David G. Dalin (born 28 June 1949) is an American
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
and historian, and the author, co-author, or editor of twelve books on American Jewish history and politics, and Jewish-Christian relations.
Career
Dalin received a B.A. from the
University of California at Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant univ ...
, where he was elected to
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...
, an M.A. and Ph.D. from
Brandeis University
, mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = NECHE
, president = Ronald D. Liebowitz
, pro ...
, and a second M.A. and
rabbinic ordination
Semikhah ( he, סמיכה) is the traditional Jewish name for rabbinic ordination.
The original ''semikhah'' was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of ''semikhah'' ceased between 360 and 425 C ...
from the
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City, New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studie ...
. In 2015, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
He is currently a senior research fellow at the Bernard G. and Rhoda G. Center at Brandeis University. He has taught Jewish Studies at several universities, has been a visiting professor at the
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is a Conservative Jewish education organization in New York City, New York. It is one of the academic and spiritual centers of Conservative Judaism and a major center for academic scholarship in Jewish studie ...
and
George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
, and has been the Taube Research Fellow in American History at
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
. During the 2002–2003 academic year, Dalin was a visiting fellow at the
James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
. Since 2006, he has been a member of Princeton University's James Madison Society.
Dalin's numerous articles and book reviews have appeared in
American Jewish History
''American Jewish History'' is an academic journal and the official publication of the American Jewish Historical Society. The journal was established in 1892 and focuses on all aspects of the history of Jews in the United States. The journal was ...
,
Commentary
Commentary or commentaries may refer to:
Publications
* ''Commentary'' (magazine), a U.S. public affairs journal, founded in 1945 and formerly published by the American Jewish Committee
* Caesar's Commentaries (disambiguation), a number of works ...
,
First Things
''First Things'' (''FT'') is an ecumenical and conservative religious journal aimed at "advanc nga religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society". The magazine, which focuses on theology, liturgy, church history, religio ...
,
The Weekly Standard
''The Weekly Standard'' was an American neoconservative political magazine of news, analysis and commentary, published 48 times per year. Originally edited by founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, the ''Standard'' had been described as a "red ...
, and the
American Jewish Year Book
The ''American Jewish Year Book'' (AJYB) has been published since 1899. Publication was initiated by the Jewish Publication Society (JPS). In 1908, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) assumed responsibility for compilation and editing while JPS ...
. He has served as a member of the Editorial and Advisory Board of the journal ''
First Things
''First Things'' (''FT'') is an ecumenical and conservative religious journal aimed at "advanc nga religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society". The magazine, which focuses on theology, liturgy, church history, religio ...
'', of the editorial board of the journal ''
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generatio ...
'', and a member of the Academic Advisory Council of the
American Jewish Historical Society
The American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS) was founded in 1892 with the mission to foster awareness and appreciation of American Jewish history and to serve as a national scholarly resource for research through the collection, preservation and ...
.
Dalin's book ''Religion and State in the American Jewish Experience'' (co-authored with Professor Jonathan D. Sarna of Brandeis University), published by the University of Notre Dame Press in 1997, was selected by Choice Magazine as an Outstanding Academic Book of 1998.
Dalin's newest book, ''Jewish Justices of the Supreme Court, from Brandeis to Kagan: Their Lives and Legacies'', published by Brandeis University Press in 2017, is the first history of the eight Jewish men and women who have served or who currently serve as justices of the Supreme Court. This book was selected as a finalist for the 2017 National Jewish Book Award.
He has also published major articles about baseball's great Jewish superstars, Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax.
Dalin serves as a member of the academic advisory and editorial board of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and as a member of the board of directors of the Palm Beach County (Florida) Region of the American Jewish Committee.
Published works
Books
* ''From Marxism to Judaism: Selected Essays of
Will Herberg
William Herberg (June 30, 1901 – March 26, 1977) was an American writer, intellectual and scholar. A communist political activist during his early years, Herberg gained wider public recognition as a social philosopher and sociologist of relig ...
'' (1989) editor
* ''American Jews and the Separationist Faith: A New Debate on Religion in Public Life'' (1992) editor
* ''Making a Life, Building a Community: A History of the Jews of Hartford'' (1997)
* ''Religion and State in the American Jewish Experience'' (1997), with
Jonathan D. Sarna
Jonathan D. Sarna (born 10 January 1955) is the Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History in the department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and director othe Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University ...
* ''Secularism, Spirituality, and the Future of American Jewry'' (1999) editor with
Elliott Abrams
Elliott Abrams (born January 24, 1948) is an American politician and lawyer, who has served in foreign policy positions for presidents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump. Abrams is considered to be a neoconservative. He is currently ...
* ''The Presidents of the United States and the Jews'' (2000) with
Alfred J. Kolatch Alfred Jacob Kolatch (January 2, 1916 - February 7, 2007) was an American rabbi known for his more than 50 published books, notably ''The Jewish Book of Why'' and his books on Jewish names.
Education
Kolatch was a graduate of Yeshiva College an ...
* ''The Pius War : Responses to the Critics of Pius XII'' (2004) with
Joseph Bottum
* ''
The Myth of Hitler's Pope: How Pope Pius XII Rescued Jews from the Nazis'' (2005)
* ''
Icon of Evil: Hitler's Mufti and the Rise of Radical Islam'' (2008) with
John Rothmann
John Francis Rothmann (born 1949) is an American talk radio host on KGO in San Francisco.
