Engage in Jewish Learning at the Next Level

At The Graduate School of JTS, you can take courses for credit without enrolling in a degree program. Study with our outstanding world-class faculty and choose from classes that pique your interest and imagination. Classes are offered at convenient day and evening times. Take the next step in Jewish learning and inquire here to become a non-degree student.

Become part of a community of scholars at one of the world's leading centers of academic Jewish study. Your educational experience will be of the highest quality—rigorous and collaborative. You will find a like-minded cohort of learners as well as a faculty who will encourage and support your studies.

While studying at JTS, you can expect to:

• Deepen your knowledge through immersion in sophisticated academic Jewish studies
• Invest in the pleasure of learning for its own sake
• Gain tools to develop new leadership roles in your community

You will join our community of learners and enrich us with your wisdom, sophistication, and life experiences.

Application Process and Tuition Information

Non-Degree Application and Requirements:

• The application is located here
• Brief personal statement that explains why you wish to study at JTS (within application).
• $35 fee (paid online)
• Indication of satisfactory completion of a bachelor's degree

The Spring 2012 Semester begins on Tuesday, January 17, 2012.

Tuition and fees:

Note: Classes may be taken for credit or audited. If you wish to be apply as a degree candidate at a later date, up to 12 credits of work as a non-degree student within the previous 10 years may apply.

Recommended Courses

Consider choosing from the excellent classes described below or click here for our full online course catalog.

Art, Archaeology and Iconography of Ancient Israel
Dr. Stephen A. Geller

Thursdays, 10:20 a.m.–12:10 p.m.
Examination of the evidence for Israelite art and iconography that has emerged, especially in the last 50 years. The course will survey the archaeological evidence for Israelite religion in general, such as shrines and altars. The main focus will be on such visual symbols as the tree of life, the winged sun disk, the crescent moon and others, which appear on seals and in inscriptions, as well as female figurines and other aspects of art and iconography, in their biblical and ancient Near Eastern context. All readings in English.

Marriage in Jewish History and Culture
Dr. Stefanie B. Siegmund

Mondays 1:20–3:10 p.m.
Marriage is intensely regulated by Rabbinic law. However, the study of its historic role in pre-modern society, in the construction of gender roles, in economic life, in the formation of Jewish ethnic identities, and as a locus for Jewish artistic, ritual, and spiritual practices deepens our appreciation of the complexity of this crucial institution. Students in this interdisciplinary course (which does not attempt to teach current practices or to focus on halakhic issues) will examine topics in the history of the family by studying original historical documents and historical scholarship, medieval and Renaissance Jewish art and literature, and, for comparison, contemporary examples of ketubbot and marriage rituals.

The Shtetl
Dr. David E. Fishman

Thursdays, 3:40–5:20 p.m.
An examination of the "Jewish town" in 19th-century Eastern Europe, utilizing the methods of social and cultural anthropology. Topics will include: family and gender, class stratification, folk religion and folk-culture, social control and deviance, and collective mythology and memory. The course will be based on readings of memoir literature and post-Holocaust memorial volumes.

Classics of the Jewish Tradition
Dr. Benjamin R. Gampel

Wednesdays, 8:20–10:10 a.m.
A focus on the classics of the medieval and modern age, considering the social, religious, and historical significance of each of the works against the background of the period in which it was written.

The Changing American Synagogue: House of Prayer, Education, and Assembly
Dr. Jack Wertheimer

Wednesdays, 5:40–7:30 p.m.
This course will examine how the focus of synagogue life has evolved from the Colonial era to the present in response to internal Jewish needs and broader American patterns; how these shifts have affected the religious, liturgical, and educational programs of congregations; and the altered roles played by rabbis, cantors, educators, and lay leaders. It will conclude with an examination of contemporary trends.

The Holocaust and Visual Interpretation
Dr. Susan N. Chevlowe

Wednesdays, 3:40–5:30 p.m.
Through a survey of an array of visual responses created during the Holocaust and in the 60 years since, this course will explore the ethical, moral, and aesthetic challenges faced by artists, architects, museum curators, and film-makers in the aftermath of Adorno's famous dictum: "To create poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric."

Hebrew Language (multiple levels)

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