News

Six JTS Alumni Awarded Seeds of Innovation Grants

Feb 11, 2016

The Project supports alumni who are pioneering new ideas that foster Jewish engagement.

JTS to Establish the Block / Kolker Center for Spiritual Arts

The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is pleased to announce the creation of the Block / Kolker Center for Spiritual Arts in honor of Gilda and Henry Block and in memory of their dear friend, Kenneth Kolker (z”l). Rabbi Jan Uhrbach, director of Liturgical Arts at JTS, will serve as the Center’s director. Expected to open this fall, the Center will be an incubator for inventive forms of prayer and liturgy, building community through learning and meaningful shared experiences.

Art Exhibition at JTS Will Explore Transformations in Identity and Contemporary Jewish Life

The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) is pleased to announce the opening of Traversing Tradition: Transformation in and of Contemporary Jewish Life, the fourth visual arts exhibition in the JTS Arts Advisory Board’s ongoing initiative to create and sustain arts programming at JTS. Installations in a wide range of media–including video, photography, and neon–by artists Tamar Ettun, Jake Levin, Angela Strassheim, Silvio Wolf, Gil Yefman, and Sarah Zell Young will explore personal and cultural transformations, drawing inspiration from Jewish texts and traditions associated with dietary laws, prayer, birth, and death. On view beginning September 10, 2015, the exhibition will emerge in two stages during the academic year as JTS begins a major renovation and expansion of its campus facilities, creating a centralized and modernized residence hall, a prominent auditorium and conference center, and a state-of-the-art library.

The William Davidson School of JTS Hails Major Grant to Continue Legacy of Leadership

The William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) has received a $5 million two-year grant from the William Davidson Foundation, fortifying its position as an incubator for outstanding and innovative leadership across the denominational spectrum. Offering residential and online masters and doctoral degrees, The William Davidson School’s unparalleled education is also one of the most affordable and accessible thanks to a wide range of merit-based scholarships made possible through the William Davidson Foundation.

The Davidson School of JTS and HUC-JIR Awarded Major Grant to Launch Early Childhood Education

JTS and HUC-JIR have received a grant from The Crown Family to launch a Chicago based cohort of the Jewish Early Childhood Education Leadership Institute (JECELI).

Marc Gary on “The JTS Library for the 21st Century”

“The JTS Library houses the most significant collection of Hebraic and Judaic manuscripts and rare printed books in the world outside of the State of Israel (and some would argue in the entire world). At JTS, we feel a tremendous responsibility for enhancing, conserving, and increasing access to this unparalleled treasure of the Jewish people. Articles such as the one published here by Naomi Stillman (September 16, 2015), which contain numerous inaccuracies and mischaracterize the goals and purposes of the JTS campus redevelopment project, are hurtful to those of us who take that responsibility seriously. Moreover, they undermine support for the Library and its mission, which Ms. Stillman and thousands of other people hold dear.”

Building Shabbat Community: Introduction by Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen

The Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC) recently released Building Shabbat Community: Through Meaningful Alternative Prayer Service Experiences, which includes a forward by Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen.

Dr. Alan Mittleman Named Aaron Rabinowitz and Simon H. Rifkind Professor of Jewish Philosophy at JTS

Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) recently appointed Dr. Alan Mittleman to the position of Aaron Rabinowitz and Simon H. Rifkind Professor of Jewish Philosophy. Dr. Mittleman’s current work in progress-a book tentatively entitled The Holy and the Good: An Essay in Jewish Philosophical Theology-is supported by a major grant from the Herzl Institute’s Jewish Philosophical Theology Project. He succeeds Dr. Neil Gillman, Aaron Rabinowitz and Simon H. Rifkind Professor of Jewish Philosophy Emeritus.

Dr. Jeffrey Kress Appointed Dr. Bernard Heller Chair in Jewish Education at The Davidson School

Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) recently appointed Dr. Jeffrey Kress, associate professor of Jewish Education and academic director of the Experiential Learning Initiative at the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education, to the position of Dr. Bernard Heller Chair in Jewish Education. Dr. Kress’s work is focused on creating vibrant Jewish educational settings that inspire the next generation of Jewish leaders. Dr. Kress succeeds Dr. Carol Ingall, Dr. Bernard Heller Professor of Jewish Education Emerita.

JTS Institutes Policy on Paid Parental Leave

The Chancellor’s Cabinet of The Jewish Theological Seminary is pleased to present JTS’s newly instituted Paid Parental Leave Policy. This policy reflects our values as an institution and supports our faculty and staff members in both their work and personal lives. As this new policy is implemented, we will continue to explore other avenues for making JTS an even more caring and fulfilling place to work.