Scholar in Residence

Dr. Barry W. Holtz is Dean of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish education and the Theodore and Florence Baumritter Professor of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. 

A native of Boston and graduate of Tufts University, Professor Holtz received his Ph.D. from Brandeis University. As author and editor, Professor Holtz’s books include: Back to the Sources: Reading the Classic Jewish Texts (Simon and Schuster, 1984), a guide to reading, understanding and appreciating the great Jewish books.  A Book-of-the-Month Club selection, Back to the Sources is widely used as a textbook for university and adult education courses.  He is the author of Finding Our Way: Jewish Texts and the Lives We Lead Today which was published in 1990 and was reissued in a new edition by Jewish Publication Society this past spring. His first book, Your Word is Fire: The Hasidic Masters on Contemplative Prayer (co-authored with Professor Arthur Green), a collection of Hasidic teachings and advice about the nature and practice of prayer, was reissued in a revised edition published by Jewish Lights Press.  His latest book, Textual Knowledge: Teaching the Bible in Theory and in Practice, was published by The Jewish Theological Seminary Press and won the National Jewish Book Award for education in 2004.

• Reading the Jewish Classic texts
• Midrash and Bible
• Stories from The Talmud
• Jewish Education and Pedagogy