Meet the Deans and the Director of Admissions

Rabbi Daniel Nevins, Pearl Resnick Dean of The Rabbinical School

Rabbi Daniel Nevins is the dean of the Division of Religious Leadership at The Jewish Theological Seminary. He serves as the Pearl Resnick Dean of The Rabbinical School, and supervises the H. L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music and the Center for Pastoral Education at JTS. Rabbi Nevins teaches courses in professional skills and serves on the Chancellor's Academic Council. Before returning to JTS in 2007, he served for 13 years as the rabbi of Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Rabbi Nevins serves in leadership positions for the Conservative Movement. He is currently co-chair of the Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism and a member of the Executive Council of the Rabbinical Assembly, where he is on the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS), and the Joint Placement and Keruv commissions. Rabbi Nevins has written decisions of Jewish law in the fields of bioethics, disabilities, technology, and sexuality for the CJLS and has also published chapters in recent books such as Jewish Theology in our Time (Jewish Lights, 2010) and The Observant Life (Aviv Press, in publication).

Rabbi Nevins grew up in New Jersey, received his BA in History from Harvard College, and his MA and rabbinical ordination from JTS. He lives with his family in New York City.

Rabbi Lisa Gelber, Associate Dean and Rabbi of the Women's League Seminary Synagogue

Rabbi Lisa Gelber serves as associate dean of The Rabbinical School and rabbi of the Women's League Seminary Synagogue. A trained spiritual director, Rabbi Gelber aims to incorporate mindful, compassionate listening into her work and her everyday life.

After graduating from Amherst College, Rabbi Gelber earned a degree from the University of Judaism and an MA and rabbinic ordination from JTS. She went on to serve as rabbi at a large congregation in suburban Seattle, and a fledgling shul in suburban Chicago, in addition to working as a chaplain at a level-one trauma center in Seattle.

An editor of numerous works on domestic violence in the Jewish community, including A Journey Towards Freedom: A Haggadah for Women Who Have Experienced Domestic Violence (FaithTrust Institute, 2003), she also served as a consultant for And the Gates Opened: Women in the Rabbinate, a video produced in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the ordination of women rabbis at JTS.

Rabbi Gelber is a graduate of the Institute of Jewish Spirituality (IJS), an ardent supporter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training (TNT) program, and a marathon runner. She lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her daughter Zahara.

Rabbi David Levy, Director of Admissions

Rabbi David Levy is the director of admissions for The Rabbinical School and H. L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Jewish Music.

Prior to coming to JTS, Rabbi Levy worked for Colgate University, where he served as the university chaplain and director of Jewish life. In 2007, while at Colgate, Rabbi Levy was selected by Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus as a recipient of the Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Award. Rabbi Levy also served as the director of Jewish education for the Hillel at Syracuse University from 2004 to 2006.

Rabbi Levy is the author of A Guide for the New Jewish College Student, a resource published by Koach, the Conservative Movement's college outreach program. He has served on the board of the Syracuse Hebrew Day School and on the board of directors for Hillel.

In 1999, Rabbi Levy earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Columbia University, as well as a bachelor's degree in Talmud from the Albert A. List College of Jewish Studies of JTS. He was ordained in 2004 at JTS, where he also earned a master's degree in Midrash from The Graduate School. While a student at JTS, Rabbi Levy served as president of the Rabbinical School Student Organization, admissions intern for The Rabbinical School, and resident director in the Mathilde Schechter Residence Hall.

Rabbi Levy currently resides in Syracuse, New York, and looks forward to moving to the New York City area with his wife, Rabbi Rachel Ain (DD '99, DS/RS '04), and their sons, Jared and Zachary.