The Changing Face of the American Jewish Family

The Changing Face of the American Jewish Family

Nov 19, 2018 By Leonard A. Sharzer

Co-published by the Louis Finkelstein Inistitute for Religious and Social Studies and JTS Press, and edited by Rabbi Leonard Sharzer and Rabbi Burton Visotzky.

In the American Jewish community of the 21st century, as in the broader American community, the meaning of being a family is changing, often at a pace that communal institutions have difficulty keeping up with. 

Read More
Both/And: 250 Years of Conservative Judaism in 80 Minutes

Both/And: 250 Years of Conservative Judaism in 80 Minutes

Aug 31, 2018 By Arnold M. Eisen | Podcast or Radio Program

Learn how Conservative Judaism became what it is today in this accessible mini-series adaptation of Chancellor Eisen’s semester-long class for JTS students.

Read More
Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism

Jun 26, 2018 By The Jewish Theological Seminary | Collected Resources

A collection of resources about Conservative Judaism on the JTS website.

Read More
The Poet’s Hand

The Poet’s Hand

Jun 29, 2018 By Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary | Commentary

Beginning with Siddur Sim Shalom, Conservative prayer books began including a slightly different version of the much-loved Sabbath evening hymn Yedid Nefesh. The changes, though mostly slight, caused—and sometimes still cause—confusion, disrupting those who learned the traditionally printed version of this hymn with different grammatical forms and a few different words. What caused the change and why was it deemed sufficiently important that it should supersede the better-known version?

Read More
Israel at 70: Bridging Divides

Israel at 70: Bridging Divides

Apr 17, 2018 By Arnold M. Eisen

Read More
Upgrading the Torah—and the World

Upgrading the Torah—and the World

Jul 21, 2017 By Benjamin D. Sommer | Commentary | Masei | Mattot

Is God’s law perfect? Most of us would assume that anything created by an omniscient and omnipotent being must have no flaws. But a story in today’s parashah suggests otherwise—in a manner that shows a surprising similarity to a key concept of Jewish mysticism.

Read More
I Will Get Back Up Again

I Will Get Back Up Again

Jul 14, 2017 By Stephanie Ruskay | Commentary | Pinehas

“What does your dad do at Google?”

One of our JustCity Leadership Institute pre-college program students explained that her mother works at Google in a significant leadership position. Yet each time she wears a Google T-shirt, people ask her what her father does there.

Read More
Intermarriage and the Desert

Intermarriage and the Desert

Jun 16, 2017 By David Hoffman | Commentary | Shelah Lekha

In light of the recent work of colleagues and friends regarding the boundaries of the Jewish people and how that impacts the weddings that should or should not be performed, I cannot but help to read this Shabbat’s parashah in terms of boundaries.

Read More