The U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment upholds religious freedom for every citizen amid diversity, yet this ideal is under threat. To explore why and what can be done to combat it, members of the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation (NVHC) developed the Rebuilding Democracy Project, which aims to apply specific aspects of Judaism’s traditions to the myriad conversations of American political life.
According to lead author Rabbi Michael G. Holzman, civic engagement has been integral to Judaism since the beginning. Today, American Jewish communities span the political spectrum while also grappling with the same forces of polarization that stress nearly every house of worship in America.