Testimonials: It will change your life.
Julia Glassman
Is It Really Possible?
A year ago, my sense of the connection between Judaism and social justice was tenuous. I grew up in a home where Judaism consisted of the occasional hanukkiah lighting or ad-hoc seder. When I first learned about the Jeremiah Fellowship, I found myself skeptical of the idea that social justice was embedded in the very fabric of Judaism. Can’t people use the Bible to justify just about anything? If you are going to be an activist, part of me wondered, why not just be an activist? Is it really possible - or practical - to connect modern day issues with ancient stories and legal codes?
However, the Jeremiah Fellowship opened up layer upon layer of understanding about Judaism's approach to poverty and injustice. We studied the prophetic tradition and pondered our relationship to food policy and justice. We pored over the Talmud's definition of housing and explored the evolving meaning of tikkun olam (repairing of the world). By the end of the fellowship, I came to understand that religious tradition, to paraphrase Rabbi Jill Jacobs, can be used to open up discussions of social justice, rather than shut them down. I'm proud to say that my experiences as a Jeremiah fellow have prepared me to be not just a changemaker, but a Jewish changemaker.
Is It Really Possible?
A year ago, my sense of the connection between Judaism and social justice was tenuous. I grew up in a home where Judaism consisted of the occasional hanukkiah lighting or ad-hoc seder. When I first learned about the Jeremiah Fellowship, I found myself skeptical of the idea that social justice was embedded in the very fabric of Judaism. Can’t people use the Bible to justify just about anything? If you are going to be an activist, part of me wondered, why not just be an activist? Is it really possible - or practical - to connect modern day issues with ancient stories and legal codes?
However, the Jeremiah Fellowship opened up layer upon layer of understanding about Judaism's approach to poverty and injustice. We studied the prophetic tradition and pondered our relationship to food policy and justice. We pored over the Talmud's definition of housing and explored the evolving meaning of tikkun olam (repairing of the world). By the end of the fellowship, I came to understand that religious tradition, to paraphrase Rabbi Jill Jacobs, can be used to open up discussions of social justice, rather than shut them down. I'm proud to say that my experiences as a Jeremiah fellow have prepared me to be not just a changemaker, but a Jewish changemaker.
Adam Jacobson
Real Problems. Real Solutions
The Jeremiah Fellowship surpassed all my expectations. With my new community of Fellows, we learned about our city and its very real problems. And more importantly, we learned about real ways to countermand the many problems the city faces by meeting with the thinkers, community activists, and religious leaders that are at the forefront of the social justice movement in LA.
The ways in which the program created a space to think and learn in a manner oriented towards positive social change were both inspiring and challenging. I was challenged to think about the real implications of my life, my privilege and my responsibilities, and how I must incorporate social justice work into my life. I was challenged to think and learn about myself as a Jew, an Angeleno, and an activist. This realignment was a huge change for me.
Real Problems. Real Solutions
The Jeremiah Fellowship surpassed all my expectations. With my new community of Fellows, we learned about our city and its very real problems. And more importantly, we learned about real ways to countermand the many problems the city faces by meeting with the thinkers, community activists, and religious leaders that are at the forefront of the social justice movement in LA.
The ways in which the program created a space to think and learn in a manner oriented towards positive social change were both inspiring and challenging. I was challenged to think about the real implications of my life, my privilege and my responsibilities, and how I must incorporate social justice work into my life. I was challenged to think and learn about myself as a Jew, an Angeleno, and an activist. This realignment was a huge change for me.
“The program allowed me to reconceive how the role of social action was rooted in a deeper tradition of Judaism, permitted me to better understand the connection between Judaism and social justice, and to become part of a community of people who shared those values.”
-- Jonathan Matz
