Joseph Reimer to receive Bernard Reisman Professional Excellence Award from Brandeis University’s Hornstein Program
April 30, 2026
The Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University proudly announces that Joseph Reimer, professor emeritus and former director of the Hornstein Program, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Bernard Reisman Professional Excellence Award.
Established by the Hornstein Alumni Association along with colleagues and friends of Bernard Reisman, who led the program from 1969 to 1994, the Reisman Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and a deep commitment to strengthening Jewish life.
“Being able to honor Joe is really Hornstein coming full circle. It is a joy to elevate a professor who has been so central to building and growing the program for decades,” said Liora Norwich, chair of the Leon A. Jick Hornstein Program.
Reimer joined Brandeis University in 1986 as an assistant professor in the Hornstein Program, where he worked closely with founding director Bernard Reisman. He received tenure in 1992 and succeeded Reisman as director, serving from 1994 to 1997.
Over the course of his distinguished career, Reimer made lasting contributions to Jewish education and leadership development. He was a founding faculty member of the Bronfman Youth Fellowship in Israel, a staff member of the Mandel Commission on Jewish Education, and a founder of the Genesis Program at Brandeis. In 1999, Brandeis received a generous grant to launch the Institute for Informal Jewish Education, and Reimer was appointed its director. Through that work, he helped train leaders in the field of informal Jewish education and supported innovative programs across the country.
A leading thinker in the field, Reimer has long emphasized the power of Jewish learning experiences that are chosen, meaningful, and enduring. His teaching, writing, and leadership have helped elevate the art of designing powerful Jewish experiences while encouraging educators to think not only about a single moment, but about how to sustain learning and connection over time.
“Designing powerful experiences is an art form that is not often appreciated,” Reimer said. “We are cultivating that art form, celebrating its practitioners and preparing a next generation of artful designers.”
Reimer is the author of three books: “Promoting Moral Growth: From Piaget to Kohlberg”; “Succeeding at Jewish Education”; and “Making Shabbat: Celebrating and Learning at American Jewish Summer Camps.” He also served for many years on the editorial board of The Journal of Jewish Education. In addition, he became a lead teacher for ELI, the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s executive leadership program for Jewish camp directors, helping to design and implement three rounds of leadership training, visiting scores of summer camps, and publishing a series of articles on Jewish education at camps.
“Bernie Reisman created a gold standard for Jewish professional practice,” Reimer said. “To receive the Reisman Award is like being elected to a hall of fame for Jewish professional life.”
Born in New York and raised in the modern Orthodox Jewish community, Reimer attended Queens College, spent a formative year at the Hebrew University, and became a devoted staff member at Camp Ramah. In 1968, he came to Cambridge as a founding member of Havurat Shalom and completed his graduate studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Education under Professor Lawrence Kohlberg. His doctoral dissertation focused on the moral development of kibbutz adolescents.
Reimer retired from Brandeis in 2022 and lives in Brookline with his wife, Gail Twersky Reimer. They have two grown daughters and four lively grandchildren.
Reimer will receive the award and deliver remarks during Hornstein’s annual commencement celebration on Friday, May 15.
The Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University prepares Jewish professionals to meet the complex challenges facing today’s Jewish communal ecosystem. Through rigorous academic programming and connections to a deep network of faculty, alumni, and mentors, Hornstein has a proven track record of helping graduates achieve rewarding, dynamic careers serving the Jewish community. Students can choose from different programs in Jewish Professional Leadership depending on their academic goals and needs: a fully online MA or Master’s Certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, and the flagship on-campus dual degree (MA in Jewish Professional Leadership + an MBA, MPP, EdM, or MA in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies).
