JTSA logo
On Conservative Judaism

On Conservative Judaism

Conservative Judaism Today and Tomorrow
By Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen

JTS is proud to present Conservative Judaism Today and Tomorrow, a collection of short essays by Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen—seventh chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary and one of the world’s foremost authorities on American Judaism—that explore essential matters of Jewish belief, practice, community, and identity from a Conservative perspective.

“Our hope is that the essays will assist the reader in deciding where to stand on essential matters of Jewish belief and practice, and will help teachers charged with transmitting Jewish learning truthfully and passionately to perform that important task.” —Arnold M. Eisen, Chancellor, JTS

Costs and How to Order

  • Hard copy: The collection is available in a beautifully designed print copy for $5; bulk pricing is available for communities. Order here.
  • E-book: An Amazon e-book version is also available for $1.99. (Amazon’s Kindle eBooks can be read on any smartphone or tablet using a free Kindle app). Order here.
  • Spanish edition: Translations of the book and discussion questions are available as free PDFs. Download now.
    La traducción del libro y las preguntas de discusión está disponible gratis en formato PDF. Descarge ahora.

Short Videos and Curricular Resources

These materials are designed to be used in conjunction with the essays in the book.

Welcome and Introduction
Learn more about Chancellor Eisen

 

Covenant

 

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions for Congregational Leadership

Address at the 2014 Rabbinical Assembly Convention

 

Community

 

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions for Congregational Leadership

 

Peoplehood and Israel

 

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions for Congregational Leadership

 

Learning

 

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions for Congregational Leadership

 

Mitzvah

 

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions for Congregational Leadership

Text Study by Rabbi Daniel S. Nevins

 

Tefillah and Synagogue

 

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions for Congregational Leadership

 

Jews and Others

 

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions for Congregational Leadership

 

Denominations in Judaism

 

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions for Congregational Leadership

 

Looking Back, Looking Forward

 

Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions for Congregational Leadership

Acknowledgments: Core resources by Rabbi Nelly Altenburger

A Taste of What’s Inside

“The commitment that 21st-century Jews make to the life of mitzvah is decidedly countercultural. We moderns are raised to prize autonomy, resist authority, and jealously guard options. The very notion of commandment—let alone commandment from God—seems antithetical to personal freedom, an affront to self that many contemporary Americans approach warily . . . 

A great many Conservative Jews resolutely take the ‘leap of action’ to mitzvah despite cultural directions to the contrary . . . More than duty alone inspires Jews to make sacrifices on behalf of Israel or the Jewish education of their children. More than abstract obligation drives them to devote hours beyond number to service of synagogues, schools, Federations, or other causes. Belief in the Revelation at Sinai is also not what motivates most Jews, most of the time, to undertake these and other responsibilities. 

We do such things—and take on many of the mitzvot we perform—because we are grateful for the life that Torah makes possible, thankful that we have resources that we can share, pleased that we have the chance to give back to our community, loyal to the ways of parents or grandparents, in love with the life that Judaism makes possible . . . Some Jews act in obedience to God. Some heed conscience. Others believe that God speaks to them through conscience—or in the voice of the community . . . 

That is why commandment is not an adequate translation of mitzvah, any more than good deed captures the matter. Mitzvah means so much more than either of these. It is, like Torah itself, a pattern, an ennobling source of wholeness, a way.”

Contact Us

To learn more about bringing Conservative Judaism Today and Tomorrow to your community, contact communitylearning@jtsa.edu.

Customized Programs for Local Groups

JTS develops highly customized educational programs in partnership with Jewish communities throughout North America, bringing the scholarship and teaching excellence of JTS faculty and fellows to you. In collaboration with community leaders, we design courses and events that explore critical themes and questions on the minds of 21st-century Jews.  

Who It’s For

We invite community leaders—lay and professional—to work with us in creating a customized learning program for the adult learners in your community. We partner with individual organizations and with collaborating organizations in a region.

Developing a Program Model for Your Group

Our programs are not one-size-fits-all. Each community we partner with learns in a unique way, and our diverse range of program models allows you to find the format that will work best for your group and provide the most compelling learning experience. 

Some possible models:

  • JTS Days of Learning: In partnership with local Jewish organizations, we bring our faculty and fellows to communities across North America—including Chicago, South Florida, and Greater Washington, DC—for intensive days of study, each exploring a particular theme.
  • Visiting Scholar Programs: JTS faculty and fellows offer stand-alone guest lectures, serve as Shabbat scholars-in-residence, and participate in collaborative lecture series with other JTS scholars.  
  • JTS Community Courses: Our multisession community courses vary in length and feature in-depth exploration of topics in Jewish history, philosophy, religion, arts, literature, and more. We also create customized online courses for interested community groups. 

