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Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World
From Judaism's rich history of prophetic justice comes an inspiring call to action. Why is it that Jews are so involved in causes dedicated to justice, equality, human rights and peace? Are these trends influenced by religion, history, sociology or something else? In this provocative exploration, Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, founder and president of The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values, sheds light on the relationship between Judaism, social justice and the Jewish identity of American Jews. He traces how the idea of justice, as developed in the sacred texts of Judaism, conditions Jewish attitudes and behavior. In a fascinating portrayal of some of the major issues facing the Jewish community in the last fifty years, Schwarz explores a community torn between its instincts for self-preservation and its desire to serve as an ethical "light to the nations." This powerful and empowering book will provide you with a starting point for meaningful engagement―and a new way to understand Jewish identity.
- GenresJudaismJewishNonfiction
342 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 21, 2011
I met Rabbi Sid Schwarz through Panim al Panim, a high-school in Washington program he started in which speakers and workshops not only showed us how DC works but provided me an ethical framework for many issues based on Jewish values. He wrote this book as an unofficial curriculum that captures the major points of the program. Fast forward 18 years when he is officiated at my wedding (and did a stellar job) and asked that my fiance and I read some books to spiritually prepare us for marriage. We chose his book.
One of his points is that working for Social Justice is one of the main bonds between people in religion, in particular Judaism. He starts out with some religious principles and foundations that underlie social justice. His thesis outlines a dueling dynamic in Judaism that drives moral decisions: the Exodus impulse (to protect yourself from danger) and the Sinai impulse (the acceptance of a ethical code and commandments). It is good to see where certain values are introduced in the liturgy, but I feel you can find justification for anything you want if you look in the bible hard enough. Christianity probably has much more textual basis for social justice than Judaism.
However, Schwarz goes on to make the case that the particular interest Jews have had with social justice can also be traced closely to their history, surviving as a minority and, in the US as an immigrant. He provides 3 excellent case studies explaining Jewish American social action and its motivation: 1) Jewish alliance with African Americans fighting for Civil Rights, 2) Jewish perspectives on establishing the state of Israel; 3) Jewish-American action to rescue Soviet Jewry. He highlights the nuanced and evolving attitudes in each of these issues against his Exodus and Sinai dynamic.
He concludes the book by describing how he would bring high school students to a homeless village to feed and interact with the people living there. His messages really resonated for me as I recalled this seminal experience he introduced me to in high school. I came to realize that people in need are real people, not just political tools. For me it really humanized the ethics I was learning and vested me with a sense of Tikkun Olam.
One of his points is that working for Social Justice is one of the main bonds between people in religion, in particular Judaism. He starts out with some religious principles and foundations that underlie social justice. His thesis outlines a dueling dynamic in Judaism that drives moral decisions: the Exodus impulse (to protect yourself from danger) and the Sinai impulse (the acceptance of a ethical code and commandments). It is good to see where certain values are introduced in the liturgy, but I feel you can find justification for anything you want if you look in the bible hard enough. Christianity probably has much more textual basis for social justice than Judaism.
However, Schwarz goes on to make the case that the particular interest Jews have had with social justice can also be traced closely to their history, surviving as a minority and, in the US as an immigrant. He provides 3 excellent case studies explaining Jewish American social action and its motivation: 1) Jewish alliance with African Americans fighting for Civil Rights, 2) Jewish perspectives on establishing the state of Israel; 3) Jewish-American action to rescue Soviet Jewry. He highlights the nuanced and evolving attitudes in each of these issues against his Exodus and Sinai dynamic.
He concludes the book by describing how he would bring high school students to a homeless village to feed and interact with the people living there. His messages really resonated for me as I recalled this seminal experience he introduced me to in high school. I came to realize that people in need are real people, not just political tools. For me it really humanized the ethics I was learning and vested me with a sense of Tikkun Olam.
December 13, 2010
"Judaism and Justice" is a book that succeeds on different levels.
It is at once an inspiring call to service and social justice, an account of the history and evolution of Jewish organizational life in America, and a prescription for mainstream organizations like Federations.
Schwarz works from the framework of what he calls the Exodus and Sinai impulses of Jews. The Exodus impulse (i.e., AIPAC) refers to the Jewish impulse to rally together in the face of threats, while the Sinai impulse refers to Jews' marching orders to come to the aid of the poor and oppressed.
He makes the case that the largest Jewish organizations have drifted toward the Exodus pole, while young Jewish adults are leaning toward the Sinai pole. (As a Federation employee, I can tell you that there is actually a heckuva lot of Sinai Judaism in our work.)
As evidence, he cites both the explosive growth of progressive Jewish organizations in America, along with survey data showing that Jews regard a "commitment to social equality" as the most important part of their Jewish identity.
To me, though, the most valuable aspect of the book is its passionate emphasis and elaboration on the Prophetic tradition, a tradition that is in turn firmly rooted in Torah.
If the mark of a good book is one in which I've highlighted a section on virtually half the pages, then "Judaism and Justice" is indeed a good book.
It is at once an inspiring call to service and social justice, an account of the history and evolution of Jewish organizational life in America, and a prescription for mainstream organizations like Federations.
Schwarz works from the framework of what he calls the Exodus and Sinai impulses of Jews. The Exodus impulse (i.e., AIPAC) refers to the Jewish impulse to rally together in the face of threats, while the Sinai impulse refers to Jews' marching orders to come to the aid of the poor and oppressed.
He makes the case that the largest Jewish organizations have drifted toward the Exodus pole, while young Jewish adults are leaning toward the Sinai pole. (As a Federation employee, I can tell you that there is actually a heckuva lot of Sinai Judaism in our work.)
As evidence, he cites both the explosive growth of progressive Jewish organizations in America, along with survey data showing that Jews regard a "commitment to social equality" as the most important part of their Jewish identity.
To me, though, the most valuable aspect of the book is its passionate emphasis and elaboration on the Prophetic tradition, a tradition that is in turn firmly rooted in Torah.
If the mark of a good book is one in which I've highlighted a section on virtually half the pages, then "Judaism and Justice" is indeed a good book.
December 19, 2012
Schwartz writes in a clear and direct manner about the reasons why social justice is of such importance to many types of Jews. And the repercussions and manifestations of what he calls the Sinai impulse (as opposed to the highly tribal and even insular Exodus impulse). He strives to appeal to both religious and non-religious Jews in his messages but bases much of his argument about the Sinai impulse in the faith grounding and the theoretical moral purpose of Judaism. An intriguing read that made me want to investigate several Jewish non-profits. Highly recommend for any Jew wanting to explore a Jewish approach to bettering the world via activism.
December 16, 2011
Great book that provides such a rich description of the historical roots Justice has within Judaism. A wonderful reminder of the work we all should be doing each day!!!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews