Born in Philadelphia and raised in New York City and Newton Centre, Massachusetts, Sarna attended Brandeis University, Hebrew College in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, Mercaz HaRav Kook in Jerusalem, Israel and Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, where he obtained his doctorate in 1979.

[10][11] One of Sarna's most widely cited academic contributions relates to his scholarship on Ulysses S. Grant's relationship with American Jews.

[12] Sarna rediscovered Cora Wilburn, a celebrated 19th century poet and author of the first American Jewish novel, whose work had been forgotten.

[13] Sarna received the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry's Marshall Sklare Award in 2002.

[15] Sarna is married to Boston College theology professor Ruth Langer, with two children, Aaron and Leah.