Liturgy

The program in Jewish Liturgy is interdepartmental, designed to introduce students to the development, genres, and themes of Jewish liturgical text, expression, and experience from ancient times to the present. Every year, a variety of courses in liturgy and related fields are offered. The study of liturgical texts with classical commentaries and the application of contemporary scholarship remains a pillar of liturgical study. Many course offerings engage also with liturgical experience that is “beyond the text,” exploring such issues as:

• Ritual and performance theory as applied to congregational worship.
• The religious meaning of liturgy and prayer.
• The halakhot of prayer and liturgy, and the ways that contemporary Judaism, and specifically the Conservative Movement, engages with halakhic issues.
• The interface between musical and religious experience in worship.
• Teaching about and leading prayer.
• The many modalities of Jewish worship.

Degrees

All degree programs are on hiatus for the current year (2019–2020). Candidates interested in pursuing a certificate in Liturgical Arts should contact Rabbi Jan Uhrbach at jauhrbach@jtsa.edu.