by Sid Schwarz

(excerpts from a forthcoming study*)

Wisdom/Chochma
Proposition 1: In an age of globalization, Jewish institutions need to offer multiple avenues to explore chochma, the wisdom of our sacred texts, put into the context of the world’s religions and in the lingo of contemporary culture.

Social Justice/Tzedek
Proposition 2: At a time when our political culture seems so dysfunctional and the social and environmental threats to the planet grow exponentially every year, the Jewish community needs to provide ever more ways to advance tzedek in the world.

Community/Kehillah
Proposition #3: At a time when technology has made meaningful social intercourse much harder to come by the Jewish community must offer places where people can find support in times of need, communal celebration in times of joy and celebration, and friendships to make life fulfilling.

Purposeful living/kedusha
Proposition #4: In an age when we better understand the shortcomings of capitalism and the culture of consumerism the Jewish community must offer a glimpse of kedusha, experiences that provide holiness, transcendent meaning and a sense of purpose.

* This new study, which will come out this year, builds on the work and research of Sid Schwarz’s two books. Finding a Spiritual Home: How a New Generation of Jews can Transform the American Synagogue (Jossey Bass, 2000) explores how synagogues much change to meet the needs of the next generation and outlines a new paradigm to do just that—the synagogue-community. Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World (Jewish Lights, 2006) offers a theology, history and sociology of Jewish social justice. It also proposes a way for social justice to be one of the key building blocks for a more culturally relevant American Judaism.