Rabbinic Futures, Short and Long Term
Date: Nov 09, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:10 pm
Location: Online
Category: Back to the Future: Jewish Perspectives on What Comes Next Online Learning
Rabbinic Futures, Short and Long Term
Part of Our Fall 2026 Learning Series, Back to the Future: Jewish Perspectives on What Comes Next
November 9, 2026
Online
1:00–2:10 p.m. ET
With Dr. David Kraemer, Gerson D. Cohen Chair in Talmud and Rabbinic Culture; Librarian Emeritus of The JTS Library, JTS
As time passed following the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE, the rabbis never gave up on the hope of ultimate restoration, continuing to anticipate a long-term future when the anointed king of Judah (the messiah) would be returned to his throne, the Temple rebuilt, and so forth. But while hoping for this future, they simultaneously built a Judaism for the long “short-term,” one that would make it possible for Jews to wait for many generations until the final restoration.
In this session, we will explore this “short-term/long-term” strategy and ask what wisdom it offers for us today.
If you have previously registered for another session in this series, your registration admits you to all sessions in the series, and you may attend as many as you’d like.
About the Speaker
Dr. David Kraemer is the Gerson D. Cohen Chair in Talmud and Rabbinic Culture and is the Librarian Emeritus of The JTS Library. Dr. Kraemer is a prolific author and commentator. His most recent book, Embracing Exile: The Case for Jewish Diaspora (Oxford University Press, 2025), was named one of “The Best Books of 2025” by The New Yorker.
About the Series
Preoccupation with what comes next, especially in periods of uncertainty, is hardly a new phenomenon. Looking ahead—to what might change, what might endure, and what might be possible—runs throughout Jewish text and tradition.
In this series, JTS scholars and alumni look backward and forward, exploring how Jews across centuries have imagined what comes next, prepared for the unknown, and established what they hoped would endure. From biblical visions and rabbinic ideas about the world to come to preservation, artificial intelligence, and the future of Jewish life, we’ll ask not only what the future might hold, but how we can help shape it.
