The Righteous Indignation Project

JSpot Interview With Rabbi Or N. Rose

February 16, 2008 - 1:33am — admin

Hannah Farber of the Jewish Funds for Justice conducted the following interview earlier this month. We wish to thank Hannah and JFSJ for their support of our work. Please check out JFSJ at www.jewishjustice.org .

JFSJ: What inspired you to put this book together?

Or: Today, as in the past, there are many Jewish activists involved in progressive justice efforts, but who are disconnected from the organized Jewish community, without access to the spiritual, ethical, or historical riches of their tradition. At the same time, there are many progressive Jews involved in Jewish communal life—synagogues, community centers, and federations—but who engage only sporadically in justice initiatives without the knowledge, skills, or support to work for systemic change.

My co-editors and I put together this anthology to help both of these populations become more effective Jewish social justice activists, by providing readers with a series of spiritual, intellectual, and practical tools to engage in the work of tikkun olam.

Furthermore, in an era in which the Religious Right has monopolized the national morality debate, it is critical that religious progressives—Jews and others—articulate alternative visions of faith and public life, especially leading up to the 2008 election.

JFSJ: What do you think this book adds to the discourse on Judaism and social justice?

Or: I think our anthology is unique in that it brings together the voices of leading and emerging Jewish intellectuals, activists, and organizational leaders in one volume. It represents a growing movement of progressive Jews who are consciously engaged in social and environmental justice issues as Jews. In communities across the country, there are more and more people who view the work of creating a just and compassionate world as a primary Jewish responsibility, and who view the Jewish tradition—its religious, cultural, and historical teachings—as foundational to their justice efforts.

JFSJ: What’s the best thing about the book?

Or: In my view, the best thing about our book is the shared sense of mission held by the editors and contributors. While we do not agree on the all of the claims presented by each writer, we do agree that the American Jewish community must intensify its efforts at addressing issues of systemic injustice in the United States, Israel, and throughout the world. We feel that this requires our community to focus more time, energy, and money on educating its leaders and laity on the great social and environmental issues of our time, and helping people take thoughtful and effective action in the world.

One specific critique echoed throughout the book is the fact that while many synagogues, schools, and community centers engage in vital acts of direct service (chesed)—volunteering in soup kitchens, organizing clothing drives, or cleaning parks—they often do not engage in grassroots organizing and political advocacy—organizing voter registration and education events, lobbying elected officials and corporate decision makers—and without such activities, there can be no deep and lasting change (tikkun).

To that end, we are organizing a national conference for Jewish activists—May 4-6, 2008 in Boston—which will help mobilize progressive Jews to be a non-partisan voice for social change in the 2008 election and beyond through Jewish study, community organizing, and media work. Among the featured speakers will be Ruth Messinger of AJWS, David Saperstein of the RAC, and JFSJ’s own Jill Jacobs (all of whom are contributors to the book).

Following the conference, we will work with several Jewish and interfaith organizations to hold voter education and registration events across the country, and publicize our work in the media. For more information about the conference and follow-up activities, please visit our website, www.righteousindignation.info.

JFSJ: What surprised you most about the book?

Or: What most surprised me about the book is the wide range of justice issues progressive Jews are engaged in today—as individuals and as organizations—and the sophistication with which they are doing it. I was particularly impressed with the work of young Jews (20-30) like Mark Hanis (Darfur), April Rosenblum (anti-Semitism), and my co-editor, Margie Klein (voter mobilization).

JFSJ: What are the issues/questions you want readers to keep in mind when they read the book?

Or: Among the questions I would like readers to consider are:

1. In what ways can the teachings of Judaism—theological, interpersonal, and ecological—help us address contemporary justice issues?
2. How can we best address issues of injustice within the Jewish community—whether in the U.S., Israel, or elsewhere—and participate actively in the healing of the larger world?
3. What concrete steps can I take to make social justice and environmental responsibility a more central part of my life and the life of my community?