Professor Yedidia Z. Stern

Biography

Prof. Yedidia Z. Stern is the Vice President for Research on the Jewish State at Israel Democracy Institute, where he heads the projects on Religion and State and Business and Democracy (since 1999). Stern is a full professor at Bar-Ilan University Law School, and served as its dean from 1994 to 1998. His areas of professional interest are religion and state, Jewish law, public law, corporate law, corporate acquisitions, corporate finance and corporate governance.

Yedidia Stern received his LL.B. degree from Bar-Ilan Law School in 1982, and earned his master's degree (1984) and doctorate (1986) from Harvard Law School. Subsequently, he worked at a leading Manhattan law firm. Upon his return to Israel, he joined the faculty of Bar-Ilan Law School, where he founded the Centre for Commercial Law, serving as its first director (1988-1992); launched Tzivyon - Centre for the Study of Israel, Judaism and Democracy (2001-2003); and was the founding director of the Law School's publishing house (2005-2008). He was also a visiting scholar at Harvard Law School (1989). Stern won the Zeltner Price for excellence in Legal Research in Israel (2009).

Stern has served on numerous committees, inter alia as chair of the Committee to Determine the Legal Status of Insurance Agents in Israel (1996); chair-elect, the Coalition Committee to Enact an Israeli Constitution (2001); chair, the Israel Science Foundation's Committee for Assessment of Legal Research (2002-2004); member, the Israeli Governmental-appointed Commission of inquiry into the State's treatment of the residents of Gush Katif after the Disengagement (2009).

Among his varied professional and public activities, he has served as a member of the presidium of the Yachad Council for Reconciliation between Secular and Religious Jews, affiliated with the State President's Office (2001-2007); advisor to the Ministry of Justice on the new Companies Law and its amendments; academic director of the World Jewish Forum, affiliated with the State President's Office (2005-2006); President, Institute for the Advanced Study of Israeli Judaism (2005-2007); member, Public Council of Yad Ben-Zvi research institute (2004-present); member, Executive Committee of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Haifa University (2004- present); director, Organization for Restitution of Assets of Holocaust Victims (2006 - present); member, Advisory Committee of "People of the Book" (2007-present); chair, Committee of Civic Studies in Israel (2009).

Stern is co-editor of the scholarly journal Democratic Culture (published by Bar-Ilan University Law School in conjunction with IDI) and of the series Israeli Judaism (published jointly by Keter Publishing House, Bar-Ilan University Law School, and the Shalom Hartman Institute). He is also a regular contributor to the Israeli and international press.

Yedidia Z. Stern was born in England in 1955. He and his wife, Dr. Karen Friedman-Stern, have eight children and reside in Jerusalem. 

tel: 02-530-0872
email: yedidia@idi.org.il

Select Publications
 
Yedidia Stern. Corporate Goal.  The Israel Democracy Institute, Bar-Ilan University Press, and the Israeli Bar-Publishing House. Jerusalem, 2009

Yedidia Stern. The Ownership of a Corporation: Theory, Law, Reality. The Israel Democracy Institute, Bar-Ilan University Press, and the Israeli Bar-Publishing House. Jerusalem, 2008

Yedidia Stern and Aviezer Ravitzky. The Jewishness of Israel. The Israel Democracy Institute, Jerusalem, 2007

Yedidia Stern. State, Law and Halakhah Part 4: What's Jewish in Israeli Law? The Israel Democracy Institute, Jerusalem, 2006

Yedidia Stern. State, Law and Halakhah Part 3: The Role of Halakhah. The Israel Democracy Institute, Jerusalem, 2005

Yedidia Stern. On the Role of Jewish Law in Matters of Religion and State. The Israel Democracy Institute, Jerusalem, 2004

Yedidia Stern. State, Law and Halakhah Part 2: Facing Painful Choices: Law and Halakhah in Israeli Society. The Israel Democracy Institute, Jerusalem, 2003

Yedidia Stern. Regulation. The Israel Democracy Institute, Jerusalem, 2002

Yedidia Stern. Rabbinical Rulings on Policy Questions. The Israel Democracy Institute, Jerusalem, 1999