Last Thursday, 91¿ì²¥ hosted a full-day convening exploring the limits of law and the ethical commitments required to sustain justice in democratic societies.

We were honored to welcome leading scholars and practitioners who examined how moral responsibility, empathy, and civic norms can complement legal frameworks when the law alone is insufficient to address complex social challenges.

Rabbi Dr. Jane Kanarek, Professor of Rabbinics and Dean of Faculty, Hebrew College, and Imam Dr. Khalil Abdur-Rashid, Muslim Chaplain and Lecturer, Muslim Studies, Harvard University, began the event with a discussion about Jewish and Muslim views on the relationship between religious law, secular law, human reason, and empathy.

The second session explored the idea that law can help solve human problems, but justice depends on the values and actions of the people who live under it. Courts and constitutions matter, yet lasting change often comes from education, dialogue, civic engagement, and sometimes challenging unjust laws. The panel featured Lincoln Caplan, Journalist and Senior Research Scholar in Law at Yale University, Hon. Judith Bartnoff, Senior Judge at the Superior Court of the District of D.C., Talia Milgrom-Elcott, Founder and Executive Director of Beyond100K, and Dimitry Anselme, Smith Family Senior Vice President and Chief Officer of Facing History & Ourselves, and Assistant Attorney General in Charge of Special Litigation in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office David Leit moderated the discussion.

Participants also took part in interactive workshops, exploring “Ethics in Action: Applying Legal Principles to Civic Challenges,” covering a wide range of additional topics.

The day concluded with the Henry N. and Selma S. Rapaport Memorial Lecture. Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz moderated a conversation on law, repair, and civic life between Martha Minow, 300th Anniversary University Professor, Harvard Law School, and Susan Sturm, George M. Jaffin Professor of Law and Social Responsibility, Columbia Law School.

If you weren’t able to join us in-person, you can now watch these important conversations.

Religious Law and Ethical Foundations

• Moderator: Rabbi Gordon Tucker, Vice Chancellor for Religious Life and Engagement, 91¿ì²¥
• Rabbi Dr. Jane Kanarek, Professor of Rabbinics and Dean of Faculty, Hebrew Collegek
• Imam Dr. Khalil Abdur-Rashid, Muslim Chaplain and Lecturer, Muslim Studies, Harvard University

When the Law Meets Ethics: Understanding Limits and Responsibilities

• Moderator: David Leit, Assistant Attorney General in Charge of Special Litigation, New Jersey Attorney General’s Office •
• Lincoln Caplan, Journalist and Senior Research Scholar in Law, Yale University •
• Hon. Judith Bartnoff, Senior Judge, Superior Court of the District of D.C. •
• Talia Milgrom-Elcott, Founder and Executive Director of Beyond100K •
• Dimitry Anselme, Smith Family Senior Vice President and Chief Officer, Facing History & Ourselves

Rapaport Lecture: A Conversation on Law, Repair, and Civic Life

• Moderator: Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz
• Martha Minow, 300th Anniversary University Professor, Harvard Law School
• Susan Sturm, George M. Jaffin Professor of Law and Social Responsibility, Columbia Law School

Rabbi Naomi Kalish, Harold and Carole Wolfe Director of the Center for Pastoral Education and Assistant Professor of Pastoral Education, recently attended the Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC) annual conference in West Palm Beach, Florida. The four-day gathering centered on the theme “Finding Strength, Courage, and Healing in the Wilderness� and brought together chaplains and spiritual care professionals from across the country.

Rabbi Kalish, who is a past president of NAJC, presented a session titled “The Story of Hagar and Meeting People in the Wilderness.� She explored the biblical narrative of Hagar and examined the ways Torah study and theological reflection can inform and enrich the practice of chaplaincy and spiritual care.

91¿ì²¥ was well represented throughout the conference. Rabbi Lynn Liberman, a 91¿ì²¥ alumna, presided over the event in her new role as president of NAJC. Another 91¿ì²¥ alum, Rabbi Ed Bernstein, was honored with the Ner Tamid Award, which recognizes outstanding leadership in chaplaincy and a “commitment to bringing light, hope, and healing to others.â€� The conference was also attended by four graduates of the MA in Spiritual Care and Counseling program, one current student, and numerous alumni from 91¿ì²¥â€™s Division of Religious Leadership.

