Marjorie Lehman is associate professor of Talmud and Rabbinics at The Jewish Theological Seminary.

Dr. Lehman's scholarly interests are focused on the Ein Yaakov, an early sixteenth-century collection of Talmudic Aggadah. Although this collection became enormously popular in the years following the passing of its original anthologizer, Jacob Ibn Habib, it has been overlooked by scholars interested in the history of Aggadah and aggadic exegesis. By writing about and teaching classes on the Ein Yaakov, Dr. Lehman intends to increase scholarly interest in this collection. She is presently writing a book entitled, The Ein Yaakov: Reinventing the Study of Talmudic Aggadah. A portion of this work has appeared in Prooftexts (1999) under the title, "The Ein Yaakov: A Collection of Aggadah in Transition."

Dr. Lehman has also done research on the study of women and festival observance in the Babylonian and Palestinian Talmudim. She is approaching the rabbinic material from the perspective of gender and ritual theory. A preliminary article appeared in Studies in Jewish Civilization 14: Women and Judaism (Creighton University Press, 2003) and is titled "Women and Passover Observance: Reconsidering Gender in the Study of Rabbinic Texts." A second article, "The Gendered Rhetoric of the Sukkah," appeared in Jewish Quarterly Review (Summer 2006). An examination of the use of gender theory as a pedagogical tool in the classroom, titled "Rediscovering ‘Women' in the Talmudic Corpus: The Impact of Gender Studies on the Teaching of Talmudic Literature," appeared in the Journal of Jewish Education (2006). In addition, an expanded look at the sukkah through the lens of gender and space, titled "Reimagining Home, Rethinking Sukkah: Rabbinic Discourse and its Contemporary Implications," will appear in Jews at Home: The Domestication of Identity, ed. Simon J. Bronner (Oxford: Littman, 2009).

In 2006, Dr. Lehman was invited by Professor Tal Ilan of the Freie Universität in Berlin to participate in the scholarly production of a feminist commentary to the Talmud. She will be working on Tractate Yoma. This is a groundbreaking endeavor because it is the first time that scholars in the field of Talmudic literature have gathered together to apply an array of feminist approaches to the texts of the Talmud. It is also the first time since WWII that significant scholarship in the field of Talmud is being spearheaded and funded by a German academic institution. Professor Judith Hauptman of the Talmud department at JTS is also contributing to this scholarly endeavor.

A dynamic, stimulating, and passionate teacher, Dr. Lehman is also known at JTS for being continuously self-reflective about her pedagogy. Her article "For the Love of Talmud: Reflections on the Study of Bava Metzia, Perek 2" appeared in the Journal of Jewish Education (2002). She has also published in the area of Talmud and Jewish education. Her article "Reenacting Ancient Pedagogy in the Classroom" was published in the March 2008 issue of Spotlight on Theological Education. Most recently, she coauthored an article titled, "Making a Case for Rabbinic Pedagogy," in The International Handbook of Jewish Education, eds. Lisa Grant and Alex Pomson (New York: Springer, forthcoming). She has also collaborated with members of JTS's Jewish-education faculty, including a project with Dr. Jeffrey Kress, assistant professor of Jewish Education, on cognitive developmental theories as a lens for analyzing Talmudic sugyot in order to enhance scholarly understanding of the role of dialogue in the sugyot of the Babylonian Talmud. Their first article on this subject, titled "The Babylonian Talmud in Cognitive Perspective: Reflections on the Nature of the Bavli and its Pedagogical Implications," appeared in the Journal of Jewish Education (2003).

Dr. Lehman's love of teaching is not limited to the classroom. She has lectured widely to adults and children in various settings, including The Jewish Museum, the Jewish Educators Assembly, the 92nd Street Y, United Synagogue of America, the Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI), KOLLOT, Camp Ramah, and various synagogues throughout metropolitan New York. Dr. Lehman serves as the co-chair of the board of the Association of Jewish Studies Women's Caucus. Prior to her position at JTS, Dr. Lehman was assistant professor of Talmud and the director of Rabbinic Civilization at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia.

Dr. Lehman received a bachelor of arts degree from Wellesley College (magna cum laude) and a master of arts, master of philosophy, and doctorate in Religion from Columbia University.