JTS Torah Commentary

Exploring Kabbalah: In the Beginning

By Eitan Fishbane | Podcast or Radio Program

This episode introduces the central themes of Jewish mysticism which will be developed throughout this series. The themes are spiritual awareness and consciousness, monism (God is the oneness of ALL being) or pantheism (God is the oneness in all reality), cultivation of contemplative experiences, the principle of Ineffability (what lies beyond the ability of ordinary […]

Hasidism

The series ends in 18th Century Eastern Europe, with the rise of Hasidism. Dr. Fishbane contends that Hasidism is a form of modern Kabbalah focused on spiritual psychology and the devotional connection between humans and God. The kabbalah of Hasidism made mysticism more accessible to a broader audience with an explicit focus on the inner […]

Vulnerability and the Omer

By Rabbi Ayelet Cohen

This speech was delivered at Tekes Hasmakah, the Ordination of JTS Rabbinical and Cantorial Students, in May 2024 by Rabbi Ayelet Cohen. TRANSCRIPT In the time you have been at rabbinical and cantorial students at JTS, the world has been transformed, punctuated by COVID and bookended by war.    This Shabbat, Parshat Emor calls us to […]

JTS High Holiday Webinars 2024

Prepare for 5785 with three meaningful, enriching sessions.

Seeking the Hiding God: A Personal Theological Essay

By Arnold M. Eisen | Public Event video | Video Lecture | Rosh Hashanah | Yom Kippur

To mark this period of spiritual atonement and reflection, Dr. Eisen discussed his rich, original, and moving work and invite us to ask, perhaps for the first time, what we actually believe about ultimate matters of faith and doubt. Those of us searching for ultimate meaning will find reassurance that the search itself can be a source of personal fulfillment, vibrant community, and great joy. The book’s three chapters include a Passover Seder with its theme of past and future redemption; the Yom Kippur liturgy that guides worshippers through the difficult work of atonement, forgiveness and return; and the day-to-day responsibilities, personal and communal, of covenant, mitzvah, and love. 

Seeing the Unseeable: Kabbalistic Imagery from The Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary

By Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary

March 26 – August 15, 2024 The spread of classical philosophy among Jews in the medieval period posed a significant challenge to traditional conceptions of divinity. While the God of the bible and rabbinic literature was a personal, anthropomorphic, and specifically Jewish God, the God of the philosophers was abstract, impersonal, and universal. To bridge […]

The Toledo-Constantinople Bible

By Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary | Rosh Hashanah | Yom Kippur

Like all Masoretic texts, the Toledo-Constantinople Bible (MS New York L6) includes precise Hebrew and Aramaic text, vocalization, and accents of the 24 books of the Hebrew canon. The colophon[1] of this Bible reveals a statement of profound resilience.

The Esslingen Mahzor

By Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary | Rosh Hashanah | Yom Kippur

In the winter of 1290 in Esslingen, a small market town in southwest Germany, a talented Jewish scribe named Kalonimos ben Yehudah completed his one surviving credited work, The Esslingen Mahzor (MS New York 9344), the earliest-dated Hebrew book made in Germany. It is a large-format prayer book created for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.

Zionism: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond – Expanding the Conversation

What does it mean to be a Zionist in 21st Century North America? The JTS Convening, “Zionism: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond” is a two-day program which will explore this and other questions. In this webinar series, we expand on these conversations, presenting both the significant insights and debate that emerged, as well as enhancing the context that is informing contemporary issues. JTS faculty will highlight the political, religious, and philosophical perspectives that shape the current landscape for Jews in North America in relationship with Israel.

Expanding the Conversation – Zionism: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond

This gathering is just the beginning. Help JTS continue to develop the themes and ideas that emerged at the Convening. Share these pieces with your network.

Senior Sermons: Class of 2025

Presentations by senior Rabbinical School students in 5785 Find the written text for the senior sermons on Exploring Judaism Rebecca Gallin – Bereishit Sass Brown – Lekh Lekha Alex Friedman – Vayera Claire Shoyer – Vayera Aiden Pink – Hayyei Sarah Lara Rodin – Vayetzei

Lara Rodin – Senion Sermon (RS ’25)

Vayetzei All Class of 2025 Senior Sermons