Department: Division of Lifelong and Professional Studies Reports to: AcademicDirector, Division of Lifelong and Professional Studies Location: In-person in New York Full-time: 35-hour work week Salary: $70,000 per year
Description of the Position:
The Academic Program Manager is a dynamic administrative position supporting the Academic Director of the Division of Lifelong and Professional Studies. The Manager will play a pivotal role in launching JTS’s newest degree program—the MA in Ritual Leadership—while also overseeing enrollment and data management for three of JTS’s vibrant Lifelong Learning offerings: the Biblical Hebrew and Context certificate programs and the Open Classroom auditor program. In this highly interactive role, the Manager will be the first point of contact for students, fostering meaningful relationships and ensuring they have a smooth, successful, and enriching academic experience.
The Division of Lifelong and Professional Studies (DLPS) serves as the nexus of JTS’s new initiatives and adult learning programs. As a close-knit team with a collaborative and entrepreneurial approach, the DLPS combines “start-up” energy with the mission-driven purpose of a leading institution in Jewish higher education. This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing division, contribute to the launch and expansion of academic programs, and support a diverse community of lifelong learners.
Key Responsibilities:
The duties listed below reflect the core responsibilities of the role, though they are not exhaustive and may vary in frequency depending on the needs of the Division and its programs.
Student Enrollment and Coordination
Manage the day-to-day administration of the MA and certificate programs, serving as a responsive and welcoming point of contact for students from inquiry through completion.
Coordinate student enrollment, registration, and certification processes in collaboration with the Registrar and Admissions offices.
Support admissions operations for the MA in Ritual Leadership, working closely with the JTS Admissions Office to process applications, track enrollment data, and communicate with prospective students.
Provide proactive administrative support and advisement to current students, including communication around academic requirements, deadlines, and opportunities.
Coordinate student capstone and certification projects.
Resource and Content Development
Oversee the creation, revision, and maintenance of program-related materials, including website content, promotional materials, handbooks, and communications.
Manage and update program content in JTS’s Learning Management System (Canvas).
Financial and Operational Oversight
Manage budget and financial operations for assigned programs, including preparing materials for planning, reporting, and analysis.
Track program expenditures, process invoices and stipends, and manage scholarship allocation processes in consultation with program leadership.
Support logistical planning and production for internal and public-facing events, such as immersive residencies, speaker programs, and graduation ceremonies.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree required
Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Brings creativity, curiosity, and a collaborative spirit to work
Strong problem-solving skills, sound judgment, and a proactive approach to work.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a student-centered and service-oriented mindset.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues across departments and to work both independently and as part of a team.
Fluency in Microsoft Office and Zoom; comfort with or eagerness to learn additional platforms used by JTS (e.g., Canvas LMS, CRM systems, and database tools).
Experience in higher education administration or related fields preferred.
Mazal Tov to the 2025 Graduates of The William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education!
Tobi Afran is the assistant director of Camp Ramah in the Poconos.
Sarah Bernstein is Park Avenue Synagogue’s assistant director of congregational schools in NYC.
Mallory Bustow is the education director of Hebrew Educational Alliance in Denver, CO.
Liora Finkel is both education coordinator and teacher of CSAIR Marsha Dane Stern Hebrew School in Bronx, NY as well as a teacher and Hebrew-tfilah curriculum coordinator for Temple Israel of New Rochelle, NY.
Julia Goldberg is continuing her academic and professional interest as a JTS rabbinical school student.
Trudy (Morse) Goldshine is the senior manager of Jewish education for Repair the World in Los Angeles, CA.
Israel (Izzy) Gordan is the fundraising manager of Shahar, a moshav in Israel.
Shelly S. Kedar is the chief impact officer of the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Ariel Light is the programs and engagement associate at the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas.
Emma Sesar is an assistant teacher at the Abraham Joshua Heschel High School in New York.
Hadassa Slager teaches Hebrew and Jewish studies at Smith Jewish Academy (formerly known as Amos and Celia Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School) in Minneapolis.
Shanna Bedrick Straut continues in her role as Director of Education of Temple Beth Sholom in New City, NY.
We are very proud of our alumni who shared the following professional achievements and brought us up to date on their roles. If you have an update that you would like to share in the next issue, please reach out to Melissa Friedman, Director of Alumni Affairs at mefriedman@jtsa.edu.
Matt Altman is the assistant director of Yachad, the congregational school of Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn, NY.
Alyssa Berman was one of five Jewish educators to receive the Jewish Education Project’s 2025 Robert M. Sherman Young Pioneers Award. This award celebrates educators aged 40 and under who demonstrate a commitment to new ideas and the use of innovative approaches to inspire children and families in their community.
Matthew Check published an edgy, self-aware memoir, What Would Philip Roth Do?
Hillary Jaye Gardenswartz is now a talent lead for Sandler Search, matching talent with hiring non-profit employers.
Sheridan Gayer is now the director of family engagement of Temple Shaaray Tefilla in New York.
Danielle Rockman Greene, now a certified pediatric sleep consultant, is the founder & owner at Danielle Greene Sleep Consulting, LLC.
Samuel Greene serves as the senior speaker bureau coordinator at L&M Healthcare Communications.
Harman Grossman is an educator at the upper school of Golda Och Academy in West Orange, NJ.
Rachelle Grossman is an assistant professor in the department of comparative & world literature at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Joshua Jacobs is a psychotherapist at Metropolitan Center for Mental Health in New York.
Saul Kaiserman is a lecturer at American Jewish University.
YonahKirschner was recently promoted to program director of Covenant Foundation.
Kelly Kosar began her studies towards an EdD at American Jewish University in early childhood education.
Jacob Kotlicky received rabbinic ordination by Yeshivas Chonen Daas and now serves as a department chair at David Posnack Jewish Day School in Davie, FL.
Jaimie Krass was named president & chief executive officer of Keshet.
Eliyahu Krigel is the director of education and family engagement of SULAM, the religious school of Beth El Temple in West Hartford, CT.
Micah Lapidus, director of Jewish and Hebrew studies and school rabbi at the Alfred and Adele Davis Academy in Atlanta, was a 2025 recipient of the prestigious Covenant Award.
Gabe Miner is the director of Jewish student belonging at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Margie K. and Louis N. Cohen Center for Jewish Life
Jon Mitzmacher recently became a senior director at Scott Goldberg Consulting.
Alli Moses was recently promoted to associate director of Ramah Galim/Camp Ramah in Northern California.
Micah Peltz was honored by Temple Beth Sholom in Cherry Hill, NJ for 18 years of dedicated leadership.
Miles Roger is now the director of lifelong learning at Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun in Milwaukee, WI.
Sara Shapiro-Plevan became the new chief program officer of Elluminate.
Jordan David Soffer will become head of school at Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy in Stamford, CT on July 1, 2026.
Amy Posner is now the chief advancement officer/interim executive director of the Hudson Valley Community College Foundation.
Andy Shugerman recently expanded his work to include the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh as an educational consultant.
Carrie Zucker Siegel was named Head of School of Golda Och Academy in West Orange, NJ
Samantha Aviva Vinokor-Meinrath was named one of Hadassah’s “18 American Zionist Women You Should Know.” Samantha is recognized as a leading voice on the American-Jewish experience at this transitional point in history.
Dana Beth Levinson Walker recently joined Urban Legend Media as its chief operating officer.
Andy Weissfeld joined the leadership team at Congregation Adas Israel in Washington, DC as its new rabbinic director of education and Judaics.
Help Us Increase the Holiness in Our World
As we begin 5786, we celebrate the accomplishments that continue to shape our future.
If you are interested in learning more about planned giving opportunities or your eligibility to give through an individual IRA, please contact Linda Zisk.
List College Students: A Summer of Scholarship, Experience, and Connections
This summer, List College students pursued a wide range of meaningful experiences—spanning research, internships, community engagement, and travel. From archival work at the Library of Congress and Tel Aviv University, to educational research at Columbia and Teachers College, to creative work in fashion, to working at summer camps, our students deepened their learning while contributing their skills to diverse fields.
Ilana Bramson served as a Junior Fellow in the Hebraic Section of the Library of Congress, cataloging over 1,000 books from the Deinard Collection—many of which had been undiscoverable since their 1912 donation by Jacob Schiff.
Clementine Silver Schwartz, a junior majoring in Jewish Gender and Women’s Studies, Sociology, and Education at Columbia, conducted research in the Curriculum and Teaching Department at Teachers College with Dr. Stephanie McCall. Their work explored sexuality and trauma in school curricula, examining the impact of abstinence-only education, and envisioning more sex-positive pedagogies.
Abner Gordan interned with celebrity stylist Sam Spector, compiling lookbooks and moodboards, assisted with fittings, and supported preparations for red carpet events and award shows. Clients included Neil Patrick Harris, Kevin Jonas, Kate McKinnon, Alan Cumming, Michael Zegen, Andy Cohen, and others.
Haya Fine interned at the New York Historical Society, gaining hands-on experience in museum work and historical research.
Liana Marks worked as a research assistant intern at Tel Aviv University with Professor David Schorr on his project about the Warren Court and Israel. She sourced and digitized archival newspaper materials in English and Hebrew, organized them into a searchable database, and indexed over 500 archival documents and photographs from the Library of Congress.
As part of Columbia University’s Denning Global Fellows in Sustainable Development program, rising List College senior Yardena Rubin worked with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on a climate vulnerability assessment, evaluating how climate change could affect both health care facilities and patient populations..
Many students worked at summer camps, including Ramah camps where they served as JTS Ramah Ambassadors, while others volunteered in Israel.
List College Students: A Summer of Scholarship, Experience, and Connections
This summer, List College students pursued a wide range of meaningful experiences—spanning research, internships, community engagement, and travel. From archival work at the Library of Congress and Tel Aviv University, to educational research at Columbia and Teachers College, to creative work in fashion, to working at summer camps, our students deepened their learning while contributing their skills to diverse fields.
Ilana Bramson served as a Junior Fellow in the Hebraic Section of the Library of Congress, cataloging over 1,000 books from the Deinard Collection—many of which had been undiscoverable since their 1912 donation by Jacob Schiff.
Clementine Silver Schwartz, a junior majoring in Jewish Gender and Women’s Studies, Sociology, and Education at Columbia, conducted research in the Curriculum and Teaching Department at Teachers College with Dr. Stephanie McCall. Their work explored sexuality and trauma in school curricula, examining the impact of abstinence-only education, and envisioning more sex-positive pedagogies.
Abner Gordan interned with celebrity stylist Sam Spector, compiling lookbooks and moodboards, assisted with fittings, and supported preparations for red carpet events and award shows. Clients included Neil Patrick Harris, Kevin Jonas, Kate McKinnon, Alan Cumming, Michael Zegen, Andy Cohen, and others.
Haya Fine interned at the New York Historical Society, gaining hands-on experience in museum work and historical research.
Liana Marks worked as a research assistant intern at Tel Aviv University with Professor David Schorr on his project about the Warren Court and Israel. She sourced and digitized archival newspaper materials in English and Hebrew, organized them into a searchable database, and indexed over 500 archival documents and photographs from the Library of Congress.
As part of Columbia University’s Denning Global Fellows in Sustainable Development program, rising List College senior Yardena Rubin worked with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on a climate vulnerability assessment, evaluating how climate change could affect both health care facilities and patient populations..
Many students worked at Jewish summer camps, including Devin Leslie at Camp Tawonga in California, and others worked at Ramah camps and served as JTS Ramah Ambassadors, while others volunteered in Israel.
Division of Religious Leadership: A Summer of Learning, Leading, and Living Jewishly
The DRL community had a vibrant and meaningful summer—learning, engaging, and gaining experiences both inside and beyond the classroom. Here are some highlights:
Nishma: We had a fantastic summer session of Nishma, led by Sara Duker and Matt Eisenfeld z”l Beit Midrash Director Rabbi Luciana Pajecki Lederman. Incoming and continuing DRL students honed their skills, studied Talmud, and explored Jewish life in New York City.
Tanakh 360: The pilot summer of Tanakh 360 program welcomed JTS students and community learners into the Beit Midrash, where they studied Tanakh with faculty across disciplines.
Camp and Youth Leadership: DRL students made an impact as yoatzot, rashei edah, and educators at Ramah Canada, Berkshires, Darom, Nyack, Ojai, and Galim. One student worked on USY on Wheels, and another served as an intern at USY’s Leadership Training Institute, helping shape the next generation of Jewish leaders.
Cantorial Student Engagement: Cantorial School students joined Cantor Shoshi Levin Goldberg at the Cantors Assembly convention on the Jersey Shore. Later in the summer, DRL students joined her at the North American Jewish Choral Festival.
Immersive Learning: Rabbinical students took part in two multi-day minimester immersives, one in May and another in August, diving deeply into intensive study and practice.
Fellowships & Internships: One rabbinical student, serving as a Slifka Nadich Fellow at the Hartman Institute, helped staff the launch of their teen program. Several students engaged in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) internships, gaining hands-on experience in spiritual care.
Global Experiences: Many students spent the summer in Israel, immersed in a wide range of work, volunteer opportunities, and personal growth experiences.
Recruiting on the Road
Members from the admissions office, as well as deans, visited multiple locations this summer to meet with potential students. They were out and about, talking with future students about JTS’s many programs and opportunities.
