Prophetic Power & Politics: How Reform Jews Can Bring Healing & Justice to Our World.

Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (TSTI) in South Orange invites the public to a Shabbat Scholar and Supper program featuring guest speaker, Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, a leader in Judaism’s Reform movement. The service, open to all, will be at 6:00 p.m., followed by a community dinner at 7:00 p.m. with Pesner, whose topic is “Prophetic Power & Politics: How Reform Jews Can Bring Healing & Justice to Our World.” Advance registration for the dinner is required.

Pesner is the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC) the hub of Jewish social justice and legislative activity in Washington, D.C. He leads RAC’s advocacy efforts on more than 70 different issues, including economic justice, civil rights, religious liberty and Israel. Named one of the most influential rabbis in America by Newsweek magazine, Pesner is also senior vice president of the Union for Reform Judaism and has served as a scholar for the American Jewish World Service and Combined Jewish Philanthropies.

During his presentation, Pesner will share the inspiring story of the Religious Action Center’s historic launch at the peak of the civil rights movement. He will lay out the compelling challenges that America’s vulnerable communities still face today and discuss the political polarization in American culture. He will then examine the need to honor diverse perspectives and find common ground around shared values, and discuss ways in which the Jewish community’s social justice work can bring about healing.