Jews as Secular Citizens: The Drive for Social Justice

Tuesdays from 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
November 19, December 3, December 17

In the premodern Jewish community, the central body, the kehillah, was responsible for taxing its members and providing a broad variety of services. How do those responsibilities translate in the modern world, where the kehillah has been replaced by secular governments? What are the responsibilities of Jews individually and collectively regarding healthcare, housing, education, food and other basic needs and rights? What is the difference between centering on obligation and centering on rights? We will explore these questions together.

Rabbi David Teutsch, a longtime GJC member, is Wiener Professor emeritus at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, where he served as president for a decade and founded the RRC Center for Jewish Ethics. Author of a three-volume values-based Guide to Jewish Practice, he is a prolific author, speaker and consultant.