Amidst Growing Demand for an ‘Ethic of Inclusion’ in Chicago Jewish Communal Life, The Shalom Hartman Institute Launches a Regional Office
For Immediate Release:
May 25, 2022
Amidst Growing Demand for an ‘Ethic of Inclusion’ in Chicago Jewish Communal Life, The Shalom Hartman Institute Launches a Regional Office
Chicago, Illinois – On June 1, at 7pm, The Shalom Hartman Institute hosts an inaugural event for its new Chicago Regional Office, “What Do We Mean by a ‘Big Tent’?” at Lakeview’s Anshe Emet Synagogue.
The American Jewish community has long used the metaphor of a “big tent” to describe its aspiration to welcome a broad spectrum of viewpoints on Israel. This idea originated as a way of being inclusive, but it often functions with the opposite effect: as a policing of boundaries that designates some views outside the acceptable communal discourse.
On June 1st, Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, will explore the challenges and opportunities of ideological pluralism, and how to foster an ethic of inclusion in the Chicago Jewish community, in partnership with Anshe Emet Synagogue, Temple Sholom of Chicago, and Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel.
The event will be moderated by Jason Rosensweig, the inaugural Director of Chicago at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. When asked about his vision for how the Institute plans to build a vibrant Jewish peoplehood for the 21st century in Chicago, he shared,
“We are here to learn the landscape of organizational and institutional life, to identify the key challenges with which Chicago leaders are grappling, and to empower them to speak and lead on major issues of Jewish concern by providing the tools to lead communal conversations on Israel and Jewish life. In essence, we are here to imagine and build a future Jewish Chicago in which the various parts of our diverse community are connected to each other, through learning and conversation.”
The Shalom Hartman Institute is a leading center of Jewish thought and education, serving Israel and North America and has a strong connection to the Chicago Jewish community. Chicago area rabbis have been part of Hartman’s Rabbinic Leadership Initiative from its inception and they serve as leaders in sharing the important and big relevant ideas impacting Jewish communities today.
