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Tag: Civic engagement

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Books CCAR Press Reform Judaism Social Justice

CCAR Press Interview: Judy Seldin-Cohen on ‘Recharging Judaism’

  • Post author By Judy Seldin-Cohen
  • Post date July 13, 2022
  • 1 Comment on CCAR Press Interview: Judy Seldin-Cohen on ‘Recharging Judaism’

Judy Seldin-Cohen, a community advocate and author, shares insights on cowriting Recharging Judaism: How Civic Engagement Is Good for Synagogues, Jews, and America.

How did you come to serve as the coauthor of Recharging Judaism?

I had partnered with my synagogue rabbi, Rabbi Judith Schindler, for more than a decade on civic engagement initiatives, plus chairing synagogue committees, serving on the board, and representing the synagogue in the community. What started as our memoir about collaborating with churches in the Bible Belt became instead a national research project demonstrating how civic engagement strengthens synagogues, empowers us as Jews, and brings more justice to our country­­––the thesis of Recharging Judaism.

What is your most important advice for institutional leaders who want to enlist their community members in advocacy efforts? 

Don’t pick your issue in a conference room. Talk to the members of your community to discern the issues that matter to them—not through a survey, but with thoughtful conversations one-on-one or in small groups. The advocacy issue will emerge, as will passionate volunteer leaders who will be critical to executing the work.

What was the most challenging part of writing this book?

Rabbis and lay leaders think differently, which enriched our book but also challenged us as we started the writing process. My coauthor drafted paragraphs to inspire; I wrote logical arguments and detailed instructions. Eventually, we found our joint voice––more specifics than in a sermon, but less dry than a how-to manual.

Recharging Judaism was published in 2018. Do you think that the book speaks differently to us today?

Recharging Judaism offers timeless counsel to leaders of Jewish institutions: Travel upstream to address the sources of crisis in your community. Step outside your synagogue walls to build community with Jews and people of other religions. Respond thoughtfully to congregants’ complaints with lessons from Jewish teachings and with the realities of other congregations’ experiences.

What do you want readers to take away from the book? 

Build a choir of voices seeking change, both within your synagogue and in your community. Mobilizing your congregation requires your rabbi as soloist and a diverse choir of lay leaders. Singing together with other choirs requires relationships in your community across boundaries of faith and race, and the willingness to trust a conductor whose experiences differ from your own.

Judy Seldin-Cohen is available to teach on topics in the book. Email bookevents@ccarpress.org for more information.


Judy Seldin-Cohen is a community advocate and author. After working in the business sector, she spent many years working on social justice issues with Rabbi Judith Schindler, her then-synagogue rabbi and now her coauthor. Together, they have collaborated on Recharging Judaism: How Civic Engagement Is Good for Synagogues, Jews, and America (CCAR Press, 2018) among other projects.

  • Tags advocacy, CCAR Press, Civic engagement, Community Organizing, Recharging Judaism, Social justice

Categories
High Holy Days

What Can I Say? Fostering Civic Engagement from the Pulpit

  • Post author By Rabbi Judith Schindler
  • Post date September 10, 2018
  • No Comments on What Can I Say? Fostering Civic Engagement from the Pulpit

The Talmud teaches, “With words world are created…”

As clergy, the High Holiday season fills us with awe and trembling because our words matter so deeply. Our words can inspire change.  At this moment, we dig deep within our wellspring of creativity and strength to use our words effectively.

The prophet Jeremiah, foreseeing our impending exile, commanded us to be engaged with our Diaspora communities.  “Seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to the Eternal in its behalf; for in its shalom you shall find shalom.” (Jeremiah 29:7).

As American Reform Jews, we embrace that opportunity. In Recharging Judaism, my co-author, Judy Seldin-Cohen and I interviewed congregational leaders across our country who were on successful civic engagement journeys. Divisiveness in addressing issues of justice was their greatest concern.

Some words of wisdom gleaned from our research can guide us during these final days of sermon preparation, answering the question: How can we address critical issues of our day from the pulpit without alienating a segment of our community?

Listen… What are your congregants saying to you? Hear and share their stories. You can’t argue with stories.

