From the Beit Midrash to the Streets: A Window into the Rabbinate
March 4, 2026
This past January, JTS hosted a four‑day immersive called “From the Beit Midrash to the Streets: A Window into the Rabbinate.” We welcomed 27 prospective and 18 current rabbinical students to 3080 Broadway for intensive text study, prayer, encounters with alumni leaders, and service and learning across New York City. JTS is grateful for the support of the H&F Baker Foundation that made this event possible.
The immersive program integrated Beit Midrash learning with site visits, prayer, and community building. Guided by core faculty and JTS alumni, Rabbi David Rosenn, CEO of the Hebrew Free Loan Association and founder of Avodah; Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of Truah; and Dr. Marjorie Lehman, Chair of the Department of Rabbinic Literatures and Cultures at JTS, participants learned together in the Beit Midrash. Drawing on halakhic, pastoral, political, and sociological lenses, they examined issues of reproductive healthcare and economic justice.
The intensive brought together participants with both advanced and limited havruta experience, and many described these sessions as spiritually meaningful and formative for their sense of identity. Participants also took part in daily student-led tefillah, including a creative, musical Shacharit service, and evening programming.
Outside 3080 Broadway, participants joined faith leaders translating Torah into action. Participants attended the Multifaith Mondays vigil in Columbus Circle, a live example of interfaith solidarity and public witness. They also engaged in service work at Afri‑kana, an immigrant organization in Harlem, and with Broadway Community, a local nonprofit that supports neighbors experiencing food insecurity and homelessness.
Through these experiences, participants learned how JTS’s model integrates social justice as a frequent and authentic path in the rabbinate. One prospective student shared their excitement at the possibility of “[getting] a JTS education and still [being able] to do the social justice work that is important to me.” Some participants shifted from a pulpit-only mindset to include nonprofit and service-oriented roles, and others reported that the experiences solidified their pulpit aspirations.
In the evenings, current JTS students organized optional social and educational opportunities in the Beit Midrash, including a song circle, student-led shiurim, arts and crafts projects, and a hot chocolate bar. During this unstructured time, prospective students gained a more in-depth look at life as a student. One participant shared, “I loved the authenticity and specificity of information in these conversations, and it really impacted my belief that I could succeed at JTS.”
Other highlights included visits to The JTS Library’s Rare Book Room and the Tenement Museum.
A truly meaningful, fruitful, and energizing experience for all!
Learn more about our programs to deepen your Jewish learning or to explore paths to ordination and leadership:
Nishma: The JTS Beit Midrash Summer Program
Text in the City: A Week-Long Summer Experience for Adult Learners
