Football, Faith, Antisemitism and the American Dream

Zev Eleff, Ph.D., president of Gratz College and ordained Rabbi, will present “Dyed in Crimson – Football, Faith, Antisemitism, and the American Dream” at The University of Scranton’s Judaic Studies Institute Lecture on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 7:30 p.m. in the PNC Auditorium of the Loyola Science Center. The lecture is free of charge and open to the public.

Dr. Eleff was named the twelfth president of Gratz College in 2021, after his position as chief academic officer of Hebrew Theological College and vice provost of Touro College Illinois. A highly respected and distinguished academic scholar, Dr. Eleff has vast experience teaching, researching and authoring books on Jewish Studies and American Religion.

With nine books and more than 50 scholarly articles published, Dr. Eleff has earned various notable awards, such as the American Jewish Historical Society’s Wasserman Prize, and is a two-time finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. As one of the youngest presidents in higher education and one of the youngest professors in Touro College’s history, Dr. Eleff was a recipient of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago’s “36 Under 36” award.

Dr. Eleff graduated from Yeshiva College at Yeshiva University and received his ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He then completed a prestigious program for Jewish professionals and became a Wexner Graduate Fellow/Davidson Scholar. He earned a Master of Arts in History and Education from the Teachers College at Columbia University, and his Ph.D. in American Jewish History at Brandeis University.

The Weinberg Judaic Studies Institute was created in 1979 through an endowment funded by the local Jewish community. The Institute fosters a better understanding and appreciation of Judaism, Israel, and their histories. It supports visits to the University by Jewish scholars and writers and supports library acquisitions, publications, faculty research, travel and other scholarly endeavors. The work of the Institute was further enhanced by a $1 million gift from Harry Weinberg in 1990.

For further information, contact Marc Shapiro, Ph.D., professor of theology/religious studies and the Weinberg Chair of Judaic Studies at The University of Scranton, at 570-941-7956 or marc.shapiro@scranton.edu.