the philosophy of Maimonides and modern Jewish thought.

Bernie lived in Jerusalem for thirteen years during which time he directed the Wesleyan University Israel Program, was a founding member and served for many years on the faculty of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, taught at the Hebrew University, and was a founding Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute.

At Harvard, he has served on many faculty committees including: the FAS Committee on Public Service; the Seminar for the Study of Values in Public Life; and the Leadership Roundtable of the Kennedy School of Government, where he also collaborated in the development and teaching of courses in leadership education. He has been a speaker at the distinguished Paul Tillich Lecture Series, Chaplain of the Day at Harvard Commencement, and served on the executive committee and as Chairman of University Programs of Harvard-Radcliffe United Ministries.

Within the Jewish community, he has served on the faculty of the Wexner Heritage Foundation since 1986, as Education Director for the Nesyia Institute, founded the Department of Judaica at the JCC of Cleveland, taught for the Curriculum Initiative of the Samuel Bronfman Foundation and for the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston. He has lectured on a wide-range of Jewish topics throughout the United States, Israel, and the former Soviet Union. One of the leading Jewish educators and teachers of Judaism in this country, he received the Benjamin J. Shevach Award for Distinguished Leadership in Jewish Education, the most prestigious award conferred by the Boston Hebrew College.

He and his wife Roz have two children, Adena and Avi ’02.