Context

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Text study. Active questioning. Community building. Personal enrichment. Welcome to Context, a two-year intensive and innovative program of adult Jewish learning.

It is Or Zarua's good fortune to have been selected to participate in the Context program. Participants will be immersed in reading core Jewish texts, including the Bible, and will grapple with the historical, political and cultural aspects of four eras - biblical, rabbinic, medieval and modern. During approximately 100 hours of class time over a two-year period, participants will study the major works and ideas of each period within its unique historical context and discover interrelationships among the periods. No prior formal Jewish education or knowledge of Hebrew is required.

Context instructors are accomplished Judaic scholars with communication skills appropriate for adult education and the ability to adapt both to the Context curriculum and to a variety of learning styles. What makes Context a unique adult education experience is the opportunity to study a wide range of materials with the same group of learners over a two-year period, a contemporary adaptation of the classical Jewish method of learning with a partner - "Chavrutah."

An exciting journey, Context offers a powerful way to bring knowledge and insight into your personal life and community as you build your understanding of what Jewish texts and ideas meant historically and what they mean for Jews today.

Each class will be based on assigned readings, including passages from both primary sources and supplemental scholarly materials that reveal the richness of Jewish literature and thought. These sources are at the heart of the Jewish "conversation" - a conversation that stretches over 3,000 years as Jews have interpreted and re-interpreted the central texts that define the Jewish tradition. As a participant in Context, you will become part of that conversation.

Context, which is purposefully designed to be an intellectual journey, is guided by leading Judaic Studies scholar-teachers from a variety of academic institutions, and provides a sophisticated understanding of Jewish history and thought. It offers students a context within which to understand the Jewish past, refine their personal approach to the challenges of contemporary Jewish life, and develop their unique and informed outlook toward the Jewish future.

Context is a four-semester program conducted over two years. The curriculum explores the span of Jewish civilization and focuses on two major themes:

Jewish Texts and Interpretation (Year I)
The Bible
Rabbinic Texts

Jewish Cultures and Communities (Year II)
Jews in the Medieval World
The Jews in the Post-Enlightenment World Each semester consists of eight academic sessions. The calendar includes a monthlong break in January. For a more in depth overview of the Context curriculum, click here. Here's some important information about participating in the Context program: - Tuition has been reduced from $525 to $495 for the 10-session course. The one-time Blackboard fee remains $27. Those students who have already registered and paid the original tuition through CashNet will be refunded the difference by JTS within two weeks. - The class will now begin on Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at Or Zarua. - Online registration will re-open on Monday, October 11, 2010. We will send you a follow-up email when the adjustments have been made. Please do not attempt to register before receiving the follow-up email. The email will also contain a revised calendar for the course. - Instructions for online registration are here. Registration is a two-step process. First you must complete the Registration form. When indicating the Program, choose the "Advanced Context Seminars", the third option. When you have completed the form, then click on Register at the bottom of the page. You will automatically be taken to the secure CashNet page to supply your credit card information. Registration is complete only when you receive a receipt from CashNet. Please note that if two people from the same household are enrolling in the class, you will receive a refund from JTS for the second $27 Blackboard fee. To make sure that this is processed in a timely manner, please send an email to context@jtsa.edu with the names of both students. If you do not want to share credit card information on-line, you have the option to pay by check. To do so, please complete the first step of the online registration process. Make sure to click on Register when you have completed the Registration form. You may then mail your check in the amount of $522 made payable to The Jewish Theological Seminary to: The Jewish Theological Seminary
Institute for Jewish Learning
3080 Broadway
Kripke Tower, 9th floor
New York, NY 10027-4649 If you have any questions, please call the Context office at JTS at 212-870-5850. Office hours are Monday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.