Barry Shrage

Barry Shrage

Professor of the Practice in the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program

Degrees

  • Boston University, MSW

  • City College of New York, BA

Profile

One of America's foremost Jewish leaders, Barry Shrage served for the past 30 years as president of Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston and as a powerful voice on the American Jewish communal scene. He is known in Boston and throughout the world for his tireless support of Jewish education; his promotion of engagement by religious and nonreligious Jews; his commitment to working for social justice at home and abroad alongside others; his strong support of Israel; his bridge-building, outreach and engagement with the non-Jewish community in creative partnerships; and for his boundless energy and creativity.

Following Shrage's retirement from CJP in 2018, he joined the Hornstein Program as professor of the practice. At Hornstein, Shrage trains and mentors students in their future roles as Jewish professional leaders. He is working closely with the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, where he is developing and leading a new initiative on Jewish identity. The Initiative for Jewish Identity (IJI) will examine Jewish identity historically and in the contemporary context, and build on that understanding to identify and support community programs that can produce large-scale measurable impact on Jewish engagement.