Jonathan R. Ziskind

Jonathan R. Ziskind died peacefully at age 86 on Tuesday morning, January 13 th, 2026, at Barton House in Louisville, KY. Jonathan was born in New Bedford, MA to Rabbi Bernard H. Ziskind of Tifereth Israel Synagogue and Minna Lightman Ziskind. He was married to Martha Andes Ziskind for almost 60 years.

Jonathan was a scholar at heart and loved the classics, especially Latin and Greek. He earned his doctorate in Ancient History from Columbia University and taught history and ancient political thought at the University of Notre Dame for seven years, and at the University of Louisville for over 30 years. His scholarly worked focused on Ancient Near Eastern legal systems and the work of John Selden. He was also an active member of Congregation Adath Jeshurun, where he was a regular at weekday, Shabbat, and holiday services. His commitment to Jewish practice shaped his life and that of his family. He was also a passionate Boston Red Sox fan and counted himself lucky to have lived to see the end of the Curse of the Bambino.

Jonathan was predeceased by his sister, Shulamith Friedland of South Dartmouth, MA.

He is survived by his wife Martha Ziskind, his daughter Minna Ziskind (Gabriel Miller) of Philadelphia, PA, and his grand-daughters Ariadne, Sarah, and Rebecca Miller. The family is deeply grateful to the Congregation Adath Jeshurun community for anchoring their Jewish life for so many years and to the staff of Barton House and Hosparus for the wonderful care they provided to Jonathan in his last years of life.

"Happy is any man who fears GOD,
who follows godly ways.

You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors;
you shall be happy and you shall prosper." Psalms 128:1-2

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 15 at Herman Meyer & Son, Inc., 1338 Ellison Ave, followed by burial in Adath Jeshurun Cemetery. Visitation begins at 1:30 until the time of service. The service will be live-streamed on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ATcojRUUu/ Memorial donations may be made to Congregation Adath Jeshurun, the Yiddish Book Center, or Hosparus Health. For shiva information, please call the funeral home (502) 458-9569.