THE SACKS SEMINARS
The Sacks Seminars are a collaboration between Gonville & Caius College and The Rabbi Sacks Legacy, and are a transformative educational initiative aimed at identifying the brightest students at the University of Cambridge and cultivating in them a profound sense of leadership and responsibility.
Inspired by the teachings of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, the programme is designed to develop morally courageous leaders equipped with the intellectual depth, ethical clarity, and practical skills necessary to make a lasting impact on the world.
If you would like to be kept informed of news and updates please register here
About the Programme
The Seminars will induct selected students into an exclusive society of like-minded peers, where they will engage deeply with Rabbi Sacks’ thought and be afforded close mentorship.
Through rigorous study and dialogue, students will explore critical themes such as moral responsibility, covenantal ethics, and the relationship between faith and public life, positioning them as thoughtful and effective leaders in their future communities and professions.
Each seminar will last for one hour and will be followed by discussion at formal hall.
The Seminars
- 1. The Sacks Thesis - 19 November 2025
An in-depth exploration of Rabbi Sacks’ central ideas, including covenantal responsibility, moral imagination, and faith in the public square.
- 2. Dialogue with Political Philosophy - 1 December 2025
Engaging with political thinkers such as John Rawls, Isaiah Berlin, and Michael Sandel, contrasting their theories with Rabbi Sacks’ vision of moral responsibility and collective destiny.
- 3. Dialogue with Ethical Philosophy - 4 February 2026
Investigating questions of virtue, obligation, and moral community through the lens of both classical and contemporary ethical theory.
- 4. Dialogue with Jewish Mystical Thought - 18 February 2026
Exploring the spiritual and mystical dimensions of Rabbi Sacks’ thought, with a focus on concepts of unity, transcendence, and collective purpose.
LAUNCH EVENT
The launch of the Sacks Seminars initiative took place in Gonville & Caius College on Monday 12 May with a lecture and reception.
Rabbi Dr Reuven Leigh, director of the Sacks Seminars, introduced the programme and delivered a lecture on ‘Responsibility for the Other in the thought of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ to a distinguished audience of academics and students.
Responsibility for the Other
in the Thought of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
by Rabbi Dr. Reuven Leigh
Apply here
The Sacks Seminars are for undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Cambridge.
Application deadline: 29 October 2025 (09:00)
Applications are now closed
