New Partnership Between Repair the World and The Jewish Theological Seminary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 2021
CONTACT: Zack Block, zack.block@werepair.org; Beth Mayerowitz, bemayerowitz@jtsa.edu

New York, NY — Repair the World, a national Jewish social justice service organization, and The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), a preeminent institution of Jewish higher education, announced a strategic partnership to support alumni of the Repair the World Fellowship, as well as Repair the World staff, by offering discounted tuition for study at JTS.  The Repair the World Fellowship is a 2-year immersive service year for young adults passionate about mobilizing the American Jewish community to volunteer alongside them. Based in one of six Repair the World Communities throughout the United States, Fellows spend two years volunteering with local partners, learning the ins and outs of working at a non-profit, developing their event planning skills, familiarizing themselves with a community, building a nuanced racial justice lens, and getting to know themselves as they work to build a more just world. Fellows will engage the Jewish community through meaningful service learning, Jewish ritual and text, and community programming to mobilize their peers to serve alongside them in partnership with local organizations. Those who complete the program, as well as Repair the World staff, can now deepen their understanding of social justice and Judaism by studying with JTS’s renowned faculty in courses such as Jewish Social Justice, Judaism, Human Rights and Social Justice, Jewish Environmental Ethics, and Modern Jewish History.

“The Jewish Theological Seminary is excited about partnering with Repair the World. The combination of social justice training and higher education instruction can help set students up for a successful career in the social justice sector,” said Missy Present, chief enrollment officer at JTS. “With a graduate education, these students are poised to make a tremendous impact on their communities through a greater understanding of Judaism’s insight into social justice and by learning with a cohort of peers.”

As a result of the partnership, Repair alumni and staff will receive: 

  • Waived application fee
  • Tuition reduction of 65% tuition coverage (not including annual service fees).
  • Qualified applicants will also be eligible for Midcareer Fellowships through an outside foundation, increasing their tuition coverage. Currently, the qualifications are: 5 years since undergraduate degree, 3 years working in a Jewish organization, and American citizen. 
  • Reduced tuition of $700 per course for a total of $2,800 for those accepted to the certificate program in Jewish Ethics and Social Justice for completing the certificate program (4 courses total over one or two academic years).

More information about Repair the World’s university partnerships can be found by visiting https://werepair.org/universitypartnerships/. If you’re looking to volunteer virtually, please check out our opportunities on our website – https://werepair.org/volunteer. If you’re looking for skilled virtual volunteering opportunities, please check out our website – https://repairtheworld.catchafire.org/volunteer-now. For more information about JTS, visit https://www.jtsa.edu. 

About The Jewish Theological Seminary

JTS is a preeminent institution of Jewish higher education, training thoughtful, innovative leaders—rabbis, cantors, educators, lay leaders, and scholars—who strengthen our communities with a vision of Judaism that is deeply grounded in the Jewish past and thoroughly engaged with contemporary society. JTS also provides high-caliber, lifelong learning and professional development to our alumni, adult learners, and Jewish communities throughout North America. Through its Library, JTS preserves and makes accessible to students and scholars throughout the world the greatest collection of Judaica in the Western Hemisphere.