91¿ì²¥ also extends mazal tov to Rabbi Hector Epelbaum, who was honored with the Rabbi Dr. Barry and Anita Kinzbrunner Award. Rabbi Epelbaum is a graduate of Seminario Latinoamericano, a Conservative/Masorti seminary based in Argentina.

The conference provided a meaningful opportunity for chaplains to learn together, share experiences, and strengthen their professional and spiritual communities. It was an inspiring gathering that fostered connection, support, and renewed purpose among colleagues dedicated to caring for others.

The 91¿ì²¥ faculty continues to pursue scholarship and excel in their areas of expertise. Here are a few highlights from this past semester:

Professor Benjamin Sommer, Professor of Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages, was part of a panel at Duke University honoring Professor Marc Brettler on his retirement. Other panelists included Dr. Rabbi David Starr, Rabbi David Steinberg, and Tova Hartman. The panel was entitled “Academic Scholarship and Jewish Life.â€� He also delivered a lecture entitled “Biblical Monotheisim: Exculsive or Inclusive? The Bible and the Ancient World Seminar Series” in May at UCLA. This lecture examined the discussion of pluralism in the field of comparative theology in light of a core question in the story of Israelite religion.

Professor Shira Billet recently taught a class entitled “Affective Power: Hermann Cohen’s Critique of Spinoza on the Negative Emotions” at the Franz Rosenzweig Minerva Research Center at Hebrew University, as part of the Center’s yearlong seminar on Emotions in the German-Jewish Experience. She was also at the Angelicum in Rome (Pontifical University of St. Thomas), where she participated in a conference on the Holy Spirit, presenting a paper on this theme in modern Jewish thought. 

Over the past few months, Prof. Billet presented several other talks in the United States and internationally, such as â€œEudaimonia and Negation of the Diaspora: Rethinking Hermann Cohen on Zionism After 100 Years,â€� at the International Workshop in Memory of Paul Mendes-Flohr at Bar-Ilan University, co-sponsored by the Joseph Carlebach Institute and the Institute for the History of German Jews; â€œProphecy and the Biblical Prophets in Modern Jewish Thought,â€� at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Yeshiva University; â€œVirtue and Power in Hermann Cohen’s Ethics and Philosophy of Religionâ€� as part of the Toldot & Tarbut Series (University of Bonn); and â€œCan Commentary Be Philosophy? Hermann Cohen’s Contested Legacyâ€� as part of the conference Commentary and/as Philosophy (Princeton University), sponsored by the Program in Judaic Studies.

Professor Yitz Landes hosted Dr. Gene Matanky for a talk on “Esoteric Labor: Scholarly Practices and Safedian Kabbalah.” Dr. Matanky is a Harry Starr Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University and a Golda Meir Postdoctoral Fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The day began with remembering Rabbi Jerry Schwarzbard, former Ripp Schnitzer Librarian for Special Collections at the Library. After the talk, Dr. Matanky gave a tour of the Rare Book Room.

Professor Jonathan Milgram has been on a well-deserved sabbatical this past semester and has been working on his book on the topic of Pidyon Haben. He also recently published, “The Textual Formation and Redaction of the Babylonian Talmud,â€� in What is the Bavli?, ed. Jay Harris and Christine Hayes, Harvard University Press, 2025.

Congratulations to Professor David Fishman, who was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy for Jewish Research. This honor represents the high regard that Jewish studies researchers have for Professor Fishman and his work.  He was also appointed to the Advisory Committee of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum in Vilnius, Lithuania. As director of the Jewish Archival Survey in Ukraine, he co-edited the newly published Jewish Documentary Sources in Chernivtsi Archives: A Guide (Bucharest University Press). His study “Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn: The Making of a Jewish Religious Leader in the Soviet Unionâ€�&²Ô²ú²õ±è; has appeared in the book Religion and the Russian Revolution of 1917 (Indiana University Press).