Developing a Topic for Your Group

Our faculty and fellows are experts on a vast range of Jewish subjects, and the content we develop for your program will align with your community’s specific, focused interests.

Recent topics have included:

  • What Is the Good Life? How do we live a “good life”? Together we explore a range of Jewish sources and consider what they suggest about how to live as individuals and as members of Jewish and global communities. We will discuss how Jewish philosophic conceptions of “the good life” have differed from those of other traditions and discuss the role of thought, reflection, and Torah in the quest for a well-lived life.
  • The Land of Israel: Promise and Challenge This program focuses on the significance of the land of Israel in Jewish thought and history. How have Jews attempted to reconcile the promise of the land with the reality of Jewish exile and life in the diaspora? What happens to the Jewish longing for an ideal in the face of nationhood and the challenges of sovereignty? 
  • Relating to the Other in Jewish Text and Tradition In America today, Jews exercise unprecedented influence and forge close ties with non-Jews in a multitude of ways. How has Judaism viewed its responsibility to non-Jews? How central is chosenness to thinking about Jewish relations to others? What can we learn from the Jewish past about how to maintain a commitment both to a distinctive Jewish identity and to the well-being of the broader society?
  • Entering the Tribe: Conversion and Jewish Identity Jewish identity is not—and never has been—a simple question of yes or no. This program discusses the history of religious conversion along with individual stories of conversion and identity. How do people become Jews? Is it okay to proselytize? How have the creation of the state of Israel and the high rates of intermarriage in America posed new questions about conversion and Jewish identity?

Learn with Outstanding Faculty and Fellows

With over 100 full-time and adjunct faculty members, JTS has a top scholar in nearly every field of Jewish study. In addition to our regular faculty, three outstanding Jewish studies scholars from across North America serve as JTS Fellows, expanding the reach and diversity of JTS’s adult learning opportunities.

Get in Touch

To learn more about bringing JTS scholars to your community, contact us at communitylearning@jtsa.edu. 

Events

Right now there are no event listings for this location or category. Our calendar is updated regularly. Please check back.

JTS offers adult learners of all backgrounds a range of opportunities for engaging, in-depth Jewish study with top-caliber scholars on the JTS campus.

Context: Immersive Adult Learning

JTS’s two-year Context program is an intellectual journey covering the sweep of Jewish history and civilization and the major texts of the Biblical, Rabbinic, Medieval, and Modern periods.

  • Encounter the richness and diversity of Jewish civilization through the close reading of core texts.
  • Discover what these texts meant in their original settings, how they have been received and interpreted, and their enduring relevance today.
  • Engage in stimulating discussions guided by JTS’s outstanding faculty and other distinguished scholar-teachers.
  • Join a vibrant community of adult learners from diverse backgrounds who are committed to serious Jewish study.

Learn more about Context and how to enroll

Community Courses

You can take part in topical courses of varying lengths that delve deeply into all aspects of Jewish history, philosophy, religion, arts, and literature. Past courses include: 

  • “The Jewish State: Vision and Reality”
  • “Treasures from the JTS Library” 
  • “Drawing the Line: Dissent and Tolerance in Jewish History”

Academic Courses for Audit

Choose from our extensive course catalog to learn alongside full-time JTS students enrolled in our many degree programs. Both credit and non-credit options are available.

Learn more about auditing JTS courses and how to enroll

Contact Us

For more information about learning opportunities on the JTS campus, contact communitylearning@jtsa.edu. 

Events

Right now there are no event listings for this location or category. Our calendar is updated regularly. Please check back.

Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI)

What is DSLTI?

The Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI) is the premier fellowship for new and aspiring heads of Jewish day schools and yeshivas. Mentors provide engaging experiential learning opportunities, cutting-edge leadership development, ongoing mentoring, and the space to collaboratively problem-solve with a cohort of peers.

DSLTI provides space for new and aspiring heads to bravely face vulnerabilities, go deep into leadership learning, and build professional and personal connections that last a lifetime. Fellows engage in reflective practice and introspection with a trusted cohort of colleagues.

What does the DSLTI Cohort 14 Program Include? 

  • Three retreats over two years.
  • Two-week residencies during July 2025 and July 2026.
  • Weekly coaching by a DSLTI mentor between summer of 2025 and summer of 2027.
  • An on-site visit by a mentor including the potential for sessions with Board and professional leadership teams.

Fellowship Highlights 

  • Learn together about leadership in a Jewish context.
  • Take deep dives into professional literature.
  • Learn from experienced heads and professional consultants.
  • Build a cohort of trusted colleagues to examine dilemmas of practice, making senior leadership work less lonely.
  • Become strategic leaders whose decisions, interactions, and priorities are grounded by the school’s mission and vision.
  • Incorporate self-reflection in all areas of their leadership practice.

