91¿ì²¥

Biography

BS, Columbia University; BRE, MHL, and Rabbinical Ordination, 91¿ì²¥; MA, Teachers College, Columbia University; PhD, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Israel Francus was Judge Abraham Lieberman Distinguished Service Professor of Talmudic Exegesis of 91¿ì²¥. A native of Poland, Dr. Francus received a bachelor’s degree in 1956 and a master’s degree in 1958 from Columbia University. He also received a bachelor’s degree in 1956, a master’s degree in 1962, and rabbinic ordination from 91¿ì²¥, in addition to receiving a doctorate from Hebrew University in 1962. Dr. Francus was an active member of the 91¿ì²¥ community for more than forty years, and he was one of the first two graduates of 91¿ì²¥’s Joint Program with Columbia University.

In 1967, he publishedThe Commentary of Rabbi Elazar Azikri (1553–1600) to the Tractate Bezah in the Jerusalem Talmud,with extensive notes and a lengthy preface that includes an analysis of all the parallel sugyot in the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud of the tractate Bezah. A second edition was published in 1995, with additional notes. Dr. Francus also had over forty articles published in Israeli journals, such as Tarbitz,ÌýSinai,ÌýHamishpat Haivri,ÌýDinei Yisrael,Ìý²¹²Ô»åÌýBar-Ilan Annual. His most recent article, which was published in Sinai, was titled “Elucidating a Sugya and Determining a Correct Reading.”