There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice through Jewish Law and Tradition »

Confront the most pressing issues of twenty-first-century America in this fascinating book, which brings together classical Jewish sources, contemporary policy debate and real-life stories.

Poverty and the Poor

Collection and Allocation of Tzedakah

Workers, Employers and Unions

Housing the Homeless

The Provision of Health Care

Environmental Sustainability

Crime, Punishment and Rehabilitation

By creating a dialogue between traditional texts and current realities, Jacobs presents a template for engagement in public life from a Jewish perspective and challenges us to renew our obligations to each other.

Publishers Weekly

The author of this excellent examination of the Jewish response to contemporary issues of social justice earned her rabbinical ordination at New York's Jewish Theological Seminary, where she became aware of problems experienced by residents of neighboring Harlem. This and her subsequent position working for a trade union led her to explore the relationship between Jewish texts and matters of social policy. Today, she is rabbi-in-residence of the Jewish Fund for Justice. Combining the examination of Jewish texts with contemporary social concerns has resulted in a thoughtful book. Jacobs explores problems of poverty, workers, housing, health care and the environment, highlighting the contribution of Jewish teachings to answering these social questions. (Apr. )

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff, PhD xi

Preface Simon Greer xvii

Introduction: The Search for an Integrated Judaism 1

1 A Vision of Economic Justice 9

2 Essential Terms: Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, and Prophetic Judaism 24

3 Defining Poverty and the Poor 49

4 Sufficient for One's Needs: The Collection and Allocation of Tzedakah 79

5 Servants to Servants or Servants to God: Workers, Employers, and Unions 97

6 They Shall Tremble No More: Housing and Homelessness 132

7 I Will Remove Illness From Within Your Midst: The Provision of Health Care 159

8 The City and the Garden: Environmental Sustainability for the Twenty-first Century 179

9 When Your Brother is Flogged: Crime, Punishment, and Rehabilitation 192

Conclusion: Judaism in the Public Sphere 214

Notes 222

Glossary 247

Suggestions for Further Reading 251

Index 252