American Friends of Bar-Ilan University (AFBIU) announces the appointment of Steven P. Rosenberg as chairman of its board of directors, following his 10 years of service as the organization’s treasurer.
Rosenberg’s appointment marks a new chapter in a relationship between his family and Bar-Ilan University that spans decades and continents—emerging from the ashes of the Holocaust into a legacy of resilience, Jewish education and Jewish continuity.
A private investor and president of SPR Ventures, Inc., Rosenberg brings extensive business and nonprofit leadership to the role. He currently holds directorships at Texas Capital Bank and Cinemark Holdings, and previously served on the boards of Packaged Ice, Reddy Ice Holdings, Republic Insurance Holdings and PRGX.
In the nonprofit world, Rosenberg has held leadership roles with the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, and the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. He is a past president of both Akiba and Yavneh academies.
Rosenberg’s deep commitment to Jewish causes, and specifically to Bar-Ilan, is not only institutional but profoundly personal.
“My family’s story is one of survival, resilience and rebuilding through education,” he said. “It is my honor to lead American Friends of Bar-Ilan University through this next chapter of taking support for Bar-Ilan to the next level and continuing to grow the university’s impact on the World, the State of Israel and the Jewish people.”
The family’s support for Bar-Ilan includes the naming of the Marcus & Ann Rosenberg Music Building on campus.
His father, Marcus Rosenberg, survived Auschwitz, along with his cousin Jack Nagel. After moving to the United States, it was Jack and Gitta Nagel who first connected Marcus and Ann to Bar-Ilan, bringing them along on a university trip to China and igniting a bond with the institution.
Jack Nagel went on to serve as longtime chairman of the West Coast Friends of Bar-Ilan University and a member of the university’s Global Board of Trustees and Council of Founders. Meanwhile, Marcus was the founder and first president of the board of Akiba Academy, Dallas’ first Jewish day school.
Ann Rosenberg escaped Vienna before World War II with her cousin, Erica Jesselson. Erica and her husband, Ludwig Jesselson, were renowned Jewish philanthropists, major supporters of Bar-Ilan from inception and co-founded Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy in New York. Their son, Michael Jesselson, would later serve as global chairman of Bar-Ilan University and chairman of AFBIU, further intertwining the families’ deep-rooted connection to Jewish education and leadership.
“The collective legacy of Marcus and Ann Rosenberg, Jack and Gitta Nagel, and Ludwig and Erica Jesselson are a blueprint for Jewish continuity in modern times,” Rosenberg reflected. “In the aftermath of the Holocaust, when many sought safety through assimilation, three families chose a different path—investing in Jewish education to rebuild and strengthen their communities. Their vision helped lay the foundation for institutions like Bar-Ilan University, where enduring values and academic excellence continue to shape future leaders from all backgrounds and faiths.”
It is this legacy that Rosenberg brings to his leadership of AFBIU. He also emphasized the strategic importance of the school’s future-facing academic mission. Inspired by the STEM-focused vision of Bar-Ilan University president Arie Zaban, a chemist and entrepreneur, Rosenberg sees the university as central to Israel’s long-term prosperity.
“Universities like Bar-Ilan are essential for Israel’s survival,” Rosenberg said. “Israel will succeed based on its technological prowess—militarily, financially, environmentally and in all other key sectors. By educating and training the next generation of leaders, Bar-Ilan plays a vital role in equipping the country to meet these challenges. But Israel’s strength is not built on innovation alone; it also rests on our values. It embodies the unique fusion of innovative research and scholarship imbued with traditional values. That is the kind of leadership we need to secure Israel’s future and bring impactful research to the world today.”
Jessica Feldan, CEO of AFBIU, stated that “through Steven Rosenberg’s expert leadership, we are poised to significantly expand American support for Bar-Ilan University and broaden its reach in empowering Israel’s next generation of leaders, scholars and innovators.”
