JTS held its commencement ceremony virtually on Thursday, April 29. JTS Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz delivered the 2021 commencement address to the 72 graduates from the institution’s five schools: List College, the Kekst Graduate School, H. L. Miller Cantorial School, Rabbinical School, and the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education.

JTS held its ceremony of Cantorial and Rabbinical Ordination on May 23. Mazal Tov to our newly ordained rabbis and cantors!

Download the programs and watch the video recordings of Commencement and the Tekes Hasmakhah: Ceremony of Rabbinical and Cantorial Ordination.

2021 JTS Ordination Program

2021 JTS commencement program

Ensuring our Jewish future through education

The Torah Fund Legacy Society is an initiative of the Torah Fund Campaign of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, administered by The Jewish Theological Seminary. We support scholarships and programming at these five ​institutes of higher learning of the Conservative/Masorti Movement:

 

• The Jewish Theological Seminary (New York)
• Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies (Los Angeles)
• Schechter Institutes of Jewish Studies (Jerusalem)
• Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano (Buenos Aires)
• The Abraham J. Heschel Seminary (Germany)

“I believe the single most important thing I can do to change the world, even after I am gone, is to help ensure that high quality education is available to the future leaders of the Jewish world.”

―Cory Schneider, in planning her bequest

Note: Please consult your attorney or financial advisor when making a bequest. Torah Fund does not offer financial, tax or legal advice.

Suggested language for making a bequest to Torah Fund, U.S. version

Suggested language for making a bequest to Torah Fund, Canadian version

Torah Fund Bequest Confirmation Form

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a legacy gift?
A: It is a gift of an asset, an after-lifetime gift.

Q: Who should join?
A: Everyone. This is not just for the wealthy or seniors. There is no minimum gift required and no
expectation of payment while you are living.

Q: Why wouldn’t I leave all of my estate to my children?
A: Legacy gifts are usually only a percentage of your estate and demonstrate to your heirs your
commitment to Jewish values.

Q: I give an annual gift to Torah Fund. Why should I give a legacy gift too?
A: We are very grateful for your current and past giving to Torah Fund. A legacy gift is needed to
ensure that Torah Fund will continue its support for many, many decades. Recent studies show that
in 20 years organizations will need to generate 20%-25% of their operating budget from legacy gifts
in order to meet their obligations.

Q: Does the gift have to be money or can other things be given?
A: Legacy gifts can take many forms: stocks, bonds, retirement assets, cash, life insurance proceeds, etc.

Q: How much should I bequeath?
There is no correct amount – it varies from person to person – and must be what is right for you.
Any amount is appreciated. Some people will choose to give a set dollar amount, some will specify
a percentage of their estate, or all or part of a particular asset. No gift is too small.

Q: Can I change my gift later?
A: Yes – if your circumstances change you can adjust the amount of your gift.

Q: What are the ways I can leave a legacy gift?
A: There are many ways to leave a legacy gift: by making a bequest in a will or trust; by naming the
organization of your choice as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy, IRA, or pension fund; by giving
a gift of cash or assets. Please consult your professional advisor to determine which method of
giving is best for you.

Q: I already have a will. If I want to leave a legacy gift through my will, must my will be changed?
A: If you want to leave a legacy gift through your will it may need to be changed. Suggested language
is available from the Torah Fund office on a form entitled ‘Making a Bequest in Your Will’. The Torah Fund office does not offer legal, financial, or tax advice. Please consult your professional advisor. Alternatively, you may wish to make your legacy gift without changing your will, by designating Torah Fund as the beneficiary of a different financial instrument, such as those listed Question 8, above.

Q: Why is it important to leave a legacy gift?
A: The long-term future of Jewish education requires adequate financial resources. By leaving a
legacy gift, you help ensure that the values and services of Jewish educational institutions that
Torah Fund supports will be part of our community’s resources long into the future.

Q: I don’t have any family, so why do I need to think about gift and estate planning?
A: State laws will determine the disposition of your estate if you don’t have a plan in writing. Even
if you don’t have a family, you should still create an estate plan that reflects the things you care
about.

Q: I live paycheck to paycheck and I don’t have any money to give now. Can I still participate?
A: The advantage of legacy giving is that no money is paid now. The gift is paid after your
passing, from what is left in your estate.

Q: How can I give without spending money on a will or trust?
A: One option is to name Torah Fund as a beneficiary of an account you already have. You might
also consider a life insurance policy, with Torah Fund as a beneficiary.

Q: Where does the money go?
A: The money will be divided among the institutions that Torah Fund supports at the time your
gift is received. Currently the funds are used to help sustain these remarkable degree-granting
institutions of higher Jewish learning of the Conservative/Masorti movement worldwide:

• The Jewish Theological Seminary (New York, USA)
• Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies (Los Angeles, USA)
• Schechter Institutes for Jewish Studies (Jerusalem, Israel)
• Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
• Abraham J. Heschel Seminary (Germany)

For inquiries, email torahfund@jtsa.edu or call the Torah Fund office at 212-678-8876.

Student Speakers

Student speakers are available for your affiliate Torah Fund events. Our students are wonderful spokespeople for our seminaries. They can share their life stories and spiritual journeys, their command of Torah and/or their gift of music, their poise, warm, idealism and energy, and their vision for the future of the Jewish people.

We can help secure a student speaker from either JTS or Ziegler for your upcoming events. From Ziegler you can request a rabbinical student. From JTS you can request either a rabbinical, cantorial, education, or undergraduate student.

DURING THE PANDEMIC

JTS students receive an honorarium of $200 for a typical talk—whether on a Sunday Zoom brunch, or for a weeknight Zoom event. The honorarium is paid by the affiliate directly to the student after the event.

POST-PANDEMIC

Normally for students traveling to your community, all transportation costs would be paid by your affiliate. If a student were invited for Shabbat, accommodations at a kosher home within walking distance of the synagogue would be expected, as would a schedule in respect of Shabbat/Yom Tov, in accordance with the policies of the Conservative Movement.

HOW TO SECURE A STUDENT FOR YOUR EVENT

Please request at least three months in advance, and please provide all details of your event:

• Day, time, and projected audience
• Preference for student speaker or cantorial student
• Information about your affiliate and community

For inquiries about speakers, please email torahfund@jtsa.edu or call the Torah Fund office at        212-678-8876.

Director, PGIM Real Estate, New Jersey

Most of the year, Lisa Mamaysky works at PGIM Real Estate in New Jersey. But come summer, she pulls out her shorts and sneakers and heads to Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, where she and her husband, Isaac, run Camp Zeke, a Jewish overnight camp focused on celebrating healthy, active living through fitness, sports, cooking, and gourmet food.

The Crossroads Campaign: Creating Inspired Jewish Leaders

Through the Crossroads Campaign, we are raising funds to train outstanding Jewish leaders who will inspire generations of students, congregants, and communities. Partner with us in this historic investment in JTS and the Jewish world. 

Learn more