There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice Through Jewish Law & Tradition - Hardcover

by Jill Jacobs (Author), Elliot N. Dorff (Foreword by), Simon Greer (Preface by)

How can a Jewish approach to social justice offer positive change for America?

"Ancient texts offer significant wisdom about human nature, economic cycles, the causes of inequality, and our obligations to each other. These insights can inform our own approaches to current issues, challenge our assumptions, and force us to consider alternative approaches. The conversation between our texts and our lives can enrich our experience of both."
-from the Introduction

Confront the most pressing issues of twenty-first-century America in this fascinating book, which brings together classical Jewish sources, contemporary policy debate and real-life stories.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, a leading young voice in the social justice arena, makes a powerful argument for participation in the American public square from a deeply Jewish perspective, while deepening our understanding of the relationship between Judaism and such current social issues as:

Poverty and the Poor
Collection and Allocation of Tzedakah
Workers, Employers and Unions
Housing the Homeless
The Provision of Health Care
Environmental Sustainability
Crime, Punishment and Rehabilitation

By creating a dialogue between traditional texts and current realities, Jacobs presents a template for engagement in public life from a Jewish perspective and challenges us to renew our obligations to each other.

Author Biography

Rabbi Jill Jacobs is executive director of T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. . Widely acknowledged as one of the leading voices in Jewish social justice, Rabbi Jacobs is also the author of There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice through Jewish Law and Tradition and Where Justice Dwells: A Hands-On Guide to Doing Social Justice in Your Jewish Community (both Jewish Lights). She has been voted to the Forward newspaper's list of fifty influential Jews, to Newsweek's list of the fifty most influential rabbis in America and to the Jewish Week's list of "thirty-six under thirty-six."

Rabbi Jill Jacobs is available to speak on the following topics:

• Social Justice in Judaism: Historical, Textual and Political Roots, and Their Meaning for Jews Today
• Synagogue Social Justice That Works
• In the Image: A Jewish Take on Human Rights
• Torah in the Workplace: Ethical Business Practices for the Synagogue, School, Home and Business
• A Jewish Approach to Combating Human Trafficking