Walter Zanger

Walter Zanger (Hebrew: וולטר זנגר‎), was an American-born Israeli author, tour guide and television personality. He was a contributor to newspapers, encyclopedias and magazines, and served as a member of the editorial board of the Jewish Bible Society.

Rabbi Dr.

Walter Zanger
Walter Zanger in Beit She'an
Born
Walter Zanger

25 September 1935
Brooklyn, New York
Died28 August 2015
Jerusalem, Israel
CitizenshipIsraeli, American
EducationAmherst College, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
Home townBrooklyn, New York
Spouse(s)Paula
ChildrenHanan, Mikhal, Yoel, Jenia
Websitehttp://www.walterzanger.net/

Biography

Walter Zanger was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1935. He moved with his family to Jerusalem, Israel in 1966 and resided in the city's Ein Karem neighborhood[1] until his death in 2015.[2]

Education

Zanger graduated from Amherst College with a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in 1956.[3][4][5]

He then studied at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, graduating with a Bachelor of Hebrew Letters in 1958. Zanger was also a student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He received a Masters of Arts from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and was ordained as a Reform rabbi in 1962.[6]

Rabbinical career

Zanger served as the rabbi of the Harford County Jewish Center in Aberdeen, Maryland from 1959–61 and as the rabbi of Temple Sinai in Massapequa, New York from 1961-62. Afterwards, he served as a chaplain (with the rank of captain) in the U.S. Air Force in Southeast Asia from 1962-64.[7]

In 2000 he officiated the second bar mitzvah of Rabbi Morrison David Bial. Rabbi Bail had officiated Zanger's own bar mitzvah 52 years earlier.[8]

Publications

Zanger was an assistant to the publisher and contributor to the Encyclopaedia Judaica from 1966-72[9] and wrote for the Biblical Archaeology Society[10] and the Jewish Bible Quarterly[11][12] He authored several books, including Jerusalem: Holy City to the World's Religions (Great Cities Library)[13] Zanger wrote FROM JERUSALEM, a personal, non-partisan newsletter addressing current events in Israel.[14]

Zanger lectured at the University of South Florida,[15] Amherst College,[16] and at the Jewish Bible Association's Dr. Louis Katzoff Memorial Lecture.[17]

Tour guide

Zanger was a licensed Israeli Master Guide.[18][19] He was an expert at taking Christians and Jews to their sacred places.[20] His expertise as a tour guide led him to become a television personality. He was featured on 11 episodes (1994-1996) of A&E's Mysteries of the Bible as one of Israel's leading guides.[21]

Awards and recognition

Zanger was a recipient of the Ministry of Tourism "Distinguished Tourism Employee" award. He received an honorary doctor of divinity from the Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem in 2007.[22] He served in an anti-aircraft battalion in the Israel Defense Forces, and, after his discharge was an active volunteer in the Tourism Unit of the Israel Police.

Legacy

At his Amherst College 50th class reunion Zanger wrote "I always just did whatever seemed the right thing at the time, and it always worked out. My life has been -- by far! -- more luck than brains, and I feel fine about that." Walter Zanger died on August 28, 2015.[23]

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References
  1. Zohar, Gil (August 27, 2010). "There's something about Mary's Spring". Jerusalem Post.
  2. "Saba Walty". From Jerusalem: A Newsletter from Walter Zanger. Summer 2015.
  3. "Alumni of the Department". Philosophy Department. Amherst College. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  4. Zanger, Walter. "Amherst should not reward Jennings' anti-Israeli bias". The Amherst Student. Amherst College.
  5. "CURRICULUM VITAE". Walter Zanger. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  6. Kohn, Rachael. "The Ark Goes to Israel - Masada". RN. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  7. Cashman, Greer Fay (September 2, 2014). "Grapevine: A local version of 'Annie Get Your Gun'". Jerusalem Post. Reform Rabbi Walter Zanger, who had been a US Army chaplain in Vietnam and is currently a political analyst, spoke of the time he had worked with Sivan at Encyclopedia Judaica.
  8. "Morrison David Bial Papers, 1970-1980". The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives.
  9. Walter Zanger; Shimon Gibson (2nd ed.). "Encyclopaedia Judaica: EIN KEREM". Jewish Virtual Library. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise.
  10. Walter Zanger (August 24, 2014). "What's NewBrowse TopicsScholar's StudyMediaReviews Jewish Worship, Pagan Symbols". Bible History Daily.
  11. Zanger, Walter (2001). "ARMAGEDDON: RAGING BATTLE FOR BIBLE HISTORY" (PDF). Jewish Bible Association. 29 (4).
  12. "Author Index". Jewish Bible Association. ZANGER, WALTER Armageddon: Raging Battle for Bible History XXIX (4) 226 Moses, Elisha and Transferred Spirit: The Height of Biblical Prophecy? Part 2 XXX (3) 171 Violence and Holiness in Biblical Dan XXXI (1) 27
  13. Zanger, Walter (1991). Jerusalem: Holy City to the World's Religions (Great Cities Library). Blackbirch Press. ISBN 1567110223.
  14. Zanger, Walter. "FROM JERUSALEM". Walter Zanger.
  15. "Gaza, Jericho, Hebron, and Then What?". USF Netcast Streaming Video. University of South Florida. October 28, 1994.
  16. "Video of Walter Zanger's political lecture, Amherst College, Spring 2001". Vimeo. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  17. Zanger, Walter. "VIOLENCE AND HOLINESS IN BIBLICAL DAN" (PDF). Jewish Bible Quarterly. Jewish Bible Association.
  18. Hurvitz, Mark. "Come to Israel". Davka.
  19. Sleig, Abe (June 6, 2010). "Haredi students have seized control of Hurva synagogue". Jerusalem Post.
  20. Kohn, Rachael (August 17, 2008). "The Spirit of Things". RN. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  21. "Walter Zanger Biography". IMDb.com.
  22. "PROFESSOR ELIEZER SCHWEID AND RABBI PAUL (SHAUL) R. FEINBERG AWARDED HONORARY DOCTOR OF HUMANE LETTERS BY HUC-JIR; HONORARY DEGREES BESTOWED UPON RABBI WALTER J. ZANGER AND DAVID KURZ; HONORARY MEDALLIONS PRESENTED TO RABBI HENRY F. SKIRBALL AND DR. JONAT". Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. November 1, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  23. "Walter Zanger '56". AMHERST MAGAZINE. Amherst College.
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