Aaron Mendelsohn
Aaron Mendelsohn comes to JTS as a trusted legal advisor and accomplished strategic leader with more than twenty-five years of experience in litigation, regulatory enforcement, compliance, and public policy across federal, municipal, and the nonprofit sectors. In his role at JTS, Aaron provides strategic legal counsel to JTS leadership and the Board of Trustees, oversees legal, compliance, and governance matters across the institution, and helps guide JTS through complex regulatory, operational, and policy issues. He works closely with colleagues across JTS to support the institution’s mission and to ensure strong legal and compliance practices.
Most recently, Aaron served as Deputy General Counsel for Policy & Compliance at the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), where he led the agency’s audit, compliance, and privacy teams, and he advised senior leadership on complex legal and governance matters. Earlier in his career, Aaron held senior roles with the New York City Council, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Ernst & Young, WilmerHale, and the U.S. Department of Justice, including serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in both New Jersey and Washington, D.C.
Aaron also brings a deep personal commitment to Jewish learning and community, including to JTS. Aaron’s wife, Aviva Tropp, is a graduate of the Joint Program. For more than three decades, Aaron has served as the High Holidays cantor at Middlebury College, and he teaches as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law. You can also find Aaron running daily in Central, Riverside, and Morningside Parks: he won the Hamptons Marathon in 2013 and is a 5-time official pacer of the New York City Marathon.
Aaron holds a J.D. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and a B.A., cum laude, from Middlebury College.
