Authors: Or Rose (Editor), Margie Klein (Editor), Jo Ellen Kaiser
ISBN-13: 9781580233361, ISBN-10: 1580233368
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
Date Published: December 2007
Edition: (Non-applicable)
Author Biography: Or Rose
Book Synopsis
In this groundbreaking volume, leading rabbis, intellectuals, and activists explore the relationship between Judaism and social justice, drawing on ancient and modern sources of wisdom. The contributors argue that American Jewry must move beyond "mitzvah days" and other occasional service programs, and dedicate itself to systemic change in the United States, Israel, and throughout the world. These provocative essays concentrate on specific justice issues such as eradicating war, global warming, health care, gay rights and domestic violence, offering practical ways to transform theory into practice, and ideas into advocacy. Rich and passionate, these expressions will inspire you to consider your obligations as a Jew, as an American and as a global citizen, while challenging you to take thoughtful and effective action in the world.
Table of Contents
Foreword David Ellenson ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Judaism, Justice, and American Life
Can Social Justice Save the American Jewish Soul? Sidney Schwarz 3
What Does Tikkun Olam Actually Mean? Jane Kanarek 15
Divine Limitation and Human Responsibility Or N. Rose 23
Preaching What I Practice: The Power of Jewish Organizing Margie Klein 31
The Legacy of Abraham Joshua Heschel: Jewish Spirituality and Political Transformation Michael Lerner 38
Religious Leadership and Politics David Saperstein 45
Renewing Creation: Judaism and the Environment
Rereading Genesis: Human Stewardship of the Earth Ellen Bernstein 55
Jewish Textual Practice and Sustainable Culture Natan Margalit 60
Wonder and Restraint: A Rabbinical Call to Environmental Action$dCoejl 67
Toxic Waste and the Talmud Jeremy Benstein 76
Judaism, Oil, and Renewable Energy Shana Starobin 79
The Temple of the Spirit: The Human Body
Redemption for Radicals: Jewish Congregation-Based Community Organizing Jonah Dov Pesner 87
The Blood of OurNeighbors: American Health Care Reform Sandra Fox Martin Seltman 94
The Global AIDS Crisis: Caring for the Sick by Standing with the Activists Jacob Feinspan Julia Greenberg 102
A Jewish View of Embryonic Stem Cell Research Elliot N. Dorff 110
The Brownsville Legacy: Judaism and Reproductive Rights Judith Rosenbaum 120
Looking Inward: Domestic Violence within the Jewish Community Naomi Tucker 126
The Yoke of Oppression: Social and Economic Justice
Hearing the Voice of the Poor Aryeh Cohen 135
A Jewish Vision for Economic Justice Jill Jacobs 147
Why a Labor Movement Matters Arieh Lebowitz 155
And If Not Together, How? Jews and Immigration in the United States Dara Silverman 163
Gracious Giver of Wisdom: Recovering America's Great Public School System Marla Feldman Joshua Seth Ladon 169
The Possibility of Change: An Argument for Restorative Justice Sharon Brous Daniel Sokatch 175
Klal Yisrael: Creating an Inclusive Community
The Significance of Sex: Social Order and Post-Mythic Religion Jay Michaelson 185
Beyond Same-Sex Marriage: Social Justice and Sexual Values in Judaism Martha Ackelsberg Judith Plaskow 195
Priority Lists: A Dialogue on Judaism, Feminism, and Activism Rebecca Alpert Danya Ruttenberg 206
Created Beings of Our Own: Toward a Jewish Liberation Theology for Men, Women, and Everyone Else Elliot Rose Kukla 214
Multiracial Jewish Families: A Personal and Political Approach to Justice Politics Marla Brettschneider 222
Differently Abled: The Lesson of Rabbi Elazar Abigail Uhrman 229
Seeking Peace: Israel, Palestine, and American Jewry
Warriors, Prophets, Peacemakers, and Disciples: A Call to Action in the Face of Religiously Inspired Violence Melissa Weintraub 237
Plotting the Middle Path to Israeli-Palestinian Peace: The Role of American Jews Diane Balser 249
Imitatio Dei and/as Shared Space: A Jewish Theological Argument for Sharing the Holy Land Shaul Magid 260
Everything Falls Apart Joel Schalit 270
The Challenge of Making Peace Stephen P. Cohen 275
The Seventy Nations: Global Concerns
Am I My Brother's Keeper If My Brother Lives Halfway Around the World? Ruth Messinger Aaron Dorfman 281
A Jewish Response to Globalization Micha Odenheimer 293
"Silence Is Akin to Assent": Judaism and the War in Iraq Adam Rubin 303
Once Again: Genocide in Darfur Mark Hanis 308
How to Split the Sea: Anti-Semitism and Social Change April Rosenblum 312
Reopening the Tent of Abraham Phyllis Berman Arthur Waskow 319
Notes 327
Credits 348
Righteous Indignation on the Web 350
About the Editors 351
Subjects