There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice through Jewish Law and Tradition
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.
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Book details
- Author
- Rabbi Jill Jacobs
- Imprint
- Jewish Lights, an imprint of Turner Publishing Company
- Published
- Pages
- 288
- Formats
- Hardcover, Paperback
- Subjects
- Religion › Judaism
- Topics
- Jewish ethics · economic inequality · poverty and welfare · Judaism and society · religious social policy
- ISBN-13
- 9781580233941 (Hardcover)9781580234252 (Paperback)
About the author
RABBI JILL JACOBS is executive director of T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights and 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.
Jacobs has been named to the Forward’s list of fifty influential Jews, Newsweek’s list of the fifty most influential rabbis in America, and the Jewish Week’s list of "thirty-six under thirty-six."
When she’s not writing, Jacobs speaks on topics including social justice in Judaism, synagogue social justice, human rights, ethical business practices, and combating human trafficking. Her books draw on Jewish law and tradition to explore the pursuit of social justice in Jewish life and community.