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 in June 2027, at The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City.  Please check back for additional details and registration information. 

Text Study and Faculty 

Text and the City offers participants the opportunity for a close reading of classical Jewish texts with JTS scholars, each bringing a different set of questions and interpretive approaches to the text. Participants also have the opportunity to study in hevruta, the traditional practice of paired learning. Through thoughtful conversation and collaborative inquiry, learners deepen their understanding of the text while building connections with one another. 

Past faculty include Dr. Shira Billet, Dr. Amy Kalmanofsky, Dr. Benjamin Kamine, and Dr. David Moster. 

New York City Explorations 

Text and the City features afternoon outings where learning extends beyond the classroom.   Participants join JTS scholars who apply the different interpretative tools that they use in the Beit Midrash to other cultural artifacts: books, documents, visual art and NYC landmarks.  

Past outings have included visits to some of New York City’s most significant cultural institutions, such as the JTS Library’s world-renowned special collections with Dr. Marcus Mordecai Schwartz, a walking tour of Jewish life on the Lower East Side led by Dr. Sandra Fox, a special visit to The Met Cloisters with Dr. Julia Perratore and Prof. David Kraemer, and a private tour of Paul Klee: Other Possible Worlds at the Jewish Museum.  

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.