Articles

This essay argues that American Jews face a defining choice between a Judaism bound to nationalism and one rooted in ethical universalism and democratic freedom. Reclaiming Judaism’s tradition of debate and conscience, it calls for building diverse, democratic Jewish futures grounded in human dignity and collective liberation.

Qian Julie Wang reflects on how both American culture and American Judaism often define identity through victimhood, turning suffering into a kind of currency that fuels competition and vengeance rather than justice or healing. Drawing on the Binding of Isaac, she contrasts readings of Isaac as helpless victim or empowered adult to show that we can choose to live from agency instead of powerlessness. In this season of teshuvah, she calls us to reclaim power and privilege not as tainted words but as sacred responsibilities, reminding us that each of us is both David and Goliath, oppressed and oppressor. Our task is to embrace the perspective that empowers us to care for one another and to build a world where suffering is not the measure of worth.