There Shall Be no Needy (ebook)

Argumento de There Shall Be no Needy (ebook)

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.0Acknowledgments ix
Foreword by Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff, PhD xi
Preface by Simon Greer xvii

INTRODUCTION
The Search for an Integrated Judaism 1

1 A VISION OF ECONOMIC JUSTICE 9

2 ESSENTIAL TERMS
Tikkun Olam, Tzedek , and Prophetic Judaism 24

3 DEFINING POVERTY AND THE POOR 49

4 SUFFICIENT FOR ONE'S NEEDS
The Collection and Allocation of Tzedakah 79

5 SERVANTS TO SERVANTS OR SERVANTS TO GOD
Workers, Employers, and Unions 97

6 THEY SHALL TREMBLE NO MORE
Housing and Homelessness 132

7 I WILL REMOVE ILLNESS FROM WITHIN YOUR MIDST
The Provision of Health Care 159

8 THE CITY AND THE GARDEN
Environmental Sustainability for the
Twenty-first Century 179

9 WHEN YOUR BROTHER IS FLOGGED
Crime, Punishment, and Rehabilitation 192

CONCLUSION
Judaism in the Public Sphere 214

Notes 222
Glossary 247
Suggestions for Further Reading 251
Index 252