News

The William Davidson School of JTS Hails Major Grant to Continue Legacy of Leadership

Feb 11, 2016

The William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) has received a $5 million two-year grant from the William Davidson Foundation, fortifying its position as an incubator for outstanding and innovative leadership across the denominational spectrum. Offering residential and online masters and doctoral degrees, The William Davidson School’s unparalleled education is also one of the most affordable and accessible thanks to a wide range of merit-based scholarships made possible through the William Davidson Foundation.

The Davidson School of JTS and HUC-JIR Awarded Major Grant to Launch Early Childhood Education

JTS and HUC-JIR have received a grant from The Crown Family to launch a Chicago based cohort of the Jewish Early Childhood Education Leadership Institute (JECELI).

Marc Gary on “The JTS Library for the 21st Century”

“The JTS Library houses the most significant collection of Hebraic and Judaic manuscripts and rare printed books in the world outside of the State of Israel (and some would argue in the entire world). At JTS, we feel a tremendous responsibility for enhancing, conserving, and increasing access to this unparalleled treasure of the Jewish people. Articles such as the one published here by Naomi Stillman (September 16, 2015), which contain numerous inaccuracies and mischaracterize the goals and purposes of the JTS campus redevelopment project, are hurtful to those of us who take that responsibility seriously. Moreover, they undermine support for the Library and its mission, which Ms. Stillman and thousands of other people hold dear.”

Building Shabbat Community: Introduction by Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen

The Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC) recently released Building Shabbat Community: Through Meaningful Alternative Prayer Service Experiences, which includes a forward by Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen.

Dr. Alan Mittleman Named Aaron Rabinowitz and Simon H. Rifkind Professor of Jewish Philosophy at JTS

Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) recently appointed Dr. Alan Mittleman to the position of Aaron Rabinowitz and Simon H. Rifkind Professor of Jewish Philosophy. Dr. Mittleman’s current work in progress-a book tentatively entitled The Holy and the Good: An Essay in Jewish Philosophical Theology-is supported by a major grant from the Herzl Institute’s Jewish Philosophical Theology Project. He succeeds Dr. Neil Gillman, Aaron Rabinowitz and Simon H. Rifkind Professor of Jewish Philosophy Emeritus.

Dr. Jeffrey Kress Appointed Dr. Bernard Heller Chair in Jewish Education at The Davidson School

Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) recently appointed Dr. Jeffrey Kress, associate professor of Jewish Education and academic director of the Experiential Learning Initiative at the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education, to the position of Dr. Bernard Heller Chair in Jewish Education. Dr. Kress’s work is focused on creating vibrant Jewish educational settings that inspire the next generation of Jewish leaders. Dr. Kress succeeds Dr. Carol Ingall, Dr. Bernard Heller Professor of Jewish Education Emerita.

JTS Institutes Policy on Paid Parental Leave

The Chancellor’s Cabinet of The Jewish Theological Seminary is pleased to present JTS’s newly instituted Paid Parental Leave Policy. This policy reflects our values as an institution and supports our faculty and staff members in both their work and personal lives. As this new policy is implemented, we will continue to explore other avenues for making JTS an even more caring and fulfilling place to work.

JTS Library Awarded Grant to Make Hundreds of Archival Collections Publicly Available

The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) has launched “Grounded in Wisdom: Expanding Access to Jewish-American Archival Collections,” made possible through a generous grant of more than $70,000 from the National Archives for the National Historic Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). This one year project will provide online access describing 418 archival collections—dating from the late 19th through the 20th centuries and encompassing multiple formats including documents, drawings, artifacts, photographs, slides, audio recordings, films, musical scores, and manuscripts—by enabling The Library to hire two archivists to collect and standardize all documentation and upload it to an archival management system that will allow it to be easily searched and shared with the scholarly community and the general public.

JTS Presents a Discussion about the Influence of Messianic Thinking in Israeli Politics

The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) will host “The State of Israel: Messianism Without a Messiah?” featuring speakers Dr. Hillel Ben Sasson, visiting assistant professor of Israel Studies at JTS, and Dr. Benjamin Gampel, Dina and Eli Field Family Chair in Jewish History at JTS. The program will be moderated by Dr. Barbara Mann, Simon H. Fabian Chair in Hebrew Literature at JTS. The speakers will explore what the messianic idea has meant for Jews through the ages—and in modern Israel, the role it plays in contemporary Israeli politics on both the right and left, and the dramatic and even revolutionary implications of messianic thinking in shaping the future and fate of the Jewish state.

JTS Board of Trustees Elects Two New Members

The Board of Trustees of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) has elected two new members, Marc Gary and Lynette Perlman Koppel. “We are honored by the addition of these members to our Board of Trustees,” says Alan Levine, chair of the Board. “Each brings to JTS’s leadership deep insight, diverse experience, and commitment to its mission. We look forward to their contributions to the work of this distinguished team.”