Faced with a continuing financial crisis, the Jewish Theological Seminary has eliminated the position of dean of its cantorial school.
In an e-mail Feb. 5, JTS Chancellor Arnold Eisen announced the elimination of the dean’s position and a major reorganization, the Forward reported. The dean, Henry Rosenblum, was laid off.
Cantorial students at the Conservative seminary will be supervised now by Rabbi Danny Nevins, the dean of the rabbinical school.
The announcement reportedly sparked rumors that JTS was planning to close down the cantorial program or merge it with another seminary — rumors the administration has denied.
Eisen told the Forward that Rosenblum’s layoff was not primarily a cost-saving measure, but part of a wider effort to make rabbinical and cantorial training more effective. — jta