Reform Judaism on the College Campus

International College Seminars

These intensive seminars are designed specifically for college-age students. Each year, we bring hundreds of students who, at a formative moment in their Jewish journeys, are exposed to the unique melding of study and experience that only Jerusalem and Israel can offer. The Saltz Center provides exciting and meaningful learning opportunities that will set its participants on a course of lifelong learning and commitment.

Retreats and Programs for “Semester Abroad”

The Saltz Center runs intensive weekends for all Progressive/Reform Jewish college students currently studying in Israel on long or short-term programs. We gather visiting students to Jerusalem for an intensive “pilgrimage” of living and learning. These retreats are not only social and learning opportunities, but they also enable the Reform and Progressive movements to cultivate deep relationships with their future leaders.

Sample Seminars, Courses and Workshops

What is Prophecy?

From the Prophet Isaiah to Bob Dylan, explore religious vision from the words of the prophets to prophets of words. Understand the use of Biblical stories and parables in both classic texts and popular culture. Learn to struggle with Jewish religious practice, and appreciate the role of ancient and modern voices of dissent.

The Ties that Bind

What makes a Reform Jew Reform? Is there a Reform Halacha (Jewish Code of Law)? This seminar explores the role of Jewish law, the parameters of the Commandments and their relation to Reform and Progressive Judaism.

Israel: Myth and Reality

The building of Israel is a modern day miracle replete with its own creation myths— from “making the desert bloom” to “a land without a people for a people without a land.” This seminar seeks to untangle the mythic Israel from its current realities and helps us find our place both in terms of commitment and critique.

My Brother’s Keeper

Jewish community has always been central to the Jewish people. In the absence of national sovereignty, the community became a framework and a substitute for the nation. This seminar probes the fascinating area of traditional Jewish texts to discern what Jewish tradition expects from community and to consider whether historical reality has lived up to the communal ideal.

From Swords to Plowshares

What does Judaism have to teach about conflict and resolution? From Abraham and Lot to the Road Map, from Jacob and Esau to the separation barrier, we engage texts and explore sites that illuminate both historical and current conflicts.