CURRENT ISSUES FOR OUR IRAC COMMUNITY

We have spent years moving from one crisis to another — fighting for democracy, responding to war and political extremism, confronting antisemitism and racism, and trying to hold together relationships that have become increasingly difficult. 

So the question is: how do we turn our values into sustained action — and keep people engaged when they are tired, angry, or discouraged? 

That is the question at the heart of this week’s episode of The Pluralist Podcast. 

Rabbi Josh Weinberg and I are joined by Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and Senior Vice President of the Union for Reform Judaism. 

At this moment many liberal Jews feel politically exhausted, democracy in both Israel and the United States feels fragile, elections are approaching, and the relationship between Israel and liberal Jews abroad has become increasingly difficult to sustain. That exhaustion carries its own risk: we can begin to lose faith in our ability to make meaningful change.

That is what I found most important in our conversation with Jonah. Organizing is not simply about persuading people to care. It is about creating a sense of agency — choosing where we can act, building leadership, creating achievable goals, and helping people experience that collective action can actually make a difference. And that work cannot be sustained only by fear. It also has to be rooted in hope. 

The same is true of relationships. The tensions around Israel have made some progressive coalitions harder to maintain and have made many liberal Jews question how they relate to Israel itself. But disengagement is not the solution. 

If we want to build a more democratic and pluralistic Israel, we need people willing to stay in difficult relationships — Israelis and Diaspora Jews, Jews and our coalition partners — while still being honest about profound disagreements. 

For me, that is one of the challenges of the coming year: not just to oppose what we fear, but to organize, build relationships, and create the future we say we want. 

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why democracy is a Jewish responsibility — and what that demands in practice  

• How successful organizing turns concern into focused, achievable action  

• What the coming elections in Israel and the U.S. mean for liberal Jews

• What it takes to stay in coalition when Israel becomes a point of deep disagreemen

• Why “calling in” may sometimes be more effective than calling out

• And how Jews in Israel and North America can help one another stay engaged, organized, and invested in a shared democratic future 

🎧 Watch or listen to the new episode of The Pluralist Podcast:
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Spotify

A Call to Shared Responsibility Ahead of Israel’s National Elections 

As Israel approaches its national elections, Reform Jews around the world have an important role to play in affirming the values we want Israel to represent. 

Sign the statement calling on Diaspora Jews to affirm our shared responsibility for Israel’s future — rooted in our commitment to Israel as the Jewish homeland and to peace, democracy, pluralism, and the rights and dignity of both Israelis and Palestinians. 

SIGN THE STATEMENT 

To everyone who has already made a High Holiday contribution to IRAC, thank you.
Your support gives us the ability to keep doing this work with strength and consistency throughout the year. 

If you have not yet made your High Holiday gift, I hope you will consider doing so now. A contribution in honor of the holidays is a meaningful way to help sustain our work for democracy, equality, religious freedom, and Jewish pluralism in 5787. 

Chag Sukkot Sameach! 

Orly Erez-Likhovski