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
Guide to Hosting a Sapir Salon
We know you love a great conversation. We do, too.
That’s why we’re inviting you to host your own SAPIR Salon and join a like-minded community of different-minded thinkers.
How? It’s easy. After the release of each issue, gather a few friends for thought-provoking and meaningful conversations around the essays featured in the journal. You can host one in your living room, at a nearby park, or anywhere where you feel most comfortable having a rich discussion. We invite you to join SAPIR Salons Facebook Group to create or join a community near you.
Use the guide below and let the good conversations roll!
Be sure to email us at salons@sapirjournal.org with 1) a photo of your SAPIR Salon in-action and 2) an insightful takeaway from the conversation. We will feature a select number of submissions in one of our newsletters soon after the issue’s launch.
Recommended articles to get your conversation started
- Neuberger makes the claim that “the ethos of public service – the quiet dedication of one’s time to the service of one’s country – is waning.” Do you agree? What might account for this trend?
- In your own community, is the notion of entering public service ever discussed as a worthwhile professional pursuit?
- Neuberger calls for “a revival of American public service,” which should begin “in the Jewish community.” Why should Jews be especially responsible for reversing a national trend? What’s the strongest argument for Jewish leadership and what might a counter-argument be?
- According to Neuberger, government has become increasingly responsive to Jewish religious needs, recounting senior leaders who accommodated her Shabbat observance. What are the remaining barriers—cultural, halakhic, financial, or political—to Jews entering or thriving in American government? And how might we address them?
- Neuberger proposes an “Americorps-like program” with Jewish text study, multiple career tracks, and even tuition coverage in exchange for years of government service. What would make such a program truly compelling to the next generation of American Jews?
- Bernstein provides a few ways of defining the center: “a blend of instincts,” a set of “norms capable of sustaining pluralism,” the ability “to engage despite differences.” What, in your opinion, constitutes the political center?
- What do you make of Bernstein’s perception that a political culture that doesn’t value moderation is one that, for American Jews, “is not just a civic but an existential concern”? Why is sustaining the center so important for America’s Jews?
- What do you think sustaining the political center looks like within the American Jewish communal landscape?
- Is the center always desirable? Are there times in history, Jewish or otherwise, when a decisive moment required a radical, rather than moderate, approach?
- Bernstein calls on American Jews to take on a new mission: rebuilding the political center of American society. Are you up for the task? What is one concrete step you could take to strengthen the center where you live?
- Mounk characterizes the rise of physical violence against Jewish communities around the country as the “Europeanization of American Jewry.” What do you think he means by that and do you agree with his assessment?
- Jews have historically been staunch supporters, and beneficiaries, of free expression in the United States. Is that sustainable in the current environment?
- With expressions of antisemitism continuing to rise, online and off, do you find yourself questioning whether limits on some speech might actually be beneficial?
- Mounk writes that “we have plenty of evidence to suggest that… attempts at censorship usually fail.” Why do you think that’s the case?
- If censorship won’t protect the Jews against “hate speech” or extremism, what will strengthen Jews’ positions in open societies like the United States?
- Why do you think that the percentage of Americans who consider religion personally important is decreasing?
- What do you make of Rabbi Wolpe’s overarching thesis that America desperately needs religion at precisely the moment when its practice is in decline?
- Do you feel the growing absence of religious sensibility in your own life or community? If so, how does that manifest?
- Is it possible for a society to retain the underlying principles of religion without necessarily being a religious society?
- How can the Jewish community, which amounts to a small fraction of the American public, attempt to revive religion as the country turns 250?
- Have you personally noticed the proliferation of educational technology in classrooms? Is that a source of concern or not? Why or why not?
- As we stand on the cusp of an AI-driven world, is there a way to maximize the advantages of these new technologies in a classroom without downgrading the level of education or denigrating the essential nature of the educator?
- What are the downsides to embedding AI technologies in Jewish day schools? And what are the tradeoffs to not using these technologies in the classroom?
- Is it the case that we can rebel against the trend as Bryk suggests or is it inevitable that technology will forever be central to classroom learning?
- Bryk argues that we cannot wait for legislation to address the harmful effects of educational technology. What do you make of her proposal, which calls for leveraging the network of Jewish day schools to develop a campaign against the replacement of teachers with artificial education?
Resources for Past Issues