Political and academic career
Rothmann has a B.A. in political science (1970) and M.A. in teaching (1971) from Whittier College. He has worked for many pol ...
* ''John Paul II and the Jewish People: A Jewish-Christian Dialogue'' (2008), editor wit
Matthew Levering
* ''Harold E. Stassen: The Life and Perennial Candidacy of the Progressive Republican'' (2013)
* ''Jewish Justices of the Supreme Court: From Brandeis to Kagan'' (2017)
Articles and book chapters
* "How Ruth Bader Ginsburg Became RBG," in The Jewish Daily Forward, March 30, 2018.
* "Gorsuch’s Confirmation Will Be Brutal, But at Least His Religion Won’t Matter," in The Jewish Daily Forward, February 2, 2017.
* "Jews, Judaism and the American Founding," in Daniel L. Dreisbach and Mark David Hall (edited) Faith and the Founders of the American Republic (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014).
* "Jews and the American Presidency," in Gaston Espinosa (edited) Religion, Race and the American Presidency (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2008).
* "John Paul II and the Jews," in David G. Dalin and Matthew Levering (edited) John Paul II and the Jewish People: A Jewish-Christian Dialogue (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2008).
* "Charges of Catholic Anti-Semitism Have Been Exaggerated," in Mary E. Williams (edited) The Catholic Church: Opposing Viewpoints (Detroit: Thomson and Gale, 2006)
* "Jewish Critics of Strict Separationism," in Alan Mittleman, Jonathan D. Sarna and Robert Licht (edited) Jews and the American Public Square: Debating Religion and Republic (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2002)
* "Presidents, Presidential Appointments and Jews," in L. Sandy Maisel and Ira N. Forman (edited) Jews in American Politics (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2001).
* "Pius XII and the Jews" (originally published in The Weekly Standard, Feb 26, 2001
* "America Seems Ready for a Jewish Vice President," Connecticut ''
Jewish Ledger
The ''Jewish Ledger'' is Connecticut's only weekly Jewish newspaper. The Hartford newspaper also has a monthly edition serving the Greater Hartford and western Massachusetts area.
It was founded in April 1929 by Samuel Neusner (who had come t ...
'', June 30, 2000.
* "Tzedakah With Dignity: Jewish Charity and Self-Help in Rabbinic Tradition," Conservative Judaism, Fall 1999.
* "The Jewish Theology of Abraham Joshua Heschel," Weekly Standard, January 4, 1999.
* "How High the Wall? American Jews and the Church-State Debate," in Kenneth L. Grasso and Cecilia Rodriguez Castillo (edited) Liberty Under Law: American Constitutionalism: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1997)
* Contributor to Symposium: "What Do American Jews Believe?" Commentary, August 1996.
* "Mayer Sulzberger and American Jewish Public Life," in Jeffrey S. Gurock and Marc Raphael Lee Raphael (edited) An Inventory of Promises: Essays on American Jewish History in Honor of Moses Rischin (Brooklyn, New York: Carlson Publishing Inc., 1995).
* "Will Herberg's Path From Marxism to Judaism," in Robert M. Seltzer and Norman J. Cohen (edited) The Americanization of the Jews (New York: New York University Press, 1995).
* "The Enduring Legacy of Will Herberg," Harvard Divinity School Bulletin, Fall 1994.
* "The American Element in the Thought of Will Herberg," American Jewish History, Spring-Summer 1994.
* "Will Herberg," in Steven T. Katz (edited) Interpreters of Judaism in the Late Twentieth Century (Washington, D.C.: B'nai B'rith Books, 1994).
* "Cyrus Adler," in Jack Fischel and Sanford Pinsker (edited) Jewish-American History and Culture: An Encyclopedia (New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1992)
* "Heidegger and Nazism: A Review Essay," Conservative Judaism, Summer 1991.
* Contributor to Symposium: "Judaism in American Public Life," First Things, March 1991.
* "Cyrus Adler and the Rescue of Jewish Refugee Scholars," American Jewish History, March 1989.
* "The Jewish Historiography of Hannah Arendt," Conservative Judaism, Fall 1988.
* "Will Herberg in Retrospect," Commentary, July 1988.
* "Cyrus Adler, Non-Zionism and the Zionist Movement: A Study in Contradictions," Association for Jewish Studies Review, Spring 1985.
* "Israel Abrahams: Leader of Liturgical Reform in England," Journal of Reform Judaism, Winter 1985.
Jews, Nazis, and Civil Liberties, American Jewish Yearbook, 1980* "Jewish and Non-Partisan Republicanism in San Francisco, 1911-1963," in Moses Rischin (edited) The Jews of the West: The Metropolitan Years (Waltham, Massachusetts: American Jewish Historical Society, 1979)
References
External links
*
Author's official websiteThe Jewish Ledger, Feb 11, 2009Excerpts: The Presidents of the United States and the Jews
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dalin, David G.
Living people
University of Hartford faculty
University of California, Berkeley alumni
Brandeis University alumni
Ave Maria University faculty
American Conservative rabbis
Jewish Theological Seminary of America alumni
Jewish Theological Seminary of America semikhah recipients
1949 births