Hear…  As the High Priest led the ritual of atonement for our people on Yom Kippur, he wore an ornate breastplate with four rows of three engraved gems representing the twelve tribes.  Just as he kept a symbol of our people visually before him, we need to similarly keep the diversity of our congregants on our minds as we craft our words. Consider sharing a draft of your sermon with a congregant you respect but from whom you see things differently.

Respect… Emulate the House of Hillel by articulating opposing opinions. The Talmud records no fewer than 300 arguments between the Houses of Hillel and Shammai. In the vast majority of cases, Hillel’s logic prevailed because, according to the sages, “…they were agreeable and forbearing, showing restraint when affronted, and when they taught the halachah they would teach both their own statements and the statements of Beit Shammai. Moreover, when they formulated their teachings and cited a dispute, they prioritized the statements of Beit Shammai to their own statements, in deference to Beit Shammai.” (B. Talmud, Eiruvin 13b).

Educate… Our congregants want to hear how Jewish values speak to today’s issues. Our rabbinic expertise is grounded in principles not policies.

Balance… My father, Rabbi Alexander Schindler, of blessed memory, addressed a political issue on Rosh Hashanah and a spiritual message on Yom Kippur. Let us vary our themes and vary our modes of exploration within each sermon.

Create congregational structures of support… Ecclesiastes teaches that a threefold cord is not readily broken. “Two are better off than one, in that they have greater benefit from their earnings. For should they fall, one can raise the other… Also, if one attacks, two can stand up to the attacker.” The threefold cord that enables congregational civic engagement to succeed requires the efforts of clergy, capable lay leaders, and the congregants themselves.

As rabbis we should recognize, that is not just we who matter in this work but our congregants. Our sermons can only move people so far. We should nurture capable lay leaders to implement our words into action.  We should look for those who have the five “P”S of leadership: passion for justice, proficiency in the area of focus, are great partners, have personality to draw others in, and who create pipelines of leadership.

As rabbis we should recognize that it is not just our words but our actions that matter. We should show up where our voices are needed to call attention to critical issues.

As rabbis, we should recognize that is not just our words to our congregants that have impact, but also our words spoken to our civic leaders. There is a famous letter from President George Washington to Touro Synagogue affirming our freedom and equality as a Jewish people.  What is often not seen is the letter that preceded it.  President Washington replies to Moses Seixas, the Touro Synagogue President (then called warden), using Seixas’s own words of gratitude for a “Government which to bigotry gives no sanction, to persecution no assistance.”

It can happen that when we speak to our civic leaders, they use our eloquent and visionary expressions as their own.

As Rabbis we should read the sermons of our predecessors, especially those who preached during the Civil Rights era.   There are countless inspirational sermons but consider a couple of sentences from Rabbi William Silverman.

On March 16, 1958, the Nashville JCC Center was dynamited by a group called the Confederate Underground. Just days later, Rabbi Silverman of The Temple Congregation Ohabai Sholom, delivered a Shabbat sermon entitled, “We Will Not Yield.”

He said to his congregants, “You say to me: ‘Rabbi, stick to the Bible.’ This is the Bible. You say: ‘Rabbi, stick to the Talmud.’ This is the Talmud. ‘Rabbi, stick to Judaism,’ you say. This is Judaism.”

Let us follow the lead of our Reform founders who preached and practiced prophetic Judaism – the words of justice proclaimed by Isaiah, Amos, Moses and so many more.  Let us hear Rabbi Silverman’s words: “Stick to the Bible, stick to the Talmud, stick to Judaism” and engage with the most critical issues of our day so that we may seek and expand our community’s shalom and our own.

—

Rabbi Judith Schindler is the Sklut Professor of Jewish Studies and Director of the Stan Greenspon Center for Peace and Social Justice at Queens University of Charlotte.  She and Judy Seldin-Cohen co-authored Recharging Judaism:  How Civic Engagement Is Good for Synagogues, Jews, and America, available now from CCAR Press.

  • Tags Civic engagement, High Holidays, High Holy Days, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur

Categories
Books Social Justice

Recharging Judaism, A Partnership with My Rabbi

  • Post author By Judy Seldin-Cohen
  • Post date November 17, 2017
  • No Comments on Recharging Judaism, A Partnership with My Rabbi

A single sermon cannot heal our world.  A single person cannot heal our world.  Social justice is a collective endeavor.  We need partners to make systemic change in our communities, our states, and our nation.

