JTS cantorial students join an open, welcoming community made up of passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds who share a common interest in living engaged Jewish lives. They also become part of the larger JTS community, whose five different schools and numerous community programs make the campus a hub of Jewish conversation, practice, and innovation.
This vibrant campus community is enriched by JTS’s location in New York City. A world cultural capital, the city is unparalleled in its Jewish diversity, depth, and innovative spirit. The extraordinary network of congregations and Jewish organizations in metropolitan New York offers a living laboratory for student training and exploration.
Hesed
Cantorial students may take special responsibility for helping to staff nearby Congregation Ansche Chesed’s homeless shelter, which functions 365 days a year. Students also participate in the many other projects run through the Va’ad Gemilut Hasadim: Susan and Jack Rudin Center for Community Outreach.
Prayer
The Women’s League Seminary Synagogue is a traditional egalitarian worship space. We gather there for daily prayer, integrating songs, stories, music, and meditation to deepen the prayer experience.
Student Organization
Leaders in the Cantorial School Student Organization help shape their peers’ experience and provide a valuable structure for interaction with the institutional leadership and with JTS’s four other schools.
New York City and Beyond
New York plays an essential role in the lives of JTS students. Our campus is located in a thriving university neighborhood, while the rest of the city’s attractions are a walk or subway ride away. Cantorial students quickly find myriad ways to enjoy living in one of the great metropolitan areas in the world.
Housing
Cantorial students are free to choose where to live. Some live in the residence hall on campus, others in neighborhood apartments, still others in Washington Heights, the Upper West Side, Brooklyn, or the suburbs. This helps makes our campus a hub of a thriving, diverse community.
Eating Well
The dining hall serves fresh, high-quality kosher food and is a social center where you can gather and eat with classmates, faculty, and staff. Since JTS also sits within an exceptional academic neighborhood, appealing cafes and markets abound nearby.
