JTS Lectures

Moritz Steinschneider - Father of Modern Jewish Bibliography

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:48:36 -0400

Dr. Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor Emeritus and Rabbi Herman Abramovitz Professor of Jewish History, JTS and Dr. Menahem Schmelzer, Albert B. and Bernice Cohen Professor Emeritus of Medieval Hebrew Literature and Jewish Bibliography, JTS discuss the contributions of Moritz Steinschneider.

Taking the Lead: Fighting for Democracy on American Radio

Thu, 3 Apr 2008 19:30:42 -0400

Listen in as Jeffrey Shandler turns on the radio and shares fascinating audio excerpts aired during WWII and its aftermath. Shandler tells the story of how the American Jewish Committee and The Jewish Theological Seminary, by producing radio programs that promoted democratic values, played a pioneering role in American public service broadcasting.

Jews and Political Power

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:30:45 -0400

Dr. Ruth R. Wisse, Martin Peretz Professor of Yiddish Literature and professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard University, presents “Jews and Political Power" on Thursday, March 27 at The Jewish Theological Seminary. Dr. Alan Mittleman, director of the Louis Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies and professor of Jewish Philosophy, JTS, responds.

The program is the second in a three-part series entitled “Authors Forum: Religion Politics, Policy, Power,” sponsored by the Finkelstein Institute.

Fairness and Justice in Bioethics Consultation

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:30:49 -0400

Nancy Neveloff Dubler, LL.B., a nationally recognized expert in the subject, discusses "Fairness and Justice in Bioethics Consultation" at the Bernard G. Segal Memorial Lecture in Law and Ethics at The Jewish Theological Seminary.

Stem Cells, Universal Health Care, and Physician-Assisted Suicide - A Jewish View

Thu, 6 Mar 2008 19:30:17 -0500

Authors' Forum is part of a three part series sponsored by The Louis Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies at The Jewish Theological Seminary.
Speaker: Dr. David Novak, J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff Chair of Jewish Studies, Professor of the Study of Religion and Professor of Philosophy, University of Toronto
Respondent: Rabbi Joel Roth, JTS
Moderated by Professor Alan Mittleman, JTS

"Song of the Distant Dove" - JTS Library Book Talk

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:00:47 -0500

Dr. Raymond Scheindlin, professor of Medieval Hebrew Literature at JTS, discusses his new book, The Song of the Distant Dove: Judah Halevi's Pilgrimage.
Sponsored by The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary, the event is part of a series of book talks by JTS faculty moderated by Dr. David Kraemer, Joseph J. and Dora Abbell Librarian and professor of Talmud and Rabbinics.
In The Song of the Distant Dove: Judah Halevi's Pilgrimage, Dr. Scheindlin tells the story of Halevi's journey using recently discovered letters of the age, and his ever-popular poetry.

"Jewish Eating and Jewish Identity" - The Henry N. Rapaport Memorial Lecture at JTS

Tue, 5 Feb 2008 17:17:16 -0500

We are what we eat. Now take this oft-quoted insight a step further: we are also how, when, where and with whom we eat. Join us as Dr. David Kraemer discusses his recently published Jewish Eating and Identity Through the Ages, the first book ever to explore the history of Jewish eating practices from the Bible to the present, and the first to interpret Jewish eating practices throughout the ages as keys to understanding current Jewish identities.

"How the Zohar Re-imagines God" - The Gerson D. Cohen Memorial Lecture at JTS

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 21:34:07 -0500

Dr. Daniel C. Matt, an award-winning scholar of Kabbalah and the Zohar, the principal text of Kabbalah, explores "How the Zohar Reimagines God" at the Gerson D. Cohen Memorial Lecture at The Jewish Theological Seminary.

Arnold Eisen Inauguration Speech

Wed, 5 Sep 2007 11:00:45 -0400

On September 5, 2007, Arnold M. Eisen was inaugurated the 7th chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary. Proclaiming that “we have important work to do,” Chancellor Arnold M. Eisen set forth his vision for the future of The Jewish Theological Seminary.

Approximately 1,000 dignitaries, guests and members of the JTS community attended the inauguration ceremonies.

Inauguration Academic Symposium

Wed, 5 Sep 2007 09:30:25 -0400

Moderator
ALAN COOPER, JTS Provost.
Speakers
JONATHAN D. SARNA, Joseph H. & Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University.
ANN SWIDLER, University of California, Berkeley.
DAVID TRACY, Andrew Thomas Greeley and Grace McNichols Greeley Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Catholic Studies and professor of theology and the philosophy of religion in the Divinity School of the University of Chicago.

Jewish Educators Convocation 2007

Tue, 6 Feb 2007 15:30:15 -0500

Professor Jack Wertherimer discusses the state of Jewish Education at the Jewish Educators Assembly honorary doctorate convocation.

Can a People of the Book Also Be a People of God?

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 17:45:00 -0500

Rabbi Gordon Tucker delivers the Gerson D. Cohen Memorial Lecture at JTS on Thursday, January 18. 2007.

Book Talk - "Execution and Invention: Death Penalty Discourse in Early Rabbinic and Christian Cultures"

Mon, 6 Nov 2006 12:00:44 -0500

The death penalty in classical Judaism has been a highly politicized subject in modern scholarship. Enlightenment attacks on the Talmud's legitimacy led scholars to use the Talmud's criminal law as evidence for its elevated morals. But even more pressing was the need to prove Jews' innocence of the charge of killing Christ. The reconstruction of a just Jewish death penalty was a defense against the accusation that a corrupt Jewish court was responsible for the death of Christ. In Execution and Invention, Beth A. Berkowitz tells the story of modern scholarship on the ancient rabbinic death penalty and offers a fresh perspective using the approaches of ritual studies, cultural criticism, and talmudic source criticism.

Sukkah Dinner Speech

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 23:12:28 -0400

Chancellor Arnold Eisen remarks on the holiday of Sukkot at the annual JTS Sukkah Dinner on October 11, 2006.