In this vital panel discussion from July 5, 2016, Shalom Hartman Institute scholars Donniel Hartman, Yehuda Kurtzer, and Elana Stein Hain tackle the profound shifts happening within Jewish life. They challenge communal leaders to step away from exclusionary “who is in/who is out” debates and instead focus on what it means to actively build rich, complex, and genuinely pluralistic spaces. The panel also explores interfaith affiliation and how welcoming those who wish to enter our spaces can strengthen, rather than threaten, a community’s core identity.
This session is being re-shared in 2026 to complement the publication of Building Communities of Belonging, a resource from the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Kogod Research Center. This resource supports rabbis, educators, and communal leaders in strengthening their communities as they develop policies and practices around Jewish identity, including conversion and informal modes of Jewish affiliation.
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