Who should apply for Cohort 14?  

  • New heads of school who have completed 1-3 years as heads but have not had the opportunity to participate in DSLTI.
  • Incoming heads of school who will begin their first headship during the summer of 2025.
  • Educators and day school administrators who aspire to the headship. Candidates must have supervisory experience.
  • Serious, motivated Jewish day school educators who hold leadership positions in their institutions.
  • Individuals who are open to learning, demonstrating vulnerability and becoming a better leader.
  • Learners who tackle leadership challenges strategically and creatively.

Preference will be given to:

  • New heads of school and candidates who aspire to the headship within the coming three years, and are currently in positions of leadership.

Application process:

Applications for DSLTI Cohort 14 are open.

  1. Complete the online application.
  2. Engage in a 45 minute virtual interview with DSLTI mentors.
  3. Receive a letter of acceptance through our rolling admissions process.
  4. Contact Cheryl Maayan, Director, with any questions.
Applications are Available on October 1.

Alumni Network

Graduates join a robust and active alumni network of over 200 leaders across North America. DSLTI leaders share a common language about leadership, and continue to work and collaborate with one another long after the program ends. Participants in DSLTI have a strong professional community to encourage continued growth and advancement. A recent survey found that 100% of participants in the alumni network agree that they continue to learn new ideas and concepts, long after the two-year fellowship is complete.

How DSLTI Prepares Inspiring Leaders:

The program is highly interactive, incorporating case studies, simulations, and problem-based learning to help participants develop an advanced leadership style that combines self-reflection with Jewish values. Our program values experimentation and self-reflection, innovation and continual assessment. DSLTI helps educators understand the intersection of their personal Jewish journeys and their professional lives.

Cohort 14 Schedule: 

Orientation Retreat: April 27–29, 2025

Summer Session: July 7–18, 2025

Summer sessions are Monday–Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–4:45 p.m. and Friday, 8:00–11:30 a.m. We do not meet during the interim weekend.

Fall Retreat: October 26–28, 2025

Spring Retreat: April 26–28, 2026

Summer Session: July 6–17, 2026

Cost:

Tuition: $20,000, payable by your institution or the fellow over the two years. If your school requires financial assistance, please set up a meeting with Cheryl Maayan to discuss the procedure. Tuition includes:

Fellows or their institutions are responsible for the cost of transportation to and from all sessions.

History

DSLTI began in 1998 as a field program of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education at The Jewish Theological Seminary. With dedication to enhancing the day school leadership field and enriching the experience of DSLTI participants, JTS and Prizmah forged a partnership in 2023 to strengthen the work of DSLTI. DSLTI is now a joint program of the Jewish Theological Seminary and Prizmah, putting this landmark leadership development program on a path of continued growth and sustainability, positioned to effectively cultivate talent and invest in the next generation of day school leadership. Since the beginning, DSLTI has graduated 13 cohorts, representing 200 prestigious Jewish day school and yeshiva leaders.

Unparalleled Scholarship

Depth and breadth of faculty expertise

Our professors write the books that become the texts read by students all over North America.

With more than 100 full-time and adjunct faculty members, JTS has a top scholar—and often several—in almost every field of Jewish studies. This collection of experts creates a singular depth and breadth of scholarship, teaching, and publishing.

Our academic community promotes open discussion, creative thinking, reaching beyond what you already know, and figuring out how to apply thousands of years of wisdom to today’s issues.

Recent Works by JTS Faculty 

The Art of Mystical Narrative: A Poetics of the Zohar 
Dr. Eitan P. Fishbane, Associate Professor of Jewish Thought

The New American Judaism: How Jews Practice Their Religion Today
Dr. Jack Wertheimer, Joseph and Martha Mendelson Professor of American Jewish History

The Book Smugglers: Partisans, Poets, and the Race to Save Jewish Treasures from the Nazis 
Dr. David Fishman, Professor of Jewish History

Mothers in the Jewish Cultural Imagination 
Dr. Marjorie Lehman, Associate Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics (with Jane L. Kanarek and Simon J. Bronner)

Rabbi Akiva: Sage of the Talmud
Dr. Barry Holtz, Theodore and Florence Baumritter Professor of Jewish Education

Does Judaism Condone Violence? Holiness and Ethics in the Jewish Tradition 
Dr. Alan Mittleman, Aaron Rabinowitz and Simon H. Rifkind Professor of Jewish Philosophy

Anti-Jewish Riots in the Crown of Aragon and the Royal Response, 1391-1392 
Dr. Benjamin Gampel, Dina and Eli Field Family Chair in Jewish History

Revelation and Authority: Sinai in Jewish Scripture and Tradition
Dr. Benjamin Sommer, Professor of Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages

