February 2010, A Web of Interconnection

Our Vision

Each month, Sh’ma creates a “ conversation-in-print” — that is, it brings together an array of voices that cross the spectrum of Judaism: secular and religious, communal and nonpartisan, engaged and dispassionately scholarly. We raise relevant questions thoughtfully and wrestle lovingly with Jewish concerns as we attempt to navigate the intellectual, communal, and spiritual challenges of contemporary Judaism. Our focus is on ideas — their complexity, their range, and their power. Sh’ma is a vibrant intellectual arena that hosts intelligent and creative conversations about ideas that reside outside of any particular institution. Our readers open Sh’ma to find what they cannot find elsewhere — concise, accessible, informative, and intelligent discussion of Jewish issues. Sometimes focusing on personal belief, other times on communal policy issues, we look to Sh’ma for incisive articles that illuminate a range of opinions. Sh’ma — An independent “think tank” of diverse ideas and conversations published online and in print to incubate issues of significance to the Jewish community conversation.

Who are Sh’ma Readers?

“They are deeply committed to Jewish tradition and Jewish continuity; spiritually curious and at times adventurous; at home, at least to some extent, with the world of Jewish texts and the texture of Jewish rituals; appreciative of the many genuine intellectual, ethical, and political benefits of secular modernity, though not unaware of its fraught relationship with Jewish life; people for whom their Jewish identity is a vital component in an ongoing process of self-creation and expression by the light of their understanding of morals, community, and spirituality, a process they share with other families of humanity, and with concerned individuals everywhere.”

Yehudah Mirsky, Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute

Are You One of Our Readers?

Join a growing number of informed Jews — rabbis, philanthropists, federation directors, educators, lay leaders, students — who read Sh’ma each month to view the world through a Jewish lens that is inclusive, expansive, and thought-provoking.

Subscribe online at shma.com

ComingMarch 2010

Stories & the Jewish Narrative

■ Amichai Lau-Lavie on Pesach’s grand narrative

■ Gail Reimer & Jayne Guberman on stories and healing

■ Jason Guberman-Pfeffer on google-mapping stories

■ Tali Zelkowicz on authentic narrative in teacher training

■ Matt Bar on rapping the Bible

■ Ken Gordon on social media and storytelling

■ Stephen Hazan Arnoff on biblical stories and secular audiences

■ Rachael Strecher & Josh Berer on collecting stories

AN INVITATION

Join us as Sh’ma: A Journal of Jewish Responsibility celebrates its move to the west coast with a conversation at the Contemporary Jewish Museum exploring the boundaries of pluralistic dialogue and engagement.