JTS Torah Archive

High Holiday Reflections

By The Jewish Theological Seminary | Collected Resources | Shabbat Shuvah | Rosh Hashanah | Yom Kippur

Explore these sources from JTS Scholars, Students, and Alumni to enrich the Yamim Nora’im.

Sukkot Multimedia

Kohelet’s Pursuit of Truth: A New Reading of Ecclesiastes In his book Kohelet’s Pursuit of Truth, Rabbi Benjamin J. Segal, former president of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, presents an arresting new translation and commentary on Ecclesiastes that unlocks the ancient wisdom of one of the deepest and most controversial books of the […]

The Esslingen Mahzor

The Esslingen Mahzor was written and decorated by Kalonymos ben Judah, who lived in Mainz in the thirteenth century; it is his only known work and we know little else about him. In the colophon, ben Judah writes that he completed the mahzor on 28 Tevet 5050 (January 12, 1290), making it the earliest dated […]

Evolution of Torah: Germany

The German Jewish community was at once highly organized and prosperous. At the same time, they were subject to the potentially violent whims of non-Jewish community around them. These parallels of strength and challenge are at the core of this episode about rabbinic culture in the Germanic provinces in the 13th century. We will focus on the specific struggles of two rabbis, the Maharam (Rabbi Meir ben Barukh) of Rothenberg and Rabbi Mordechai ben Hillel while exploring their and others’ contributions to Jewish practice.

Teshuvah

Teshuvah means return and annual process of teshuvah provides us with a way to engage our past selves and move forward. These resources offer insight into this yearly renewal.

Heschel on Prophesy: Spirituality and Activism

This program originally aired as part of”ScholarStream: A Partnership of the Conservative Movement” and is being made available to honor Abraham Joshua Heschel’s 50th yahrzeit. Rabbi Gordon Tucker, Vice Chancellor for Religious Life & Engagement, JTS, shared his insight into the Heschel’s pursuit of justice and connection to God in this session. Thanks to our partners at the Rabbinical Assembly for sharing this program to commemorate this special date, which are not available without registering for the event.

Holidays

By The Jewish Theological Seminary | Collected Resources | Hanukkah | Pesah | Purim | Rosh Hashanah | Shavuot | Shemini Atzeret | Simhat Torah | Sukkot | Tishah Be'av | Yom Hashoah | Yom Hazikaron-Yom Ha'atzma'ut | Yom Kippur

Explore these sources from scholars and students at JTS to enrich your holiday experience.

Cultivating a Habit of Generosity

By Eliezer B. Diamond | Public Event video

Part of the Global Day of Jewish Learning. With Rabbi Eliezer Diamond, PhD, Rabbi Judah Nadich Associate Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics, JTS  What is the relationship between our level of generosity and our beliefs, our attitudes, and our actions? For Rav Eliyahu Dessler (1892–1953, Belarus/England/Israel), love, faith, empathy, and social bonding are consequences of generosity—not its causes. In […]

Finding the Four Children

Texts Intent of a Question (Eliezer Diamond): Understanding the evil child’s question The Right to Question (Ismar Schorsch): Amplifying the importance of engaging children in the Jewish story Videos A Twist on the Story of the Four Children with Rabbi Julia Andelman Wise and Simple: A Rabbinic Idealwith Rabbi Lilly Kaufman Elijah’s Cup: A Time […]

Rosh Hashanah Liturgy

TEXTS Lacking Praise (Rabbi Matthew Berkowitz): Why is Hallel absent from the Rosh Hashanah liturgy The Value of Doubt (Rabbi Julia Andelman): Vekhol Ma’aminim, the conflict between belief and doubt Choosing to Choose (Rabbi Jan Uhrbach): “Hayom Harat Olam” and the value of creation Safe in God’s Memory (Rabbi Mychal Springer): The Rosh Hashanah Amidah […]

Purim Practices

The Jews ordained and took upon themselves and upon their descendants… that these days of Purim should not cease from among the Jews, nor the memory of them perish from among their descendants… to observe these days of Purim at their appointed time. (Esther 9:27-31) The Laws of Purim from A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice by Rabbi […]

A Sacred Space: Synagogue Architecture and Identity

By Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary

October 26, 2023–March 7, 2024 The JTS Library exhibit, “A Sacred Space: Synagogue Architecture and Identity,” offers an exciting opportunity to view a large selection of rare prints depicting historic synagogues. The exhibit, co-curated by Samuel D. Gruber and Sharon Liberman Mintz, will trace the history of European synagogue styles from the 17th to the 19th […]

Revelation at Sinai

Both of the images below reflect the awe and wonder at Sinai, reflecting two types of revelation: both the perception of God’s presence and the manifestation of God’s will through the laws of the Torah. These 19th Century prints from Special Collections of the JTS Library highlight the overwhelming presence of this moment. Text Who […]

Reframing the Liturgy

TEXTS (YOM KIPPUR) Connecting the Dots: The Basel 125th Conference and the Days of Awe (Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz): What the Viddui can teach us about 21st Century Zionism. Tip the Scales (Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz): Examining U-netaneh Tokef in light of the COVID pandemic Clay in the Potter’s Hands (Rabbi Joel Seltzer): Exploring Ki […]

Purim and the Parashah

The Shabbat before Purim is called Shabbat Zakhor and is connected to the story of Amalek. Find more on Amalek and his connection to Haman here. Toledot Two Brothers, Two Candidates (Rabbi Joshua Heller) Tetzavveh How We Wear Our Judaism (Rabbi Lewis Warshauer) Clothing Ourselves in Sanctity (Rabbi Matthew Berkowitz) The Masks We Wear (Ofra Backenroth) Vayak-hel–Pekudei From […]

In Every Generation

In every generation, one must see oneself as if one had personally experienced the Exodus from Egypt. These resources show connections across time and place, highlighting the eternal nature of the struggle for redemption. Seder Supplement JTS Seder Supplement for the COVID-19 Pandemic: JTS Faculty and Staff created this guide to enhance the Seder experience at […]

Stories and Storytelling

Join JTS scholars to explore a selection of stories drawn from across ancient, rabbinic, medieval, and modern Jewish literature. We will consider the power of shared stories, the unique ways in which they transmit values, norms, culture, and information, and how they can bring Jews together across time and space.

Lighting the Darkness

By The Jewish Theological Seminary | Collected Resources | Hanukkah

In the northern hemisphere, we light the eighth Hanukkah candle on one of the darkest night of the year–the new moon closest to the winter solstice. These readings and videos explore the importance of increasing our light in dark times.

Shavuot Learning

EXPLORE THESE SOURCES FROM SCHOLARS AND STUDENTS AT THEJEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY TO ENRICH YOUR SHAVUOT EXPERIENCE. These nine images are part of one illumination that depicts Moses receiving the law. It comes from a 15th Century Manuscript, The Rothschild Mahzor, which is part of JTS Special Collections. You can learn more here about the image […]

Living Yiddish in New York

By Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary

This exhibit introduced visitors to rare archival materials that provided a snapshot of New York City as an important center of modern Yiddish culture. Between 1880 and 1924, approximately two million Eastern European Jews immigrated to the United States. Many of them settled in New York City, which by 1914 was home to 1.4 million Jews, among them the world’s largest urban population of Yiddish speakers.