Israel, North American Jewry, and Global Social Justice

The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the interconnectedness of humanity. It has also revealed and compounded vast inequalities within and between societies. This has lent new urgency to the question of our responsibility – as individuals, communities, and nations – to the world’s most vulnerable people. Within Jewish tradition, there have always been universal dimensions, but the relatively new phenomena of the State of Israel and of a well-resourced American Jewish community have transformed the ways in which Jews can exercise global responsibility and make a positive contribution on the world stage.

How might the twin experiences of a strong diaspora and a vibrant Jewish state – taken separately and together – foster a greater Jewish collective consciousness towards global responsibility? How might the experience of Jewish collectivity mobilize Jewish involvement and leadership in addressing the world’s pressing problems, including climate change, poverty, and structural inequalities? What resources from Jewish tradition can be brought to bear to guide and inspire these efforts?

Research fellows from the Kogod Research Center for Contemporary Thought and the OLAM network will tackle these and other questions, with the aim of generating new thinking about the role of Israel and the American Jewish community in pursuing global justice.

Seminar is coordinated by Elana Stein Hain and OLAM CEO Dyonna Ginsburg.