Simon Greenberg, (1901 – July 26, 1993) was a Russian born American
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
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 scholar. Greenberg was part of the senior management of many Jewish organizations in America. He helped to found a number of institutions, including the
American Jewish University
American Jewish University (AJU), formerly the separate institutions University of Judaism and Brandeis-Bardin Institute, is a Jewish institution in Los Angeles, California.
Its largest component is its Whizin Center for Continuing Education in ...
, of which he was the first President. At the time of his death he was vice chancellor emeritus of 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 ...
. Greenberg has been called "one of the most important leaders of the Conservative movement".
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. At the age of 4 he moved to the United States with his family.
In 1922 Greenberg graduated from
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...
having previously attended the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...
. He then began studying 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 ...
where he was ordained rabbi in 1925. Throughout his career, Greenberg was committed to both the academic and sacred spheres, often undertaking overlapping tasks. Thus 1925 marked Greenberg's ordination, his enrollment at the
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...
as part of its first class of students and his appointment as rabbi of the Har Zion Temple in Philadelphia, a position he would hold until 1946. His responsibilities in Philadelphia included acting as an advisor to Jewish students at the nearby
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
and
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
. In his final year in Philadelphia he helped to co-found the
Akiba Hebrew Academy
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy is a coeducational college-preparatory and religiously pluralistic Jewish day school for grades 6 through 12, located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
Founded in Center City, Philadelphia in 1946 as Akiba Hebrew Acad ...
.
In 1932, Greenberg was awarded his PhD from Dropsie College. He went on to join the faculty of the Jewish Theological Seminary the same year. In 1950 he became executive director of the
United Synagogue of America
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) is the major congregational organization of Conservative Judaism in North America, and the largest Conservative Jewish communal body in the world. USCJ closely works with the Rabbinical Assembly, ...
. The same year at the organization's biennial conference he was instrumental in persuading fellow attendees to call for the repeal of the
McCarran Internal Security Act
The Internal Security Act of 1950, (Public Law 81-831), also known as the Subversive Activities Control Act of 1950, the McCarran Act after its principal sponsor Sen. Pat McCarran (D-Nevada), or the Concentration Camp Law, is a United States fede ...
. Greenberg spoke against the Act, calling it a threat to civil liberties. Greenberg stepped down from his role as executive director in 1953.
In 1948, Greenberg was named acting president of Jewish Theological Seminary. In 1957 Greenberg became vice chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, a post he held until 1986. Thereafter he was vice chancellor emeritus. Shortly after becoming vice chancellor, in 1958, Greenberg co-founded the
University of Judaism
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
(now the
American Jewish University
American Jewish University (AJU), formerly the separate institutions University of Judaism and Brandeis-Bardin Institute, is a Jewish institution in Los Angeles, California.
Its largest component is its Whizin Center for Continuing Education in ...
) in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. He was the institute's first President, stepping down from the role in 1963, the year he became chairman of the executive committee of the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Organization of America. He stepped down from that role in 1968.
Personal life
Greenberg and his wife Betty were married for 67 years. They had two sons,
Moshe Greenberg Moshe Greenberg (Hebrew: משה גרינברג; July 10, 1928 – May 15, 2010) was an American rabbi, Bible scholar, and professor emeritus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
BiographyDaniel Greenberg. The couple had moved to Jerusalem from Manhattan approximately a year before Simon's death. His wife pre-deceased him by 4 months.
Legacy
Greenberg has been called "one of the most important leaders of the Conservative movement". Every year the Jewish Theological Seminary present the Rabbi Simon Greenberg Award "for outstanding devotion to ''klal Yisrael'' (the entire Jewish community) and to all humanity and for unswerving loyalty to JTS."
Selected publications
*"Living as a Jew Today" (Behrman, 1940),
*"Foundations of a Faith" (Burning Bush Press, 1967),
*"The Ethical in the Jewish and American Heritage" (Jewish Theological Seminary, 1977)
*"A Jewish Philosophy and Pattern of Life" (Jewish Theological Seminary, 1981).
He edited "The Ordination of Women as Rabbis," a collection of articles, in 1988.