The Moral Lens of Ruth Messinger, Social Activist and Visionary

We are delighted to host Ruth Messinger, retiring president of American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the world’s leading Jewish organization working to end poverty and realize human rights in the developing world. In addition to her dedication to social activism, Ms. Messinger is a member of the faculty of the Union for Reform Judaism and has received five honorary degrees from major American rabbinical seminaries. She is frequently on media lists of prominent Jewish leaders. The Huffington Post included her as one of the “10 most inspiring women religious leaders of 2012” and The Jewish Daily Forward placed her on their list of prominence nine years in a row.

Friday, January 15
6:15 p.m. Erev Shabbat service with sermon by Ruth Messinger
7:30 p.m. Dinner and interview with our guest speaker, followed by Q & A

At Erev Shabbat services Ms. Messinger will speak about Reframing the Sh’ma for the 21st Century. For Messinger, the key word in the Biblical verse “Hear, O Israel, the Eternal is our God, the Eternal is One” is “Sh’ma” – “Hear” – or as she properly understands it, “Listen… ” Jewish tradition urges us to listen and act based on what we hear. The Shema, the bedrock Jewish prayer, commands us to listen because listening anchors our lives with compassion, interconnection, and a shared commitment to justice. Learn how the Jewish prayer, Shema Yisrael, teaches us to listen deeply to the needs of people who live in the developing world, and to use what we hear to inform our response to injustice worldwide.

At 7:30 p.m., after the Shabbat service, we will host a dinner, an interview with Ms. Messinger a Q & A with questions submitted from our audience.

Saturday, January 16
12:15 Catered lunch and study session

At the Shabbat Lunch and Study Session on Saturday, Ms. Messinger will focus on Tikkun Olam, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.  Judaism teaches that the purpose of Jewish existence is nothing less than “to perfect the world under the rule of God” (Aleinu Prayer). The word “tzedek” (justice) and the concept of “tikkun olam” (repairing the world) have become synonymous with activism, service and our responsibility to pursue equality and human rights for all people. How do we balance commitments to our families, our communities and to people around the world?

Friday Dinner: Catered full-course dinner $25 for Beth Israel members, $35 for nonmembers. Register and pay below. Only those paid in advance may attend. No payments accepted on Shabbat.

Saturday Lunch and Study Session: $10 for Beth Israel members, $15 for nonmember. Register and pay below. Only those paid in advance may attend. No payments accepted on Shabbat.

For more information, contact Program Director Bonnie Graff at bgraff@cbisd.org or call (858) 535-1111 ext. 2519. 

Learn more about Ruth Messinger. View the video below: