Judaism, Justice, and Holiness

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Rabbi Dr. Sid Schwarz

Rabbi Sid’s groundbreaking book, Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World 2006, offers a seminal thesis about the purpose of Judaism. The book portrays a tension between the commitment of Jews to universal values and the Jewish communal tendency to emphasize a more parochial set of priorities. This talk explores the sublime paradox of Judaism which combines a requirement that Jews fully engage in the world to advance peace and justice with a mandate for Jews to continue to be a people apart.

Rabbi Sid Schwarz is a social entrepreneur, author and teacher. He is currently a Senior Fellow at Hazon, a national organization based in New York playing a leadership role in promoting Jewish inspiration and sustainable communities.  

Rabbi Sid founded and led PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values for 21 years. He is also the founding rabbi of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, MD where he continues to teach and lead services.  Dr. Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in Jewish history and is the author of two groundbreaking books–Finding a Spiritual Home: How a New Generation of Jews Can Transform the American Synagogue (Jewish Lights, 2000) and Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World (Jewish Lights, 2006).  

Rabbi Sid directs the Clergy Leadership Incubator (CLI), a program that trains rabbis to be visionary spiritual leaders.  He also created and directs the Kenissa: Communities of Meaning Network which is building the capacity of emerging spiritual communities across the country.

Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, founder of Clal and one of American Jewry’s most notable leaders, has written about Sid: “Rabbi Sid Schwarz’ life and career embody a unique mix of religious vision and an ability to implement that vision in the real world.”

Sid was awarded the prestigious Covenant Award for his pioneering work in the field of Jewish education and was named by Newsweek as one of the 50 most influential rabbis in North America. Sid’s most recent book is Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future (Jewish Lights, 2013).

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