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Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World »

Book cover image of Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World by Sidney Schwarz

Authors: Sidney Schwarz, Ruth Messinger
ISBN-13: 9781580233125, ISBN-10: 1580233120
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
Date Published: November 2006
Edition: (Non-applicable)

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Author Biography: Sidney Schwarz

Book Synopsis

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 PANIM: 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.

Table of Contents

Foreword   Ruth Messinger     xiii
Acknowledgments     xvii
Introduction     xix
The Jewish Condition
The Purpose of Judaism     3
The Exodus-Sinai Continuum of Jewish Life     11
Sinai
Genesis: Abraham and "the Call"     31
Exodus: Embracing the Covenant     37
Leviticus: Roadmap to a More Perfect World     41
Numbers: From Wilderness to Prophecy     47
Deuteronomy: How Central Is God?     55
Sinai Applied: Seven Core Values of the Rabbinic Tradition     63
Exodus and Sinai in America
The American Jewish Community and the Public Square     85
Jews and the Struggle for Civil Rights     105
Soviet Jewry: A Cause of Our Own     119
Protecting and Defending the State of Israel     139
A New Era
What Is a Jewish Issue?     165
Beyond Self-Interest     189
Social Justice Takes Root     213
Reconciling Exodus and Sinai     237
Conclusion: Responding to "the Call"     253
Resource List of Jewish Social Justice/Community Service Organizations     263
Interviews     281
Endnotes     285
Bibliography     299
Index     306

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