Professor Samuel J. Levine Receives Prestigious Faculty Development Grant from The Israel Institute
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Professor Samuel J. Levine Receives Prestigious Faculty Development Grant from The Israel Institute
Grant enables creation of innovative course on Israeli Supreme Court and Jewish Law
July 7, 2025Touro Law Professor and Director of the Jewish Law Institute, Samuel J. Levine has been awarded a faculty development grant from the Israel Institute in recognition of his outstanding scholarship and dedication to Jewish Law studies. The grant will support Professor Levine in developing and teaching a new three-credit course, "The Supreme Court of Israel and Jewish Law."
"This grant honors Professor Levine’s dedication to Jewish Law scholarship and will provide our students with an exceptional educational opportunity to explore the intersection of Jewish legal traditions and modern Israeli jurisprudence" stated Elena Langan, Dean and Professor of Law at Touro Law. She continued, "This grant represents worthy recognition of Professor Levine's scholarly work and his commitment to advancing understanding of Jewish Law in modern legal contexts.”
Professor Levine, a distinguished member of Touro Law faculty since 2010, has established himself as a leading scholar in the field of Jewish Law, with extensive research and publications that bridge traditional Jewish legal principles with contemporary legal practice. He has published two books and more than sixty law review articles and book chapters; he has lectured throughout the United States and has delivered online presentations on webinars hosted in countries around the world. The Israel Institute grant acknowledges his significant contributions to this specialized area of legal scholarship.
The Jewish Law Institute at Touro Law offers a scholarly and intellectual framework for the academic study of the Jewish legal experience. Under the direction of Professor Levine, the Institute acts as a center for the study and teaching of Jewish law throughout the United States, bringing together leading scholars, teachers, and lawyers, and serving as a clearinghouse for new ideas and independent research.
The new course will explore the impact of Jewish Law on the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of Israel, carefully and critically examining the judicial reliance on Jewish Law and its application to complex legal, social and political issues that touch on the fundamental values and identity of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. The course is expected to launch in the next academic year and will be open to all Touro Law students interested in comparative legal systems, religious law, and Israeli jurisprudence.
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Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center is located adjacent to both a state and a federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York, and has a branch campus in Manhattan. Touro Law’s proximity to the courthouses, coupled with programming developed to integrate the courtroom into the classroom, provide a one-of-a kind learning experience for law students, combining a rigorous curriculum taught by expert faculty with a practical courtroom experience. Touro Law is dedicated to providing hands-on learning that enables students to gain experience while offering much-needed legal services in the community.
Touro Law, which has an alumni base of more than 7,500, offers full- and part-time JD programs where students can earn a degree in 3 or 4 years. Additionally, Touro offers a hybrid, four-year FlexTime JD Program at both Long Island and Manhattan campuses, combining online and in-person learning. Touro Law offers several dual degree programs and graduate law programs for US and foreign law graduates. Touro Law Center is part of Touro University.
Touro University
Touro University is a system of non-profit institutions of higher and professional education chartered in 1970. Touro was founded primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage and to serve the larger American and global community. Approximately 19,000 students are currently enrolled at Touro University’s various schools and divisions, which encompass 35 campuses and locations in New York, California, Nevada, Illinois, Berlin, Jerusalem and Moscow. New York Medical College; Touro University California and Touro University Nevada; Touro University Worldwide and its Touro College Los Angeles division; as well as Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois are separately accredited institutions within the Touro University system. For more information, visit www.touro.edu.
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