Several faculty members participated in the 91¿ì²¥ learning series, America at 250: Jewish Ideas and the American Experiment, including Professors Robert Harris, Sandra Fox, Jack Wertheimer, Sarah Wolf, Shira Billet, and Benjamin Sommer.

Professor Robert A. Harris, Irma Cameron Milstein Chair, for Hebrew Bible and Its Interpretation, has been selected by an international committee as the 2027 91¿ì²¥â€“Rome Fellow. This fully funded fellowship will support his teaching at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (PUST) in Rome during the Spring 2027 semester. An internationally recognized scholar of medieval Jewish biblical exegesis, Professor Harris will work closely with Professor Gavin D’Costa of PUST, contributing to interfaith dialogue and scholarly exchange. 

91¿ì²¥ is in the midst of an exciting period of growth, expanding in the number of students we serve and in the breadth of their backgrounds, interests, and areas of study. Our Division of Religious Leadership continues to see rising enrollment in both The Rabbinical School and H. L. Miller Cantorial School. Meanwhile, our Division of Lifelong and Professional Studies now offers, among other innovative programs, an MFA in Creative Writing, an MA in Spiritual Care and Counseling, a new MA in Ritual Leadership, a certificate in Biblical Hebrew, and the Emerging Leaders Fellowship for teens that brings them together with 91¿ì²¥ faculty and rabbinical students.

In the following pages, you will meet students from our traditional schools and from our new academic programs. You will discover their unique paths to 91¿ì²¥, the passions driving their studies, and the meaningful work they are already undertaking both within and beyond our walls. At 91¿ì²¥ we are educating scholars and professional leaders for academia, preparing highly trained and compassionate Jewish educators, equipping spiritual caregivers to bring a Jewish lens to their sacred work, supporting Jewish writers as they develop their voices, and inspiring the next generation of passionate, thoughtful, and committed Jewish leaders. We are grateful for your support in these efforts, and we hope you feel great pride.

Read the 2026 Student Look Book now.

Yesterday, we celebrated our 2026 graduates and the many ways they have enriched the 91¿ì²¥ community. Joined by over 500 family, friends, colleagues, and alumni, graduates received their degrees and set forth to bring their talents to the Jewish and wider world. We take great pride in their achievements. Nearly 450 people also joined us online to witness the next generation of Jewish leaders step forward into the future.

We were also honored to confer honorary degrees on Rabbi Edward Feld, Dr. Ruth Marcus, Ms. Debra Messing, and Dr. Peter Schäfer. President Isaac Herzog delivered the Commencement Address virtually, offering powerful and inspiring reflections and remarks. The day concluded with the ordination of eleven new rabbis in a meaningful ceremony followed by festive dancing.

If you missed the ceremonies or would like to revisit them, we invite you to watch the recordings below.

Download the commencement program and the tekes program.

91¿ì²¥ is proud to be a home for meaningful, respectful debate, including about Israel.

In her recent article for The Forward, Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz wrote about President Isaac Herzog speaking at this year’s commencement.

“Because there have been many public misstatements and mischaracterizations, I believe it is incumbent on me as chancellor of 91¿ì²¥ to clarify the facts about our invitation to Israeli President Isaac Herzog to serve as our commencement speaker this year,” Chancellor Schwartz said.

Read “.”

91¿ì²¥ was extremely saddened to hear the news of the passing of Abe Foxman (z”l). 

A 2016 honorary degree recipient of 91¿ì²¥, Mr. Foxman was recognized for his lifelong leadership in combating anti-Semitism, bigotry, and discrimination. As National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, he served as a leading voice on global anti-Semitism, terrorism, religious intolerance, church–state relations, and Holocaust remembrance and education. May his memory be a blessing.

You can read more about our 2016 commencement ceremony here.

Rabbi Gordon Tucker, Vice Chancellor for Religious Life and Engagement, discusses our upcoming June 4 convening, “When the Law Falls Short: Empathy and the Work of Civic Repair,” and how we can apply the obligation to go beyond the letter of the law in today’s society. Additional information about our convening can be found here. 

