An Open, Welcoming Community
JTS rabbinical 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.
New York City and Beyond
Beginning with the dean’s annual upstate camping and hiking trip with students, and their own cultural outings in the city, rabbinical students quickly find myriad ways to enjoy living in one of the greatest cities in the world.
Hesed
The Rabbinical School takes 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.
Internal Internships
Beyond the wealth of internship opportunities built into Rabbinical School training, students can also serve as interns for an array of dynamic programs sponsored right here at JTS. These include several research institutes, a vast program in community learning and engagement, the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, and more. JTS rabbinical students are prominent interns in many projects of international reach.
Student Organization
Leaders in the Rabbinical 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.
Housing
Rabbinical 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.
