They call him ‘Morty’

Back in 2000, Dr. Morton Schapiro, then incoming president of Williams College in Massachusetts, met the now-late Jewish philanthropist Edgar Bronfman for lunch.

When Schapiro ordered shrimp, Bronfman asked if he’d ever consider giving up trayf . “As president, you’ll meet lots of people–heads of state and captains of industry,” Bronfman said. “If they see you eating trayf , they’re not going to know how proud you are to be Jewish.”

Taking Bronfman’s advice, Schapiro subsequently adopted the laws of kashrut. Whether dining at the White House or eating alone, “it reminds me at every meal how proud I am to be a Jew.”

Jewish values permeate every facet of Schapiro’s life, including his 43 years in higher education, the last 13 as Northwestern University’s president. In 2019, he won Hillel International’s Maimonides Award for supporting Jewish life on campus.

Schapiro–called Morty by most–had planned to wrap up his tenure at Northwestern this summer. However, in July, he delayed his exit until they find his successor, after Dr. Rebecca Blank who was supposed to succeed Schapiro, announced that she will step down as president-elect because of a recent cancer diagnosis.

‘Only six days away’

You don’t get an ivory-tower vibe from Schapiro; rather, his vibe is more hamish- Shabbat-host.

Through the years, Schapiro and his wife Mimi–along with their three young adult children–have hosted 10,000 students for secular and Jewish gatherings alike, including his favorite ritual of all–Shabbat. “I just love Shabbat,” he said. “If it’s a bad week, I think, ‘Shabbat’s only six days away.'”

He’s a fixture at shul on Shabbat, too. Except for one homecoming weekend in 2015 when his university obligations conflicted with Shabbat services, so he skipped synagogue. He immediately regretted it–and hasn’t missed since. In fact, Schapiro attends two synagogues–one on Friday nights and the other on Saturday mornings–followed by Northwestern football games in the fall.

He has managed to harmonize his role as university president with his role as a committed Jew. “Being Jewish is core to who Morty is,” said Michael Simon, who is the Schapiro Executive Director of Northwestern Hillel. ‘He has this special care and concern for the Jewish community, yet it never made him partial to the Jewish community. He instead has been a great exemplar for what it means to be a Jewish leader at a secular university with many faith-based communities.”

‘Completely unacceptable’

But being a Jewish public figure on campus–in this era of intersectionality and Israel delegitimization–doesn’t come easy. In 2020, demonstrators calling for the abolition of the university police protested outside Schapiro’s home, chanting “piggy Morty.”

In a campus-wide email, Schapiro depicted the chant as reminiscent of an anti-Jewish trope. “Whether it was done out of ignorance or out of antisemitism, it is completely unacceptable,” he wrote. Many criticized his charges, some even calling for his resignation.

‘Professor and president’

Schapiro wears his Northwestern pride around his neck; he’s the owner of 82 ties in homage to the school’s official colors. Arriving at the university in 2009, Schapiro prioritizes students, often connecting with them over meals at Evanston haunts and dorm cafeterias. During his tenure, the school’s ratings have soared, ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 10 U.S. universities for undergraduate education four years running.

His email signature reads “professor and president”–in that order. Many university presidents don’t teach, but Schapiro has instructed some 1,500 students at the school. The most important lesson he’s taught his students? “They ought to have the humility to know that education never ends,” he said. “That’s what has governed me in my own life.”

An economics professor, he wrote the book–literally–on the economics of higher education, with a focus on college affordability. A prolific writer, he has penned or edited 10 books total, including three with fellow Northwestern Professor Gary Saul Morson.

Democratizing higher education

Jewish values, he said, drive his desire to make higher education more accessible. “It starts and ends with tikkun olam , right?” he said. Under his stewardship, Northwestern has become a leader in accepting first-generation college students, underrepresented minorities, and low-income students, including those who qualify for the Federal Pell Grant.

His interest in democratizing higher education is rooted in his own modest beginnings in New Jersey. A mediocre student, he narrowly made it to college, where a few professors took him under their wing. Their belief in him inspired him to invest in students from humble backgrounds.

California, here they come

Next, Schapiro and Mimi head to Los Angeles, where he’ll work in the field of sustainable-energy investments. Life as a private citizen, in a warmer climate, will mark a sharp turn for Schapiro.

But one thing will remain constant–we’ll know where to find him on Friday nights and Saturday mornings.