Judaism is a religion based on a paradox: Jews are expected to maintain a holy apartness as God’s chosen people and, at the same time, are expected to be totally engaged with the world around them. The observance of ritual laws must be combined with acting toward others with justice and compassion to be loyal to God’s covenant with the Jewish people.
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. Why is maintaining an identity as God’s chosen people and engaging with the world a paradox?
2. How can we ultimately reconcile this paradox?
3. What happens if you do not combine ritual practice with justice? Is it possible to have one without the other?
Time Period: Contemporary (The Yom Kippur War until the present-day)