Webinars

Since April of 2020, when adult learners across the globe were yearning for intellectual stimulation and human connection amidst the profound disorientation of the Covid-19 pandemic, JTS has been offering online study sessions with our renowned faculty and other JTS-affiliated scholars. Thousands of participants have now enjoyed these weekly sessions. 

Lectures are generally offered as series organized around a central theme, about which scholars from virtually every sub-discipline within Jewish studies then share texts and insights. Registration for the series is free and you may attend as many sessions as you like. Sessions are held on most Mondays throughout the year, from 1:00 to 2:00 pm ET. We also offer occasional stand-alone sessions on timely topics. 

Fall 2024 Series

Zionism: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond — Expanding the Conversation
Mondays, November 11 to December 16, 2024
1:00–2:00 p.m. ET with the exception of Mondays, December 9 and 16 which will take place at 7:30–8:30 p.m. ET

What does it mean to be a Zionist in 21st-century North America? Expanding on conversations from our two-day convening “Zionism: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond,” this webinar series will explore this and other questions, presenting significant insights and debate and enhancing the context that is informing contemporary issues. JTS faculty will highlight the political, religious, and philosophical perspectives that shape the current landscape for Jews in North America in relationship with Israel.

Presenters include:

Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz
Carol Ann Schwartz, Hadassah
Rabbi Ayelet Cohen
Shira Ben Sasson Furstenberg, New Israel Fund
Dr. Benjamin D. Sommer
Rabbi Gordon Tucker
Rabbi Jan Uhrbach
Chancellor Emeritus Arnold M. Eisen
Rav Maya Zinkow, Hillel at University of California Berkeley
Rabbi Aaron Leven, Nefesh (Los Angeles, CA)

Scroll down to the bottom of this page to view upcoming sessions, and click through on any of them to register for the series.

Past Series

Enjoy over 150 past sessions at the series pages below, where you will find a video recording of each session in the series along with a downloadable source sheet for that session.

• Times of Crisis and Possibility 
• Faith, Forgiveness, and Prayer: Finding Meaning in the Days of Awe 
• Living a Life of Meaning 
• The Other in Jewish Text and Tradition 
• A Wandering People: Jewish Journeys, Real and Imagined 
• Six Days Shall You Labor: Perspectives on Work in Jewish Text and Tradition 
• The Power of Emotion: Judaism and the Inner Life 
• Relating to God 
• Stories and Storytelling 
• Dangerous Ideas: Censorship through a Jewish Lens 
• The Space in Between: Thresholds and Borders in Jewish Thought and Life 
• The Dynamics of Change 
• The Torah of the New Year 
• Two Are Better Than One: Friendship in Jewish Text, Thought, and Life 
• Timely Insights, Timeless Wisdom
• JTS Alumni in the World: Scholarship and Impact

Sponsor a Session

Sponsoring a learning session is a beautiful way to honor or remember a loved one or to mark a significant occasion—whether it be a yahrtzeit, a personal or professional achievement, or a milestone celebration. Three sponsorship levels are available: Hakham ($540), Tzadik ($1,000), and Navi ($1,800). As part of the registration process for any series, you will have the opportunity to specify if there is a particular session or scholar you wish to sponsor.  

All sponsorship levels are acknowledged on the session webpage, in email announcements pertaining to the session, in opening and closing remarks at the session, and on the welcome slide in the Zoom waiting room. Additionally, sponsors at the Tzadik level receive a 50% tuition discount for their next JTS online course, to be applied any time within a year after the sponsorship. Sponsors at the Navi level receive the above acknowledgments and benefits and are also invited to enjoy an exclusive seminar-style online learning session with a JTS scholar at the end of the academic year. 

Contact Us

If you have questions about our weekly online lectures, please contact us at communitylearning@jtsa.edu.