Text and the City

About Text and the City

Text and the City is a new summer experience from JTS for adult learners. 

• Spend your mornings immersed in text study with leading JTS scholars, engaging in contemporary questions through ancient sources.   
• Explore New York City in the afternoons with private, behind-the-scenes access to cultural institutions and expert-guided visits, including The JTS Library and its world-renowned collection of rare materials.  
• Join a community of like-minded, curious adult learners.

Text and the City will take place from Monday, June 8 to Thursday, June 11, 2026, at The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. 

Daily Schedule
Morning Text Study
New York City Explorations

Daily Schedule

Text and the City will begin on Monday morning and conclude at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. The program will also include one evening outing.  

Below is a sample daily schedule. Please note times are subject to change.   

Morning Text Study

Our morning text study will focus on Genesis 18, a pivotal chapter in the story of Abraham and Sarah. Delve into one of the Torah’s most compelling chapters—raising timeless questions about hospitality and justice, faith and doubt, and the complexity of human and divine relationships. Through careful attention to language, comparative readings, and philosophical reflection, our scholars will open fresh perspectives on a story that continues to challenge and illuminate.

Abraham and the Prophetic Tradition in Jewish Thought 

with Dr. Shira Billet, Assistant Professor of Jewish Thought and Ethics, JTS 

Genesis 18 was a formative moment in Abraham’s life and leadership, and a foundational moment for Jewish conceptions of prophecy. This session will explore Jewish philosophical approaches to Genesis 18 alongside broader reflections on how Abraham came to model the biblical prophetic tradition, drawing on sources from Jewish thinkers across the centuries, from the medieval period through the modern era. 

Who’s Laughing Now?  The Power of Infertility in the Bible

with Dr. Amy Kalmanofsky, Dean, List College and Kekst Graduate School; Blanche and Romie Shapiro Professor, Bible, JTS

Sarah laughs in response to God’s prophecy in Genesis 18 that she would bear a child at the age of 90. Sarah’s journey from infertility to fertility is a familiar one in the Bible. Together we will consider what makes infertility such a common and powerful motif in the Bible and what we can learn about faith, the power of longing and hope. We will also explore why infertile women like Sarah are the Bible’s superheroes. 

At the Tent of Abraham: The Visit of the Angels in Midrash and Quran 

with Dr. Benjamin Kamine, Lecturer in Rabbinic Literatures and Cultures, JTS 

In the Abrahamic traditions, the patriarch has always been known for his effusive welcoming of strangers, paradigmatically demonstrated in the story of the three angels that come to announce Isaac. The base story, as told in Genesis 18, has all kinds of contradictions and gaps that have prompted countless interpretations by different religious traditions.  In this session, we will look at classical rabbinic midrashim side-by-side with some passages from the Quran and see how both engage in careful re-readings of the Biblical story, making meaning for communities that hold hospitality as one of their highest values.  

Layers of Meaning: A Close Reading of Genesis 18  

with Dr. David Moster, Director of the Biblical Hebrew Program, JTS 

In this session, we’ll explore the beauty and complexity of Biblical Hebrew through a close reading of Genesis 18. Together, we’ll look closely at words, phrases, and patterns—to see how even small details can open up big questions about meaning. Along the way, we’ll notice how much is gained (and sometimes lost) in translation, and discover how generations of readers have wrestled with and reimagined this powerful story. Participants will engage the Hebrew at their own pace—whether getting comfortable with the basics or diving into more challenging verses. 

New York City Explorations

Jewish Life on the Lower East Side

with Dr. Sandra Fox, Robert S. Rifkind Chair in American Jewish History, JTS

What might it have felt like to be a young Jew participating in the mass migration of Jews from Eastern Europe to New York City at the turn of the twentieth century? On this walking tour, Professor Sandra Fox will take the group to see major sites of Jewish life on the Lower East Side ranging from the religious to the secular, the political to the civil, focusing on the people—both famous and everyday—who lived and breathed that world.

The Library of JTS

with Dr. Marcus Mordecai Schwartz, Ripps Schnitzer Librarian for Special Collections, JTS

Spend the afternoon at The Library of JTS, one of the greatest Judaic studies libraries in the world. We will have the opportunity for an up-close look at some of the priceless treasures from The JTS Library’s special collections. Through Dr. Marcus Mordecai Schwartz’s expert insights, we will consider what they reveal about the time and places from which they originate, as well as their enduring significance. We will also take a guided tour of the exhibit on view, “Your People Shall Be My People: Conversion to Judaism through the Centuries,” which draws from The Library’s rich collection of manuscripts, rare books, and other items to illustrate some of the changes and continuities over time in the understanding and practice of conversion to Judaism.

Note: We will be offering one more afternoon outing.  Please check back for additional information

Fees and Registration

By May 1: $750
After May 1: $850 

The registration fee covers learning sessions and study materials, afternoon outings, and some meals.   

Bring a group from your synagogue or community for a special rate. Limited scholarships are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

Contact Us

Text and the City is directed by Rabbi Luciana Pajecki Lederman, Director of the Beit Midrash, JTS, and Tani Schwartz-Herman, Program Director, Division of Lifelong and Professional Studies, JTS.

For more information, please contact us at textandthecity@jtsa.edu.