Anne Lapidus Lerner

Dr. Anne Lapidus Lerner is director and founder of the Jewish Women's Studies Program, director of the Jewish Feminist Research Group, and assistant professor of Jewish Literature at The Jewish Theological Seminary. Dr. Lerner teaches courses in Hebrew and American Jewish poetry, modern Jewish literature, and the portrayal of women in Jewish literature, and leads a seminar on the Jewish life-cycle for rabbinical students.

A member of the JTS faculty since 1969, Dr. Lerner has served as associate dean of The Graduate School, dean of List College, and vice chancellor at The Jewish Theological Seminary. The first woman to hold the post of vice chancellor at JTS, Dr. Lerner was one of the highest-ranking women in American Jewish institutional life. As vice chancellor, she focused on bringing Jewish knowledge to the lay community through adult education.

Dr. Lerner’s most recent book, Eternally Eve: Images of Eve in the Hebrew Bible, Midrash, and Modern Jewish Poetry, was published in September 2007 by Brandeis University Press. Among Dr. Lerner's publications is Who Has Not Made Me a Man: The Movement for Equal Rights for Women in American Judaism, which has become a classic study of the interaction between the second wave of American feminism and Judaism. Her book Passing the Love of Women: A Study of Gide's "Saül" and Its Biblical Roots examines the way in which the French writer André Gide drew inspiration from the Saul stories in I Samuel. Dr. Lerner served as codirector of the Gender and Text conference held at JTS in 1990 and is among the editors of the volume Gender and Text: Feminist Approaches to Modern Hebrew and Yiddish Literature, published by JTS and distributed by Harvard University Press. She has also published several scholarly articles on the Hebrew poet Esther Raab. In fall 2000, her article "Yehuda Amichai: An Appreciation" appeared in Conservative Judaism. Dr. Lerner serves on the editorial boards of Women's League Outlook, Hadassah, Judaism, Nashim, and Lilith.

Dr. Lerner is a popular lecturer and scholar-in-residence in a variety of Jewish contexts. During the 2001–2002 academic year, Dr. Lerner served as visiting lecturer and research associate for Harvard University Divinity School's Women's Studies in Religion program. At Harvard, Dr. Lerner taught a graduate-level seminar on the varying images of Eve. At its 2002 convention, Women's League for Conservative Judaism honored Dr. Lerner as a "Woman of Distinction."

Dr. Lerner earned bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from Harvard University. She received a bachelor's degree in Jewish Education and a master's degree in Hebrew Letters from Hebrew College in Boston.

Dr. Lerner's voluntary commitments include frequent service as a cantor at her synagogue and lay leadership positions, including four years as vice president for education at Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County. Dr. Lerner's husband, Rabbi Stephen C. Lerner, is the founder and director of the Center for Conversion to Judaism and rabbi of Congregation Kanfei Shahar in Teaneck, New Jersey. Their son, Rabbi David Lerner, is rabbi of Temple Emunah in Lexington, Massachusetts. Their daughter, Rahel Lerner, is an editor at Random House in New York.

 June 2007

Books

Who Has Not Made Me a Man: The Movement for Equal Rights for Women in American Judaism  

Available for Purchase

Passing the Love of Women: A Study of Gide's "Saül" and Its Biblical Roots

Available for Purchase

Gender and Text: Feminist Approaches to Modern Hebrew and Yiddish Literature

Available for Purchase

Eternally Eve: Images of Eve in the Hebrew Bible, Midrash and Modern Jewish Poetry

Available for Purchase