Cohen New JTS Chancellor, President; Mandelbaum Named President Emeritus

Dr. Gerson D. Cohen, 47-year-old historian and scholar, was elected today as the new chancellor and president of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, effective July 1, succeeding Dr. Louis Finkelstein, who last year at age 76 announced his intention to resign effective June 30. Dr. Cohen will be chief executive officer of the Conservative center, and Dr. Finkelstein will be chancellor emeritus.

Dr. Bernard Mandelbaum, president the past six years, was to have become chancellor, but advised the Board of Directors that he planned to resign June 30,1973, after a year’s sabbatical, citing “both administrative and personal” reasons. Dr. Mandelbaum declined to elaborate to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, saying only that plans for allocation of responsibilities were “not adhered to” and “didn’t work out,” and that he did not want to “argue the matter” with Dr. Cohen.

A Seminary spokesman explained, however, that the two men had “different concepts of administration”–both “not easily defined”–and that Dr. Mandelbaum was disappointed at not being given “autonomy,” The president told the JTA he would use his sabbatical to work on three books. The Board today named him president emeritus.

The Board chairman, Chief Judge Stanley H, Fuld of the New York State Court of Appeals, said: “In giving Dr. Cohen the title chancellor, the Board is making no change in his responsibilities. It was always our intention that, as chief executive officer of the Seminary and successor to Dr. Finkelstein, he should head all the schools and carry full responsibility for the academic and administrative life of the institution.” Dr. Cohen will continue as Jacob H. Schiff professor of history, a post he assumed in 1970. Before that he was a history professor at Columbia University and director of its Center of Israel and Jewish Studies.