'And For the Sin Of Greed That We Have Committed...'
by Rabbi Jennie C. Rosenn

I wanted to highlight for everyone this recent editorial by Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, a contributor to my new book, Progressive and Religious. She uses Yom Kippur liturgy to challenge Jews not only to respond individually to the needs of their communities, but also to work collectively with social justice groups to fight for systemic transformation. You can read the full piece here.

This is a strategic moment for the broader Jewish community to join with Jewish social justice organizations around shared values and collective action. Jewish social justice organizations, as reported in our recently published research, “Visioning Justice and the American Jewish Community,” stand on the forefront of organizing across religious, ethnic, and class lines to fight for some of the systemic changes we need — fair labor practices, universal healthcare, affordable housing and immigrant rights. In recent times we have witnessed solid examples of alliances between broader Jewish communal agencies and Jewish social justice organizations — in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; in the face of genocide in Darfur; and on behalf of abused workers in Postville, Iowa. This is another such moment of need.

The broader Jewish community, together with Jewish social justice groups, can bring a compelling Jewish voice to every media outlet and decision-making table to help bring an end the war on the poor and middle class and to affirm the basic rights of housing, healthcare, education and pensions. In broader terms, they can define the values and principles that should determine governmental policies going forward. It is time to reframe our role as Jewish citizens and to take collective responsibility for making our values manifest in our policies.

Jews of every generation and affiliation — from those active in secular social change to those devoted to their local federations — can also act individually on this responsibility. Congregants can engage their synagogues in congregation-based community organizing. Jews of every generation can do volunteer service that addresses real needs in poor communities and speaks to the root causes of poverty. Professionals in transition from the private sector can bring their intelligence and skills to the Jewish social justice field. And we all can ensure that our tzedakah remains robust; these are days that call for shoring up, not scaling back, our giving.

Continue reading here.

Labels: guest voices, jewish, progressive and religious, progressive judaism