Ted Merwin, Ph.D. is a Senior Writer for the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). Before coming to JFNA, he worked as AIPAC’s Synagogue Initiative Director for the Mid-Atlantic Region. For many years, Ted taught Judaic studies at Dickinson College (Carlisle, Pa), where he directed the Milton B. Asbell Center for Jewish Life. He is the author of “Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Deli,” which won a National Jewish Book Award, and “In Their Own Image: New York Jews in Jazz Age Popular Culture.” He lives in Baltimore with his wife and three daughters.