Articles

We are people who fully embrace its past but our track record in planning for, or at least thinking about, the future is at best uneven. Planning for the Jewish future is both structural and strategic; it involves policy questions and operational considerations. Last year, on these pages I prepared an essay focusing on the structural elements that defined the American Jewish experience.[1] Each of these tactical issues must be seen on the one hand as distinctive and on the other as part of an integrative package essential for managing the Jewish future!

The following letter, a version of which was shared with my own family, models an old Jewish tradition of Hebrew ethical wills:[1] When we are together, I am not always comfortable speaking to you about life and more directly your world. Indeed, if we have occasion to speak, I tend to ask you questions like “how is school going?” or “what’s new in your world?” These inquiries are asked with sincere interest in your wellbeing, in part drawn from my pride in seeing you grow in your respective life journeys. But often, the tough stuff of life never gets addressed...

Modern Israel has been a remarkable unifying force for American Jewry. Sadly, the subject of Israel and most discussions about Israeli policies today have become deeply divisive. In some instances, these debates have cost friendships and silenced organizations and Jewish leaders from engaging in conversations around Israel. There is an issue, however, around which most Jews can coalesce — the potential annexation of portions or all of Judea and Samaria, the West Bank. This poses a threat to Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state...

Over the course of its history, Israel’s relationship with its Jewish world partners has undergone a series of transitions. Against the backdrop of the Holocaust during the middle of the 20th century, Israel’s “survivability” was seen as critical to the welfare of the Jewish enterprise. “One people, one destiny” was the dominant motif during the first 20 years of statehood, when Israel enjoyed broad Diaspora support. “Sustainability” was the defining element for the next quarter century. Here, the nature of the Jewish partnership...

Based on a 2012 study of voting characteristics found among minority voters, some of the same trends present among other ethnic groups apply to Jewish voters as well. Below, we examine six areas in which these general voting patterns are reflected among Jewish voters: 1. Civically Alienated: Just as other minority communities report various constituencies becoming disconnected from particular political causes and candidates, one can find similar patterns of behavior among some Jewish constituencies. There is a parallel scenario evident among...

During a time frame where the ethical behavior of leaders in all different fields of endeavor has come under increasing attention, what role do codes of conduct play within our community? Such documents articulate the ethical standards that an organization or professional group wishes to foster with its leadership. In some measure, such declarations serve as a public statement of what the association strives to represent. These standards provide measures by which one can evaluate individual performance and organizational practice. These guidelines offer...

Our enemies are seeking to redefine our status, question our loyalty, and undermine our political interests. Some accuse us of trying to “replace” or imitate WASPS as the new power group. These new negative images represent an element of the contemporary assault on Jewish Americans. In the end, however, these attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions are really about a larger question, what type of American ethos and culture will emerge over the decades ahead? This dual-edged war is directed toward questioning the status and place of America’s Jews, just as it permits others the opportunity to...

When institutions make new leadership choices, what criteria drive their selections? A set of significant structural and policy issues confront educational institutions today. This is especially the case for our Jewish seminaries. The decline of support for organized religion, the changing roles of clergy, and the presence of new competitors represent three of these primary institutional challenges. Seminaries such as JTS (Jewish Theological Seminary), HUC-JIR (Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion) and the AJU (American Jewish University) face additional tests, as they also must demonstrate their academic credibility in a competitive marketplace where other centers of Jewish learning also operate and compete with them for essential resources.

As I travel around the country, I hear an array of concerns about the state of Jewish life in America. The audiences I encounter are generally older and associated with synagogues, federations or Jewish Community Centers. The issues they raise reflect a shared sense of concern about the future. What can we do to make certain that our children and grandchildren remain committed to Judaism? With the population changes underway, what will America and our community look like? What is happening to our Jewish institutions? Why is the Jewish community so divided, and what can we do about it?

“Jews considered themselves actors in political history even when they lacked the power to shape it.”[1] Wherever Jews have lived, they have been engaged with both political authorities, always understanding the importance of asserting their interests. Throughout their history, two ideas were central to Jewish communities: advancing their self-interests and demonstrating political adaptability (adjustment to changing political conditions). In these challenging times, the tools of political activism have become once again essential resources. Over the centuries Jews created an array of institutional resources designed to advance their political ideas. Individual Jews have played a number of different roles...