[2] Kurtzer was raised as a Modern Orthodox Jew in Tel Aviv, Israel and Silver Spring, Maryland.
[7] The position was awarded after Kurtzer won a public competition for funding to write a book that would "change the way Jews think about themselves and their community.
He led the creation of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America in 2010, and then became president of this organization.
[10] Under his direction, the organization has expanded to a staff of 28 employees in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, with public programs and activities reaching over 10,000 people per year.
[1] Its activities focus on leadership and educational programs for rabbis and lay leaders of the Jewish community.