Yesterday, we celebrated our 2026 graduates and the many ways they have enriched the JTS 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.

JTS 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 �鶹ԭ�� to clarify the facts about our invitation to Israeli President Isaac Herzog to serve as our commencement speaker this year,” Chancellor Schwartz said.

Read “.”

JTS was extremely saddened to hear the news of the passing of Abe Foxman (z”l). 

A 2016 honorary degree recipient of JTS, 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. 

�����ڲԾ��� m������ܰ����� h��-�徱��—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?   

We are facing some of these sorts of questions today, but we are neither alone nor unique. The fact that “legal” and “just” do not always coincide is an 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 issue wasn’t the law itself, but that people were committed only to the rules and never went beyond the letter of the law to do what was truly right. From this comes an important principle in Jewish law: that true justice and equity often require more than just meeting the minimum legal standard. This value is known in Hebrew as �����ڲԾ��� m������ܰ����� h��-�徱��—going beyond the letter of the law. 

This insight is as important today as it ever was. The “rule of law” is often held up as essential for a just society. Necessary, it surely is; but is it sufficient?  A “flat tax” 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 “separate but equal” 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,” 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 the chance to hear these fundamental concerns addressed by experts from a range of fields. This day of conversation aims to highlight the complex relationship between law and justice, and to encourage attendees to reflect on their roles as citizens in relation to the ideal of �����ڲԾ��� m������ܰ����� h��-�徱��.

Earlier in the week, Chancellor Schwartz shared her thoughts about this year’s commencement with students, staff, and faculty. We invite you to read them.

Dear JTS Faculty, Staff, and Students,  

With commencement almost two weeks away, many conversations have emerged following the announcement that President Isaac Herzog will serve as this year’s commencement speaker.   

In recent discussions and communications with students, I outlined the core principles and values that underlie JTS’s commitment to the State of Israel and its vision of Zionism, all of which we share closely with President Herzog. I would now like to share these ideas with the broader community. 

Our fundamental commitment to the Jewish state flows directly from the fact that more than 7 million of our fellow Jews live in Israel.  This means that supporting the state that is represented by Israel’s president is one of the highest forms of caring for the Jewish people.   

Moreover, since the time of Solomon Schechter, JTS has continually believed in and supported a democratic and humane Zionism as was eventually enshrined in Israel’s Declaration of Independence (“Megillat Ha-Atzma’ut”). Indeed, JTS has for several years been a co-sponsor of a ceremonial reading of that Declaration at the egalitarian section of the Western Wall. We do so because we are committed to the essential values set forth in that fundamental document, including the promotion of justice and peace for all, ensuring political equality and equal protection under the law to all races and faiths, striving for peaceful relations with its neighbors, even when those strivings are not yet embraced, and furthering the welfare of the Jewish people everywhere in the world. 

President Herzog, like all of the ten previous presidents of Israel, represents the state and its people, rather than any particular government. Throughout his career, which has included leadership of the Labor Party and chairmanship of the Jewish Agency, he has worked for visions of Zionism and Israel that we hold dear. He has consistently argued for defending the democratic character of Israel as among its most basic norms. Believing in the necessity of hearing multiple voices, he also worked on an immersive educational track on the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict in which students would encounter the conflict though a “dual voiced” format by an Israeli and a Palestinian.  

This President has consistently argued for the necessity of a two-state solution, and he has spoken (and visited) with Arab leaders, including the Turkish president, in service of that goal. Although the presidency does not come with political powers, the President has lent the prestige of his office to efforts at reforming some aspects of the judiciary that do not subject minorities to a tyranny of the majority.   

Truly, President Herzog and JTS have always been in sync regarding our aspirations for a more perfect Israel. He has been a strong advocate for the religious pluralism that is so important to us.  And aside from all of this, he has long had abiding respect for the scholarship that we stand for, and for the openness and pluralism of debate that defines us. I personally have supported these efforts, most recently as a MERCAZ delegate to the 39th World Zionist Congress in October 2025. Our work is bearing fruit thanks to MERCAZ’s strong showing during the voting, and funding allocations for the upcoming year better reflect our values concerning land usage and religious pluralism. You can read more about my experience at the Congress here.  

I recognize that some in our community see things differently than I and are troubled by our decision to honor President Herzog. We at JTS welcome spirited debate and respect all views and opinions that are voiced conscientiously with an intent to further the Jewish values that motivate us all. By sharing the vision for Israel that JTS and President Herzog have long had in common, I hope to offer clarity about the values guiding this choice. We approached this step purely and conscientiously, guided by what we believe is right and good for the Jewish people, and we look forward to honoring President Herzog on the 19th.

We take pride in all of our students and look forward with enthusiasm and support to celebrating all of our graduates at commencement.  

April 30, 2026 — New York, NY — �鶹ԭ�� (JTS), one of the world’s preeminent centers of Jewish higher education, and the intellectual and spiritual center of Conservative Judaism, today announced that its Board of Trustees has named Rabbi Mike Uram as its ninth Chancellor. He will succeed Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz, who, as previously announced, is stepping down at the end of the 2025-26 academic year and will transition to Chancellor Emerita, while remaining a member of the faculty.