More than three years ago, Rabbi Judith Schindler invited me — a lay leader — to co-author a book with her on Jewish social justice.  I was not an author by profession, but I wanted to help her mobilize other congregations to effect meaningful change such as we had accomplished together in our community.

The existing Jewish social justice books we found were targeted to rabbis, rather than synagogue boards or social justice committees.  Rabbis and congregants hear sacred texts differently, see community issues differently, and operate in their synagogues differently.   Collaborating, we could write a book to guide rabbis and congregations to travel together on their own journeys of synagogue civic engagement.

Recharging Judaism calls American synagogues to take institutional stands on social justice issues, explaining why with deep discussions of Jewish texts, and showing how utilizing our primary research — fifty interviews with lay leaders and clergy from congregations immersed in this work.  Our intended audience included rabbis, of course, but also their lay boards and social justice volunteers, three groups with diverse agendas and a broad spectrum of Judaic backgrounds.

The writing process taught us how to reach these dissimilar audiences because our own perspectives were so different — hers as a rabbi, mine as a former synagogue board member and social justice committee co-chair.  For example, my co-author would draft a paragraph referencing God and I would recommend we substitute the word “divine.”  I would enumerate the details of a successful process and she would suggest we edit it down to a key anecdote.  Whether we were parsing a text or illustrating a framework for action, we debated every word so that our book would speak to all its readers.

I laughed out loud while we were writing the preface.  I had drafted the sentence encouraging more exploration of the modern rabbinic works that we had excerpted.  When she edited the paragraph, she added the same suggestion about the writings of the Jewish sages — a thought that had not occurred to me.

I was not the only one attuned to modern issues rather than the timeless relevance of Torah and Talmud.  When asked which Jewish text inspired their social justice work, lay leaders we interviewed were more apt to quote some version of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel “praying with his legs” as he walked in Alabama for voting rights fifty years ago than they were to cite an ancient text that their clergy had shared at the start of a social justice committee meeting.

Do I believe that sharing these texts is important?  Absolutely.  Establishing the basis of civic engagement causes in Judaism is a unique responsibility of synagogue clergy.  Recharging Judaism provides discussions of our ancient texts that are accessible to lay leaders like myself who are eager to live our Jewish values outside our sanctuaries.  To assist this work, Sefaria Source Sheets with Rabbinic texts are available as companions to every chapter.

Recharging Judaism uniquely guides the rabbinic work that ensues from applying those teachings in America today.  We share examples of how rabbis recruit capable lay leaders and align with their board while leading the congregation and the community. Our frameworks also enlist the participation of your congregation — rather than solely your social justice committee — and guide you to do this work outside your synagogue building where many American Jews are rallying to stand for our values.

Perhaps your congregation already accepts civic engagement as its fourth pillar alongside Torah study, worship services, and acts of loving-kindness.  If so, kol hakavod.  Yet you might find that the examples we cite from other successful congregations — and the cautionary tales of missteps — inspire even more effective and sustainable work.  The polarizing political climate today may also warrant rethinking how you navigate your congregation’s journey of civic engagement.

This book was my sixth major collaboration with Rabbi Schindler over the course of more than a decade in which I was enjoying early retirement from the business world. Just over a year ago, I realized that I was no longer retired, but an author charged with a new mission — as a Jew, as an American, and as a synagogue leader.  What Dr. Susannah Heschel wrote about clergy and congregants in our foreword spoke to me personally: “We are partners and we are Jews of passion. To pray and keep silent on the injustices of our world is blasphemy – and utterly un-Jewish.”

—

Judy Seldin-Cohen is a community advocate and first-time author in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Her prior professional life included management consulting at Booz Allen in Chicago and vice president of ticketing at the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team. She and Rabbi Judith Schindler co-authored the newly published book, Recharging Judaism:  How Civic Engagement Is Good for Synagogues, Jews, and America, available now from CCAR Press.

  • Tags Civic engagement, Recharging Judaism, Social justice

Categories
Books Social Justice

Recharging Judaism: Strengthening Synagogues through Civic Engagement

  • Post author By Rabbi Judith Schindler
  • Post date November 16, 2017
  • No Comments on Recharging Judaism: Strengthening Synagogues through Civic Engagement

Each morning we face the news of the evening before. I often pick up my smartphone with dread. Who will be cast into fear and despair today? The undocumented student fearing deportation? The person victimized by racial bias in policing?  The person made homeless by the most recent storm?  There are days when I feel emotionally sapped before finishing my coffee.

When Elie Wiesel (z”l) visited Charlotte in 2007, he met with twenty local religious leaders in a lengthy, powerful exchange.  He discussed with us our responsibilities to counter the injustices that we see. One pastor asked him, “How can we respond to the enormity of the world’s problems?” And he said to the assembled clergy, “All of you, because of who you are, know how to use words.”

I continually strive to fulfill Wiesel’s charge.  As rabbis, we know how to use words – to craft classes, sermons, and editorials, and to speak from podiums across our cities.  That is a critical first step to responding to the issues of our day. But it is not enough.

To ensure the values that we teach inside our synagogues are lived outside its walls, we need to work not harder, but smarter. And as we do –- as we partner with our congregants engaging them fully in this work — we recharge our synagogues, we strengthen our congregants’ Jewish identity, and we engage meaningfully in democracy.

Recharging Judaism states the case for how civic engagement can recharge the synagogue. As we extend our congregational work into our communities by addressing systemic issues and unjust policies, we create “minyans on the move” where Jewish friendships, community and memories are nurtured. I value the friendships I created long ago travelling to Albany with Westchester Reform Temple’s sisterhood to argue against a harsh Welfare Reform Bill and the relationships nurtured from a caravan of congregants driving with me to Raleigh for Moral Monday protests.

Recharging Judaism also demonstrates how civic engagement can strengthen Jewish identity. While theology and mitzvot are not always hot topics for conversation, the issues of our day certainly are. Actualizing our prayers by working for justice creates a Judaism of meaning and relevance for my congregants — and for me.  My father and grandfather lived their Judaism fighting for the marginalized and oppressed. With their words and work, they saved lives and created greater justice, equity, equality, and peace.

Lastly, Recharging Judaism: How Civic Engagement Is Good for Synagogues, Jews, and America,  offers a path for becoming engaged with democracy as Jewish institutions. We need that now more than ever. Democracy is fragile and requires our voices and vision.

From the moment I was named Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth El in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2003, I had a clear goal of expanding my congregation’s mission to include social justice. I was not alone.  Rabbis and congregations across our country have been doing the same.  Through more than 50 interviews, my gifted co-author Judy Seldin-Cohen and I bring to you the wisdom that clergy and lay leaders in congregations large and small spanning the country have gleaned from their work. We learn from their successes, their failures, their models for congregational engagement, the ways in which they garnered support from their Board and lay leadership, and from how they sustained and evolved their work.

Like the study of Torah, successful civic engagement requires continual learning. Like the cycles of Torah, civic engagement is not linear.  Issues arise and issues subside.  There are always new politicians, new political realities, and new partners with whom we can work.

The words of academic Michael Walzer, lifted up in our liturgy, ring true: “…wherever you live, it is probably Egypt; …there is a better place, a world more attractive, a promised land; …the way to the land is through the wilderness. There is no way to get from here to there except by joining together and marching.”

Each morning, I sense we are in a wilderness. But during the day, when I stand with others drawing strength from their wisdom and experience, I know we are moving forward.  As Rabbis, collaborating with our congregants, with our interfaith community partners, and with others across our country, we can indeed bring our nation closer to being a place of promise for us and for so many who have been left behind for far too long.

 —

Rabbi Judith Schindler is Associate Professor of Judaic Studies and Director of the Stan Greenspon Center for Peace and Social Justice at Queens University of Charlotte.  She served for thirteen years as Senior Rabbi and is now Rabbi Emerita at Temple Beth El in Charlotte, NC. She and Judy Seldin-Cohen co-authored the newly published book, Recharging Judaism:  How Civic Engagement Is Good for Synagogues, Jews, and America, available now through CCAR Press.

  • Tags Civic engagement, Recharging Judaism, Social justice

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