Dan Vogel (1927–2015): In Memoriam
A memorial tribute to Dan Vogel, longtime contributor and associate editor of the Jewish Bible Quarterly, who died in 2015. It traces his path from a Jersey City childhood through a career as professor of English at Yeshiva College and Stern College, his aliyah in 1973 and subsequent professorship at Michlalah-Jerusalem College for Women, and his prolific output of JBQ articles and book reviews that drew on world literature — from Melville to Milton — to illuminate biblical texts.
Born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1927, Dan Vogel was raised in Jersey City, NJ, in the days when its scant Jewish community supported an inadequate after-school Talmud Torah. He returned to Brooklyn to join Young Israel of Boro Park and earn a BA degree from Brooklyn College. The first inspired him to remain observant, the second to become an instructor of college English. He earned a PhD from New York University in 1956, writing on Melville’s mesmerizing novel about good and evil, Moby Dick, and is still considered one of the most authoritative students of Melville’s thoughts.
Dan was appointed instructor of English at Yeshiva College, and taught there for 24 years. He rose to the rank of Professor of English and also served as first Dean of Stern College (1957-1967), admired to this day by many of its early alumnae. His unique Jewish insights infused works such as his definitive biography of Emma Lazarus, the American Sephardic poet whose sonnet, The New Colossus, is inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty, and Mark Twain’s Jews. Even his works on the nature of tragedy and on literary style were enriched with insights drawn from his Jewish background.
After making aliyah in 1973, he was appointed Professor of English and Chair of the Department at the Michlalah-Jerusalem College for Women, where he played a prominent role in improving the way teachers of English were trained. Partial retirement came in 1988 and final retirement in 1995, although he never gave up his lifelong literary interests. A period of creative inspiration produced more than a dozen delightful short stories under the title of Bikurim: Stories of the Shtetl, which are posted at his blog.
Dan Vogel was a frequent contributor to the Jewish Bible Quarterly. His articles were masterfully crafted and his Jewish insights were informed by a rich knowledge of world literature. One might, for example, note his use of Milton’s Paradise Lost to enrich the Genesis story in his “Eve: The First Feminist.” He became an active associate editor of the JBQ in 1997, his editorial comments helping other authors to hone their contributions.
Dan was married for over 60 years to Sybil (Sarah) nee Ehrenfeld, who passed away some four years ago. Thereafter he faced adversity and failing health with an infectious optimism and unshakable faith. He is survived by two sons, a daughter, twelve grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Yehi zichro barukh.
Dr. Dan Vogel’s Articles in the Jewish Bible Quarterly
Darshanut: Genesis 33:6 vs. Genesis 33:7, 25:2, 120
Koheleth and the Modern Temper, 25:3, 143
Ambiguities of the Eagle, 26:2, 85
Darshanut: It’s All in the Translation, 28:2, 130
A Psalm for Sabbath? A Literary View of Psalm 92, 28:4, 211
Midrashic Implications of the Term Holid, 29:3, 143
Forget Not Your Forebears!, 30:3, 164
Darshanut: The Forgotten Figure at the Akedah, 31:3, 201
Moses as Poet: Ha’azinu as Poem, 31:4, 211
The Legacy of Two Adams, 33:1, 3
Book Review: Learning to Read Midrash, 33:3, 200
Book Review: Threads From a Coat of Many Colors: Poems on Genesis, 34:3, 198
Book Review: Understanding the Hebrew Bible, 35:2, 132
Balaam, Shakespeare, Shylock, 35:4, 231
Book Review: Masters of the Word: Traditional Jewish Bible Commentary From the First Through Tenth Centuries, 36:2, 127
Lord Byron’s Midrashic Lyrics: Part 1: Saul and Others, 37:1, 24
Lord Byron’s Midrashic Lyrics: Part 2: The Fall of Jerusalem, 37:2, 80
Book Review: Masters of the Word: Volume II, 38:1, 62
Eve - The First Feminist: John Milton’s Midrash on Genesis 3:6, 40:1, 19
Cite this article
The Editors. "Dan Vogel (1927–2015): In Memoriam." Jewish Bible Quarterly 43, no. 3 (July – September 2015): 141–144.
The Editors. "Dan Vogel (1927–2015): In Memoriam." Jewish Bible Quarterly, vol. 43, no. 3, 2015, pp. 141–144.