³¢¾±´Ú²Ô¾±³¾â€¯m¾±²õ³ó³Ü°ù²¹³Ù h²¹-»å¾±²Ô—the obligation to go beyond the letter of the law—is a moral and Jewish responsibility that dates to the time of the Talmud. How does it express itself now, in today’s society?  

For example, a law is passed allowing early voting, but it requires everyone to vote before 5:00 pm, and only on weekdays. Is it legal? It surely meets all the requirements for legislation. So yes, it is legal. Moreover, it apparently cannot be challenged as discriminatory, since it applies to everyone across the board, no exception. But is it just, and does it further the good of a democratic society? Who are the people who will find a way to vote in the middle of a weekday? And conversely, who are those for whom taking the necessary time off might jeopardize their already low-wage employment?   

Weare facing someofthese sorts of questions today, but we are neither alone nor unique.The fact that “legalâ€� and “justâ€� do not always coincide isan old observation, especially in the Jewish legal tradition.One of the more surprising passages in the Babylonian Talmud says that Jerusalem was destroyed because people judged cases strictly according to Torah law. That sounds astonishing at first. How could following the law lead to destruction? The Talmud clarifies that the issuewasn’tthe law itself, but that people were committed only to the rules and never went beyond the letter of the law to do what wastruly right. From this comes an important principle in Jewish law: that true justice and equity often require more than just meeting theminimumlegal standard. This value is known in Hebrew as ±ô¾±´Ú²Ô¾±³¾â€¯m¾±²õ³ó³Ü°ù²¹³Ù h²¹-»å¾±²Ô—going beyond the letter of the law.

This insight is as important today as it ever was. The “rule of lawâ€� is often held up as essential for a just society. Necessary, it surely is; but is it sufficient?  A “flat taxâ€� on income might seem to treat everyone equally. But there is a long-standing consensus in American society that unless tax rates are graduated upward as incomes grow, economic justice will not be achieved.  Perhaps the most familiar example from U.S. history is the very simple â€œseparate but equalâ€� doctrine that at one time enjoyed the endorsement of the Supreme Court. It was found wanting, even though it was entirely legal and claimed to serve equality.   

No one wants a society not based in law. But what else is required of our legal and judicial institutions? And what virtues must be learned and practiced by the citizenry as a whole? 

These questions need to be on the agenda here in the U.S. and in Israel as well. This is why The Jewish Theological Seminary is hosting a convening on Thursday, June 4, 2026 to promote study and dialogue on these far-reaching issues. Entitled “When the Law Falls Short,â€� this gathering will bring together scholars and professionals in various fields to explore how we can strengthen civic responsibility and rebuild trust. 

Participants will include scholars of Jewish and Islamic law, who will explore the ways in which those legal traditions have recognized and approached this challenge. A panel comprising a lawyer/journalist, a senior judge who has also been a government attorney, an activist with broad experience in addressing social inequities, and an educator devoted to promoting a citizenry attuned to moral issues will present and converse with one another on the ways they have encountered the limits of law in their work. And anticipating that the public in attendance will have much to share as well, there will also be workshops to allow for such exchanges. 

In the evening, a dialogue between Martha Minow, Professor and former Law School Dean at Harvard University, and Susan Sturm, Professor of Law and Social Responsibility at Columbia University will offer an opportunity for discussion and reflection. Both are pre-eminent scholars in the field of human rights and social responsibility. But most important are the efforts that both professors have made to define the problem of law’s insufficiency and to seek ways to solve it. 

It is not often that we have thechanceto hear these fundamentalconcernsaddressed by expertsfrom a range offields.This day of conversation aims to highlight the complex relationship between law and justice, and to encourage attendees to reflect on their roles ascitizensin relation tothe ideal of ±ô¾±´Ú²Ô¾±³¾â€¯m¾±²õ³ó³Ü°ù²¹³Ù h²¹-»å¾±²Ô.