The Ethical Life: A JTS Curriculum for Teens

Drawing on the success of our turnkey curriculum The Ethical Life: Jewish Values in an Age of Choice, JTS has created a new toolkit for educators, designed to bring teen learners into conversation about compelling social and interpersonal issues through a Jewish lens. The curriculum helps rabbis and educators create a space where teens are encouraged not just to react but to think deeply and openly about difficult questions and listen to other perspectives. 

Designed in partnership with JTS’s William Davidson Graduate School for Jewish Education, The Ethical Life encourages teens to: 

• Think deeply and broadly about ethical dilemmas using Jewish sources 
• Discover what they value and apply those values in challenging situations  
• Strengthen their connection to Judaism and to each other 

How to Order 

The price for this curriculum is $360. This includes digital access to the facilitator guide, printable student sources, and videos, as well as a hard copy of the facilitator guide.   

Discounts are available for organizations with smaller budgets. Please email ethical.life@jtsa.edu for details. 

We are pleased to offer the teen curriculum at a reduced price to organizations and educators who have purchased The Ethical Life: Jewish Values in an Age of Choice for adult learners. Please email ethical.life@jtsa.edu for details. The two curricula can also be purchased together at a 25 percent discount. 

What the Curriculum Includes 

The course consists of 10 units. Each unit—designed to be taught in approximately 90 minutes—features contemporary case studies, Jewish texts, video profiles, discussion prompts, and other activities that encourage reflection and relationship-building. Additional enrichment activities are included with every unit for expanded learning. 

The curriculum is designed for in-person teaching. If you would like to offer the course online, please contact us to explore methods of adapting the material for online use. 

Ideally for 8th–10th graders, the curriculum can be used in a variety of settings including day schools, Hebrew high school programs, synagogue learning, and camps. 

Course Units

1. Thinking Ethically About What You Eat
2. Whose Land Is It Anyway? Being a Good Neighbor in an Era of Climate Change
3. Is Teshuvah Possible? The Ethics of Punishment in the Age of Mass Incarceration
4. Consuming Ethically in the Face of Exploitation
5. Is All Fair in War? The Ethics of Interrogation
6. We All Belong: Creating Disability-Inclusive Communities
7. Should I Donate to Jewish, National, or Global Causes?
8. Can We Make Ourselves Better Than Well?
9. Is Lying Ever Ethical?
10. What’s Your Take on Jewish Ethics?

JTS Courses and Curricula 

To learn more about The Ethical Life: Jewish Values in an Age of Choice and other JTS teaching materials for adult learners, visit our Courses and Curricula page.    

Contact Us 

To learn more about this course, or to request a sample unit, please contact ethical.life@jtsa.edu.