Gender-Play in the Hebrew Bible
Dr. Amy Kalmanofsky, Associate Vice Chancellor and Associate Professor of Bible

From Mesopotamia to the Mishnah: Tannaitic Inheritance Law in Its Legal and Social Contexts 
Dr. Jonathan Milgram, Associate Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics

Ancestral Tales: Reading the Buczacz Stories of S.Y. Agnon 
Dr. Alan Mintz (z”l), Chana Kekst Professor of Hebrew Literature

New York’s Yiddish Theater: From the Bowery to Broadway
Dr. Edna Nahshon, Professor of Jewish Theater and Drama

Rabbinic Judaism: Space and Place
Dr. David Kraemer, Joseph J. and Dora Abbell Librarian and Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics

Open Minds, Devoted Hearts: Portraits of Adult Religious Educators 
Dr. Sarah Tauber, Assistant Professor, William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education

Meet the JTS faculty

Esteemed Alumni

Linked with Leaders

JTS alumni bring a profound understanding of Judaism and a commitment to repairing the world to leadership roles in over 600 congregations and schools, 100 Jewish organizations worldwide, 150 major universities, 35 JCCs, federations, and camps, as well as new and innovative organizations, including Avodah, Mechon Hadar, Ikar, and Encounter.

“For every single serious Jewish question, the way that I think about it is deeper and more complex because of my years of growth at JTS…. I have all of these lenses and paradigms for taking words on a page of text and making them come to life.”

Rabbi Mike Uram  (RS ’05)
Executive Director and Campus Rabbi
Hillel, University of Pennsylvania
Author, Next Generation Judaism: How College Students and Hillel Can Help Reinvent Jewish Organizations

Dori Frumin Kirshner (DS ’96)

Executive Director 
Matan

Rabbi Eliav Bock (LC ’00, RS ’09 DS ’09)

Founder and Director
Ramah in the Rockies 

Rabbi Mitch Malkus (GS ’91, RS ’99, EdD ’01)

Head of School
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School of Greater Washington, DC  

Rabbi Melissa Weintraub (RS ’06)

Co-founding Executive Director
Resetting the Table

Rabbi David Wolpe  (RS ’87)

Senior Rabbi
Sinai Temple, Los Angeles

Jonathan Ray (GS ’99, ’03)

Samuel Eig Associate Professor of Jewish Studies
Georgetown University 

Jen Cohen (CS ’09)

Cantor of Temple Beth Shalom
Cherry Hill, New Jersey 

Lisa Kravitz Mamaysky (LC ’08)

Director, PGIM Real Estate
Co-Founder, Camp Zeke

Rabbi Sharon Brous (RS ’01)

Founder and Senior Rabbi
Ikar, Los Angeles

Yoni Stadlin (DS ’08)

Founder and Director
Eden Village Camp

Cheryl Cook (GS ’95)

Executive Director
Avodah 

Learn about the schools of JTS

Open, Passionate Community

Your ideas are welcome here.

Ideas are more than thoughts in a classroom; they have transformative power.

JTS attracts top students from across the entire Jewish community, with varying backgrounds and experiences. You do not have to hold a particular worldview to enter any of the schools or programs offered at JTS.

  • Hear from Jenna
    Hear from Jenna
    Jenna Ferman, JTS student
    The community at JTS is incredibly welcoming and unparalleled, full of people with diverse interests and unique personalities, yet with core Jewish values that make us all similar.

    Jenna Ferman, JTS student

Innovative Spirit

Idea-driven and action-oriented

JTS is a powerhouse of firsts in the Jewish world. Our students, faculty, and alumni have helped create new community organizations and spiritual practices.

Some of these innovations have become an integral part of the Jewish cultural landscape. JTS inspires a way of thinking that our graduates put into action, becoming a creative force for positive change.

Our alumni hold leadership roles at more than 600 congregations and schools, 100 Jewish organizations worldwide, 150 major universities, and 35 JCCs, federations, and summer camps. They founded Avodah, Mechon Hadar, Ikar, Encounter, and other organizations.

JTS students are the Jewish leaders of tomorrow. They are devoted to advancing Jewish life and serving the world as community builders and active citizens.

JTS Innovations

Here’s a sampling of new ideas and programs launched by JTS and its alumni:

  • The Jewish Museum
  • Schechter Institute
  • American Jewish University
  • Camp Ramah
  • Camp Zeke
  • Eden Village Camp
  • Mechon Hadar
  • IKAR
  • Matan
  • Avodah
  • Seven Wells
  • Hidden Sparks
  • GreenFaith
  • And more

Learn about the schools of JTS

SHARE THIS PAGE

Connect with an Admissions Director

We’ll be in touch soon to answer any questions you may have.

School(s) of interest