And they saw the God of Israel: Under His feet there was the likeness of a pavement of sapphire, like the very sky for purity.
—Exodus 24:10
Upcoming events
Is Israel the Chosen Nation? with Michael Oren
“For many of its secular pioneers,” writes former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren in his most recent SAPIR essay, “Zionism was a revolt against chosenness. It was an attempt to become a nation like every other.” Today, especially after October 7, many Israelis are reevaluating this very notion and wondering: is the Jewish state chosen, and if so, for what purpose?
Join Ambassador Oren in conversation with SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens on Monday, September 8 at 12:00 PM ET, for a searching discussion on Israel’s identity and destiny in a post-October 7 world.
Choosing to be Chosen with Rabbis Noa Kushner and Adam Mintz
What does the process of conversion — joining the Jewish people— reveal about the meaning of chosenness? In his recent essay for SAPIR, Rabbi Adam Mintz writes that “we, Jews by birth and Jews by choice, are all destined for the same story.” Similarly, Rabbi Noa Kushner writes that “it is possible that to be chosen is not only a designation at birth or conversion.” Join them in conversation with Rabbi David Wolpe on Monday, September 15 at 12:00 PM ET.
A Catholic Response to Jewish Chosenness with Professor Robert P. George
Amid a troubling resurgence of antisemitism, Princeton scholar Robert P. George declared in his most recent SAPIR essay, that: “any attempt to deny or undermine God’s unique and mysterious bond with the Jewish people … is antithetical to Christianity.” At a moment when the concept of Jewish chosenness is increasingly uncomfortable to discuss, how should we approach it with honesty and integrity — especially across lines of faith? On October 1 at 12:00 PM ET, join Professor George and SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens in a virtual conversation.