JTS Torah Commentary

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. 

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.

What’s Dikduk Got to Do With It? Language, Law, and Theology

The innovations of the rabbis can be seen not only in the content of their laws but also in their creative use of the Hebrew language. While they preserved the laws and formulations that they inherited from the Bible, the rabbis also transformed them in significant ways. In this session, we closely examine passages about the return of lost objects to uncover how linguistic shifts reflect new rabbinic understandings of property and their theological implications. 

Standing Together: Prayer, Presence, and the Power of Community

The High Holidays invite us into a season of profound reflection—not only on who we are as individuals, but on how we show up for one another and the world. This three-part webinar series explores the emotional and spiritual heart of this sacred time, focusing on the themes of vulnerability, responsibility, and connection. 

You Say You Want a Revolution: Jewish Encounters with Radical Change 

What does revolution look like in Jewish life—spiritual, social, technological, or political? This fall, join JTS scholars for a provocative webinar series exploring transformative moments across Jewish history. From the emergence of monotheism to the Russian Revolution, from handwritten manuscripts to digital frontiers, from summer camps to the Talmud, we’ll consider how Jews have sparked, resisted, and reimagined change. Each session invites reflection on what revolution means—then and now. 

Senior Sermons: Class of 2026

Presentations by senior Rabbinical School students in 5786 Find the written text for the senior sermons on Exploring Judaism Sarah Rockford – Bereshit Noa Rubin – Noah Sara Birnbaum – Lekh Lekha Zachary Bernstein-Rothberg – Vayera Rachel Cohn – Hayyei Sarah Jacob Lipkin – Toledot Micah Cowan – Vayishlah Marc Hersch – Beshallah

The John Leopold and Martha Dellheim Senior Recital (December 2025)

Graduating Cantorial School senior Marc Szechter headlined an exciting evening of music and spirit. The recital featured a wide range of Jewish music, along with choral works and both existing and newly premiered compositions by Marc and Cantor Gerald Cohen. Marc was accompanied by pianist Joyce Rosenzweig, JTS adjunct instructor, and the combined choir of the H. L. Miller Cantorial School and Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music.  

Seasons of Responsibility: Interreligious Conversations on Environmental Justice and Repair

Winter-Spring 2026 Learning Series Across Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu traditions, the early spring season is a shared period of reflection, renewal, and ethical clarity. While rooted in different stories and practices—from Tu BiShvat to Lent and Easter, from Ramadan to Holi and Passover—these holidays collectively invite communities to consider how human choices shape the […]

Truth or Fiction?

By MFA in Creative Writing | Public Event video | Video Lecture

The JTS MFA in Creative Writing is built around conversation about hard truths and strange fictions—about writing, teaching, failure, ambition, and why anyone keeps doing this in the first place. This three-part online series invites you into those conversations, with faculty and students speaking honestly about craft, community, and what it really means to commit to the work.

Between the Lines: Children of the Book

By Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary | Public Event video | Video Lecture

In Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together (St. Martin’s Press / On Sale: August 26, 2025), Ilana Kurshan reveals how literature weaves an invisible thread through the tapestry of family life. Kurshan, a mother of five living in Jerusalem, struggles to balance her passion for books with her responsibilities as a parent. Gradually she learns how to relate to reading not as a solitary pursuit and an escape from the messiness of life, but rather as a way of forging connection and teaching independence. Introducing her children to sacred and secular literature—including the beloved classics of her childhood—she becomes both a better mother and a more compassionate reader.