Jewish legacy of civic engagement
By Rabbi Asher Lopatin, Ann Arbor Jewish Federation Director of Community Relations
In a political climate that feels polarized, divided, and like a challenge to the liberal democracy of America, Jewish organizations in greater Ann Arbor are working together to learn about and act on a legacy of Jewish participation in civic life.
September 20–22 will be a Democracy Shabbaton in greater Ann Arbor, made possible by a partnership between Beth Israel Congregation, Temple Beth Emeth, and the JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Committee) of the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, with support from A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy.
This weekend of lectures and activities will feature Professor David Elcott, the New York-based author of Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy. Throughout the weekend, participants will join together to learn about the intrinsic connection between Jewish tradition and democracy, and the event will culminate with a “Get Out the Vote” project for children and adults.
While the Jewish Federation as well as the other sponsoring institutions are all non-partisan organizations that do not endorse any particular political parties or candidates, all three institutions value democracy and involvement in civil society. Antisemitism comes from both the political left and the right, and hyper-partisanship and extreme polarization demand that Jews get more involved in American civic life to create space for more diverse ideas and individuals in the civic sphere.
In a 2024 piece in The Atlantic titled “The Golden Age of American Jews is Ending,” Franklin Foyer argues that the liberal democracy which has enabled Jews in America to thrive is under threat of unraveling. The more the Jewish community actively takes part in voting and in community and political organizations, the more it can be a unifying force for a diverse American society, one which respects and values not just Jews but all religious and ethnic minorities.
Dr. David Elcott is an esteemed scholar who has spent the last 25 years studying the intersection of Jewish community-building, pluralistic engagement, and interfaith and ethnic activism. His educational background is in political psychology and Judaic studies. Dr. Elcott practices what he teaches: He now works with Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison, teaching college degree programs for incarcerated individuals, which he began after retiring as the Taub Professor of Practice in Public Service and Leadership at the Wagner School of Public Service at NYU. Dr. Elcott has written two books and numerous articles on the topics of power and war, and the importance of minority civic engagement.
The weekend’s activities include:
Friday, September 20, at Temple Beth Emeth. Services at 6:30 p.m. followed by oneg and lecture by David Elcott at 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, September 21, at Beth Israel Congregation: Services at 9:30 a.m. followed by lunch kiddush and lecture by David Elcott
Sunday, September 22, Community-Wide Bagels and Get Out the Vote letter-writing project at Beth Israel Congregation, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
For more information on how to get involved with programs like this, visit JewishAnnArbor.org or contact the Federation’s Director of Community Relations, Rabbi Asher Lopatin, at [email protected].
