Alan Cooper (biblical scholar)
Alan Cooper is the provost of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, an academic institution that teaches Jewish studies and one of the centers for Conservative Judaism. He also serves as the Elaine Ravich Professor of Jewish Studies at JTS.
Cooper graduated from Columbia College in 1971 and was formerly a singer in the band Sha Na Na, formed by his Columbia classmates, and sang the lead in "At the Hop" in the Woodstock movie. He has also made appearances on The Tonight Show and The Merv Griffin Show.
Cooper left behind his music career to study for a doctorate in biblical studies at Yale University. He served on the faculties of McMaster University and Hebrew Union College.In 1997, he was appointed to a position at the Jewish Theological Seminary. In 1998, he was appointed Professor of Bible at Union Theological Seminary in New York, becoming the first person to hold a joint professorship at both Union and JTS. His dual appointment has been described as a major step in strengthening ties between the two seminaries.
