Rabbi Reuven Hammer is a former dean of the Israel programs of the Jewish Theological Seminary in Jerusalem and a founding director of the Institute for Jewish Studies, today the Schechter Institute. He is the author of many books, including Entering the High Holy Days: A Complete Guide to the History, Prayers, and Themes (JPS, 2005); Sifre: A Taanaitic Commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy; and Akiva: Life, Legend, Legacy (JPS, 2015).
