Online Lecture Series 

Since April of 2020, when adult learners across the globe were yearning for intellectual stimulation and human connection amidst the profound disorientation of the Covid-19 pandemic, JTS has been offering online study sessions with our renowned faculty and other JTS-affiliated scholars. Thousands of participants have now enjoyed these weekly sessions. 

Lectures are generally offered as series organized around a central theme, about which scholars from virtually every sub-discipline within Jewish studies then share texts and insights. Registration for the series is free and you may attend as many sessions as you like. Sessions are held on most Mondays throughout the year, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm ET. We also offer occasional stand-alone sessions on timely topics. 

Summer 2024 Series

JTS Alumni in the World: Scholarship and Impact
Mondays, June 17 to August 12, 2024
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET

Our esteemed JTS alumni are making important contributions through their work as scholars and thought leaders in their fields. Join them this summer for nine outstanding learning sessions. Through their engagement with Jewish text, history, and thought, they are enhancing the spiritual and personal lives of individuals, building more inclusive communities, and preparing the leaders of tomorrow, ensuring a stronger Jewish future.

Presenters include:

Rabbi Pamela Barmash, PhD (RS ’90), Washington University in St. Louis 
Rabbi Aaron Brusso (KS ’01 and RS ’00), Bet Torah 
Dr. Leah Garrett (KS ’99), City University of New York 
Rabbi Shai Held, PhD (RS ’99 and KS ’99), Hadar Institute 
Dr. Michael Kay (DSLTI ’08), The Leffell School 
Dr. Rachel Kranson (KS ’00), University of Pittsburgh 
Rabbi Karen Reiss Medwed, PhD (RS ’95 and LC ’91), Northeastern University 
Dr. Ora Horn Prouser (KS ’91 and SC ’82), Academy for Jewish Religion 
Rabbi Jason Rubenstein (RS ’11 and KS ’10), Harvard Hillel  
Dr. Lauren Strauss (KS ’04), American University 
Dr. Amy Weiss (KS ’07), University of Hartford   

Scroll down to the bottom of this page to view upcoming sessions, and click through on any of them to register for the series.

Past Series

Enjoy over 150 past sessions at the series pages below, where you will find a video recording of each session in the series along with a downloadable source sheet for that session.

• Times of Crisis and Possibility 
• Faith, Forgiveness, and Prayer: Finding Meaning in the Days of Awe 
• Living a Life of Meaning 
• The Other in Jewish Text and Tradition 
• A Wandering People: Jewish Journeys, Real and Imagined 
• Six Days Shall You Labor: Perspectives on Work in Jewish Text and Tradition 
• The Power of Emotion: Judaism and the Inner Life 
• Relating to God 
• Stories and Storytelling 
• Dangerous Ideas: Censorship through a Jewish Lens 
• The Space in Between: Thresholds and Borders in Jewish Thought and Life 
• The Dynamics of Change 
• The Torah of the New Year 
• Two Are Better Than One: Friendship in Jewish Text, Thought, and Life 
• Timely Insights, Timeless Wisdom 

Sponsor a Session

Sponsoring a learning session is a beautiful way to honor or remember a loved one or to mark a significant occasion—whether it be a yahrtzeit, a personal or professional achievement, or a milestone celebration. Three sponsorship levels are available: Hakham ($540), Tzadik ($1,000), and Navi ($1,800). As part of the registration process for any series, you will have the opportunity to specify if there is a particular session or scholar you wish to sponsor.  

All sponsorship levels are acknowledged on the session webpage, in email announcements pertaining to the session, in opening and closing remarks at the session, and on the welcome slide in the Zoom waiting room. Additionally, sponsors at the Tzadik level receive a 50% tuition discount for their next JTS online course, to be applied any time within a year after the sponsorship. Sponsors at the Navi level receive the above acknowledgments and benefits and are also invited to enjoy an exclusive seminar-style online learning session with a JTS scholar at the end of the academic year. 

Contact Us

If you have questions about our weekly online lectures, please contact us at communitylearning@jtsa.edu.