It’s rare to find adult programming that facilitates both Jewish learning and activism, much less through an Orthodox Jewish social justice organization.
One such group, Uri L’Tzedek, plans to fill that gap with its DC Young Professionals Fellowship, a six-month program for Jewish young adults in the DMV area beginning in January. Each of the monthly meetings will focus on a specific social justice issue, such as immigration, climate change, business ethics and food insecurity, viewed through a Torah lens, according to the application form.
“A lot of times, this type of programming only exist[s] for people within that college setting, so this [fellowship] gives them the space for that,” said Jasmine Hall, Uri L’Tzedek’s advocacy and leadership program coordinator, who will facilitate the program.
The fellowship comes about half a year after the social justice organization launched a national center in Washington, D.C.
Fellows will learn from Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, the founder and president of Uri L’Tzedek, who will serve as a mentor in Jewish values.
“Part of it is Torah inspiration for why we should truly care about making society better, and not despair, and actualize our unique potential,” Yanklowitz said. “The other part is a deeper analytical dive into various moral and societal issues from a halachic viewpoint and Jewish philosophical viewpoint.”
Social justice is the “underlying ethos to everything” in the Torah, he said.
Yanklowitz added that conversations about antisemitism and allyship will factor into “everything” the fellowship offers.
Fellows will also hear from Orthodox rabbis and educators as well as community leaders from social justice organizations — both Jewish and non-Jewish — “so that we can have both informed Jewish learning and also know the issue inside and out,” Hall said.
Lecture-style discussions will be interspersed with optional chances for fellows to volunteer in the community. “We’re not just looking to provide service opportunities, but really provide deep learning that goes with those service opportunities and that requires a whole curriculum,” Yanklowitz said.
Hall noted that many D.C. professionals work in politics and care about justice, but may not be sure how to get involved with grassroots organizations and local activism. “Our sense is that those who are most hungry for an opportunity like this often feel isolated in their own home communities because they have a disproportionate amount of passion and commitment, and they often feel that the most pressing moral issues are not being addressed by their local communities,” Yanklowitz said.
“Mobilizing people in the D.C. area who are passionate about that in a hands-on way is a great advantage,” Hall said.
Though the fellowship is a Modern Orthodox initiative, Hall said any Jewish young professional is welcome to apply. “A big priority of our organization is unifying Jews of all backgrounds,” she said. “We want people who are passionate about justice and care for the well-being of others, and are opinionated but also open-minded.”
“We want a progressive and open discussion where people are coming to the table knowing their view, but willing to hear out the person next to them,” Hall added.
Programming by Uri L’Tzedek employs both a Modern Orthodox and pluralistic orientation, according to Yanklowitz. The rabbi and staff approach texts from a traditional interpretation, while also allowing for diversity of perspectives.
“We think that’s something unique, because almost or all of the Jewish social justice organizations nationally are not Orthodox, and so we want to provide a home for those in that community [who] can’t find one elsewhere,” Yanklowitz said. “But we are very serious about being inclusive.”
“Our primary goal in this fellowship is to emphasize that justice and Judaism go hand-in-hand and to continue this through every stage of a person’s life, especially in the younger years,” Hall said. “A big goal of ours, too, is to not only teach people for now, but to give them the tools and the opportunities to continue working in social justice and activism in this area.”
Hall emphasized the importance of bringing attention to issues outside the Jewish community, oftentimes “just down the street from us.”
“Especially in D.C., we have this very tight-knit Jewish community, … and we still exist in a wider neighborhood where there’s a lot of issues happening to people that may not be Jewish, but are still in our neighborhood and need assistance,” Hall said.
She added that hosting guest speakers every month will raise awareness of the local organizations and community service opportunities nearby.
Hall is most excited that the fellowship is so local, made up of DMV residents.
“A lot of our efforts are either in our base of Arizona or on the national level, and therefore, there’s some amount of detachment — you can’t necessarily meet up with these people in real life or continue that connection after the program ends,” Hall explained.
She said she hopes fellows bond and remain in touch after the program concludes in June.
“Because this is all local people, I have high hopes that people in this community will form connections with each other through this fellowship,” Hall said.