Rabbi Ayelet Cohen, Pearl Resnick Dean of The Rabbinical School, and Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay, Associate Dean of The Rabbinical School, visited Camp Ramah in the Poconos and met with current and future rabbinical students, along with camp staff and administrators. Rabbi Cohen also met up with JTS students at Ramah Day Camp in Nyack and spent time at Ramah in the Rockies, and Rabbi Ruskay taught at Ramah Berkshires.
Rabbi Cantor Shoshi Levin Goldberg, Director of the H. L. Miller Cantorial School, spent a Shabbat with her family at Ramah Day Camp in Nyack, where she previously was a staff member.
Rabbi Annie Lewis, Director of Recruitment and Admissions for Religious and Educational Leadership and Assistant Dean of First Year Rabbinical Students, took an extensive tour, visiting multiple camps. She served as scholar-in-residence at Camp Ramah in the Poconos and taught rising 7th graders about tefillin; participated in “Tefillot Afloat,” a signature experience at Camp Ramah in Northern California; and engaged with campers and staff at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. She also met with numerous JTS alumni, students, and staff.
We had a full roster of students enrolled as Freiberg-Hammerman Ramah Ambassadors. This special program supports JTS students who work at Ramah camps, where they share Jewish learning and programs and help identify and recruit the next generation of promising JTS students.
A JTS student also attended BBYO’s International Leadership Training Conference where they talked with future leaders and provided information about the List College community. Locally, JTS had a table at the Collegiate Leadership Internship Program through NYU’s Bronfman Center.
From Israel to summer camps to professional development workshops, JTS’s faculty have had one busy summer! Here are a few highlights:
Professor Eitan Fishbane, Professor of Jewish Thought, was selected for the Posen Library Digital Curriculum Development Fellowship. The fellows will be working to create teaching modules on Jews and citizenship; Middle Eastern and North African (MENA), Sephardic, Maghrebi, and Mizrahi Jewish experiences; rabbis and the emergence of Judaism in antiquity; and life-cycle, ritual, and observance around the world.
Professor Yitz Landes, Assistant Professor of Rabbinic Literatures and Cultures, welcomed a group of teenagers to experience JTS’s Rare Book Room as part of his responsibilities teaching young people in the Bronfman Fellowship. The fellows looked at items that touched upon various topics they had studied over the course of the summer—including ancient Torah scroll fragments from the Cairo Genizah, important Kabbalistic manuscripts from Safed and Italy, Hebrew Bibles from Spain, the decisions of the Napoleonic Sanhedrin, and the poetry of Emma Lazarus.
Professor Shira Billet, Assistant Professor of Jewish Thought and Ethics, delivered several lectures throughout the world, sharing her scholarship with new audiences. Lecture titles included “Maimonides on Love and Humility in Hermann Cohen’s Anti-Eudaimonian Ethics,” “Hermann Cohen’s Hermeneutics of Holiness,” and “Shared Traditions of Parental Grief and Comfort Across Islamic and Jewish Sources.”
Read about the Paleography Workshop that Professor Marjorie Lehman, Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics, attended at the University of Toronto’s Fisher Library.
Professor Robbie Harris, Professor of Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages, spent a meaningful and memorable summer at Camp Ramah in the Poconos. As the professor in residence, he taught campers and staff a variety of topics, including the story of Cain and Abel. He also had the opportunity to publish three articles: “From פשטי דקרא to פשוטו של מקרא: The Origins of Peshat Commentary in Eleventh and Twelfth Century Rabbinic Exegesis,” “Speaking to and About the Other: Terms for Christians and Christianity Among twelfth century Rabbinic Exegetes,” and “Rhetoric and Polemic in the Twelfth-Century Renaissance: Literary and Religious Interpretation in R. Yosef Kara’s Commentary on Isaiah.”
Professor Benjamin Sommer, Professor of Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages, had a busy August of international travel. At the World Congress of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, he presented a paper on “Psalms of Crisis.” The following week, he attended the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament meeting in Berlin, where he presented on modern Jewish commentary on the Psalter.
Professor Jonathan Milgram, Associate Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics, attended the World Congress as well. He presented a paper entitled, “The ‘Mitzvah’ of Procreation for Non-Jews” (in Hebrew) and chaired the “Studies in Talmud Yerushalmi” panel. Chancellor Emeritus Arnie Eisen was part of a session organized by Dr. Alon Goshen-Gottstein about his new book, In God’s Presence: A Theological Reintroduction to Judaism. Professor Eisen’s talk placed that work in dialogue with his own recently published book, Seeking the Hiding God: A Personal Theological Essay.