A JTS-ordained rabbi and nationally recognized leader in Jewish learning and engagement, Rabbi Uram currently serves as the first Chief Jewish Learning Officer at Jewish Federations of North America. Over the course of his career, he has led and advised a wide range of Jewish educational and community-focused initiatives, including serving as Chief Vision and Education Officer for Pardes North America and, for more than 16 years, as Executive Director and Campus Rabbi at the University of Pennsylvania Hillel. He is also the author of Next Generation Judaism: How College Students and Hillel Can Help Reinvent Jewish Organizations, which received a National Jewish Book Award.

Rabbi Uram’s appointment, which is effective on July 1, 2026, reflects JTS’s commitment to being a pre-eminent center of engaged and integrated Jewish scholarship while further expanding its reach to engage a broader and more diverse Jewish community. A 2005 graduate of JTS who has spent his career forging new pathways for Jewish learning and leadership, Rabbi Uram brings both deep familiarity with JTS’s intellectual and spiritual traditions, and a demonstrated ability to connect with Jews across a wide spectrum of backgrounds.

“JTS stands at a rare intersection of rigorous scholarship, religious practice, and community,” said Rabbi Mike Uram. “As someone shaped by this institution, I am honored to return and work together with faculty, students, alumni, administration, and partners to build on JTS’s enduring strengths, while widening the circle of engagement with people of the American Jewish community, Israel, and around the world.”

Chancellor Schwartz, the institution’s first female Chancellor in JTS’s 140-year history, has led JTS through a turbulent period marked by challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic and rising antisemitism. During her tenure, she advanced key institutional priorities, including strengthening JTS’s core academic programs, growing the faculty, launching new degree offerings, initiating new preparatory programs to fortify the rabbinic pipeline, expanding online and public-facing learning, and deepening JTS’s engagement across the Jewish community. 

“Serving as Chancellor of JTS has been a tremendous honor, and I am deeply proud of what this community has built during a demanding yet important chapter,” said Chancellor Schwartz. “Rabbi Uram brings a combination of intellectual depth, organizational vision, and formidable skills for engaging and growing Jewish communities. I look forward to supporting a smooth transition and to continuing my work at JTS.”

“Chancellor Schwartz has strengthened JTS with her clarity of vision and empathetic leadership, helping the institution grow to be even more resilient and more vibrant,” said Alan Levine, Chair of the JTS Board of Trustees. “As we build on that foundation, Rabbi Mike Uram is the right leader for this moment: grounded in Jewish learning at JTS, experienced in shaping educational strategy, and committed to developing the next generation of Jewish clergy, educators, and leaders. We are grateful to Chancellor Schwartz for her service, and we are thrilled to welcome Rabbi Uram back as JTS’s next Chancellor.”

Rabbi Uram holds a BA in History and Religious Studies from Washington University and Rabbinic Ordination from �鶹ԭ��. He lives outside Philadelphia with his wife, Leora, and their three children, and will be relocating to New York.

�鶹ԭ�� Rabbi Mike Uram

Rabbi Mike Uram is the first ever Chief Jewish Learning Officer for Jewish Federations of North America. Previously, he served as the Chief Vision and Education Officer for Pardes North America, building a new platform for Jewish education. Before that, Mike led Penn Hillel as the Executive Director and Campus Rabbi for over 16 years. He is the author of the best-selling book entitled Next Generation Judaism: How College Students and Hillel Can Help Reinvent Jewish Organizations, which won a National Jewish Book Award. He is a sought-after speaker and consultant on the changing nature of the American Jewish community, Jewish innovation, cutting-edge engagement, and how legacy organizations can reinvent themselves in the age of millennials. 

Mike has worked with dozens of Jewish organizations, including the Wexner Foundation, the Schusterman Foundation, Hillel International, United Synagogue, The Rabbinical Assembly, Central Conference of American Rabbis, and many local federations, synagogues, and JCCs. Mike served as lead faculty and Jewish coach for the first three cohorts of the Schusterman Fellowship and was the principal architect for the Jewish leadership growth elements of the fellowship. Recently, Mike also co-authored and designed a new educational framework for Birthright Israel.

Mike has spent time in all the different denominations and is most passionate about breaking down the personal, spiritual, and intellectual boundaries that prevent people from having full self-actualized Jewish identities.

Mike holds a BA in History and Religious Studies from Washington University and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He lives outside Philadelphia with his wife Leora and their three children.

Read a letter from Rabbi Uram here.

Read a letter from Chancellor Schwartz here.

Read a letter from Chair of the Board, Alan Levine here.

Read more in

On Monday night, we gathered to celebrate Chancellor Schwartz and honor her legacy. The atrium was filled with her family, friends, colleagues, and members of the JTS community, while many more joined via livestream. We are grateful to everyone who helped make the evening so meaningful and special. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to all our sponsors for their generosity.

If you were unable to attend, we invite you to experience the celebration now.

to view our Green Book Celebrating Chancellor Schwartz.

A Few Moments from a Special Night

You can watch recordings from the day below.

Full Recording: JTS Community Assembly Honoring Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz