Where Justice Dwells: A Hands-On Guide to Doing Social Justice in Your Jewish Community

How can Jewish values inform our work to create a just world--and help us work together for the good of all communities?

"Somehow, most Jews have decided that being a 'good Jew' means adhering to rituals such as Shabbat, kashrut, and prayer. But the word halakhah, generally translated as 'Jewish law, ' literally means 'the way to walk.' Rather than a limited set of ritual laws, halakhah represents an all-encompassing way of life."
--from Chapter 1

Jewish tradition compels us to protect the poorest, weakest and most vulnerable among us. But discerning how to make meaningful and effective change through social justice work--whether in community or on your own--is not always easy.

This guide provides ways to envision and act on your own ideals of social justice by helping you navigate through such issues as:

• Creating a narrative mission statement that reflects your organization's values
• Balancing the needs of your community with those of other communities
• Weighing the pros and cons of various models of social justice work (direct service, advocacy, investment and community organizing)
• Expanding the impact and efficiency of your work
• Locating your social justice goals and methods within the context of Jewish tradition
• Maintaining the motivation and inspiration to continue your social justice work

Each chapter includes a set of discussion questions to prompt reflection and conversation, as well as tips, tools, processes and forms for getting your social justice project off the ground.

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

Rabbi David Saperstein has served as the director of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism for over thirty years. He co-chairs the Coalition to Preserve Religious Liberty and serves on the boards of numerous national organizations, including the NAACP and People for the American Way. In 1999, Saperstein was elected as the first chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.