Download Overview Ten Social Issues You Can`t Ignore Jewish Views on

Overview
Ten Social Issues You Can’t Ignore
Jewish Views on Contemporary Social Issues
Eser 2016 offers the opportunity for high quality thought-provoking discussions around the most
hotly debated topics in this year’s upcoming presidential election. In settings where all
perspectives are welcomed, participants will see what the Jewish sages have to say, share their
own opinions and generate the kind of exciting conversations that makes Eser unique.
The following are the ten topics to be discussed:
1. Climate Change
According to Jewish tradition, we must preserve that which God has created. Jewish texts also
see great value in preserving resources and caring for our planet for the sake of future
generations. Amazingly, the Bible links climate change to human behavior. What does Judaism
have to say about our obligation to address climate change historically and today?
2. Euthanasia/Physician Assisted Suicide
According to the Bible, suicide is akin to murder (self-murder) and saving one’s life is
comparable to saving an entire world. Moreover, in traditional Jewish law, one person’s life
should never be considered more or less valuable than another’s. Yet, there have been examples
throughout Jewish history of tolerating and even hastening death. How can we understand this
contradiction and what insights into the difficult issue of euthanasia do Jewish texts provide?
3. Capital Punishment
A principle of Judaism is that no matter the actions undertaken by individuals, their humanity is
never fully stripped from them. Yet, we also understand that no society can tolerate those who
willfully take the life of another human being. We will see that Jewish tradition has capital
punishment “on the books” but yet is (extremely) reluctant to actually carry it out. When is it
justifiable to take the life of another human being?
4. Gun Control
Traditional Jewish texts warn against owning dangerous objects yet recognize one’s right to
defend oneself. In this session, we will delve into the complexities of gun control in the most
surprising of ways — by studying biblical views on parapets and rabbinic attitudes towards dogs!
What principals should be used when balancing the desire of people to protect themselves with
the risks associated with those very items of protection?
5. Responsibility to the Poor
Seeing ourselves as descendants of the ancient Hebrews who were slaves in Egypt, Jewish texts
frequently and repeatedly call on us to create an equal society. The Bible itself institutes systems
of combating poverty that would be considered “radical” in modern times. How do we balance
living in a capitalist society with the Jewish imperative to help the poor and create an equal
society?
6. Healthcare Rights
There exists positive biblical commandments to save a person who is ill or in danger, and, more
generally, to care for the poor. How might these Jewish values inform a Jewish view of health
care rights today? To whom should healthcare rights extend and at what cost?
7. Immigration
In many ways, the Jewish story is one of immigration. For over 2000 years, Jews have been
forced to leave their homes to seek safety from persecution. Moreover, treating the “strangers of
our land” as our own family is a strong Jewish value. How do these Jewish experiences and
values inform the response of the Jewish community today to immigration reform? What are
Jewish responses to illegal immigrants from Mexico or to Syrian refugees? How do we balance
Jewish values around welcoming the stranger with our desire to be safe?
8. Race Relations
The question of race relationships in the United States is usually about relationships between
Blacks and Whites. Where this gets complicated, of course, is where Jews fit in. What is our
responsibility as Jews when we see racial injustice? Do we have a raised level of responsibility
because, historically, Jews have often been labeled as the outsider? What do we do when, in
trying to support racial equality, we encounter anti-semitism?
9. America’s Relationship with Israel
America and Israel have had a close, yet complicated relationship since before the founding of
the state of Israel in the mid 20th century. Just as Israel means to “wrestle with God,” this session
encourages wrestling over Israel through appreciative inquiry on a variety of perspectives on the
more than 60 year old relationship between Israel and the United States. What is the basis of the
American-Israeli relationship? What challenges has this relationship faced and how have
different Jewish communities across the country addressed the challenges?
10. Reproductive Rights
The permissibility of abortion has been debated throughout Jewish history, with prominent
rabbis disagreeing about whether a fetus is considered alive and whether a mother’s life can take
precedence over the viability of a fetus. When does life begin? In what situations does
traditional Jewish law sanction, and even require, abortion? How have Jewish leaders and
communities adapted Jewish laws and views to our time? How do we use Jewish texts and ideas
when we make personal decisions?