Introduction to the Jewish Theological Seminary’s New MFA Program
The Jewish Theological Seminary, best known for training Conservative rabbis as well as Judaic scholars and communal workers, hopes to raise a new kind of crop: Jewish fiction writers.
The Manhattan seminary is launching a new Master’s in Fine Arts in Creative Writing, a two-year, low-residency program to be directed by the prize-winning Israeli author Etgar Keret and with a stable of acclaimed Jewish writers.
Background and Motivation
Although she included the idea for an MFA program in her 2022 strategic plan for JTS, Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz said she heard subsequently from some of those authors that an MFA at a Jewish institution could give a home to Jews who, since Oct. 7, 2023, see the publishing world as increasingly inhospitable to Jewish themes and writers. JTS was already well into its accreditation process with the state, she said in an interview, when reports of cancelled bookstore appearances, calls for a boycott of Israeli literary institutions and a blacklist of “Zionist” authors began circulating.
The Need for a Jewish MFA Program
“We’re living in an era where Jewish writers are having a hard time getting into writers’ programs, getting published even. And if they do get into a program they are reticent to do so and they’re not sure how [their writing] will be received,” she said.
Program Details and Faculty
The American Jewish novelist Jonathan Safran Foer will serve as the program’s founding advisor. Other “creative advisors” listed by JTS include the novelists Shalom Auslander and Nicole Krauss (who used to be married to Safran Foer), comedian Alex Edelman, “This American Life” creator Ira Glass, actor Liev Schreiber, singer-songwriter Regina Spektor and Deborah Treisman, the fiction editor for The New Yorker.
The advisors reflect Keret’s notion that “storytelling” includes numerous formats, Schwartz said.
Program Structure and Curriculum
“If you want to write your first novel, you’ll get mentoring, but what about screenwriting? What about poetry? What about nonfiction?” said Schwartz. (Columbia University, a few blocks away, similarly offers creative writing MFA concentrations in nonfiction, fiction, poetry and literary translation.)
The chancellor said she was inspired by the idea that a fiction writer or other storyteller could take advantage of faculty and assets that have been the seminary’s calling card, including learning from classical Jewish texts and the “treasures” in the institution’s library.
Inspiration and Support
Schwartz said Safran Foer reached out to her when the idea was germinating to share his concerns about the marginalization that Jewish writers were experiencing and his thoughts about the role that JTS could play in addressing them. She said the writer’s “enthusiasm” for the project convinced her that the program could be viable.
Keret, best known for his collections of short-short stories as well as the film “Jellyfish,” said in a statement about the new program that he learned about the power of storytelling from his mother, a Holocaust survivor. “I don’t know if the capacity to tell a story was what saved my mother’s life, but I can say beyond a doubt that it did save her soul,” he said.
Program Logistics and Funding
The MFA program will be housed at JTS’ Division of Lifelong and Professional Studies, led by Lisa Springer. A writers’ festival is being planned for each year of the program.
JTS said the financial analyst Abby Joseph Cohen, chair emerita of the JTS Board of Trustees, provided funding for the MFA. “This exciting new program will blend the creative arts with Jewish studies in a contemporary setting,” she said in a statement.
Conclusion
The Jewish Theological Seminary’s new MFA program in Creative Writing is a significant step towards providing a platform for Jewish writers to express themselves and share their stories. With a talented faculty and a comprehensive curriculum, this program is sure to make a positive impact on the literary world.
FAQs
Q: What is the duration of the MFA program?
A: The MFA program is a two-year, low-residency program.
Q: Who is the director of the MFA program?
A: The program is directed by the prize-winning Israeli author Etgar Keret.
Q: What kind of writing formats will the program cover?
A: The program will cover various formats, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting.
Q: How can I get more information about the program?
A: For more info, go to JTA.org.
