Articles

This first week of the Trump Presidency may have represented the most significant transformation of government policy and power that this nation has ever seen in such a short order. Where many presidents seek to reset the culture in advance of introducing new policies and actions, this president has launched a revolution of change from the outset.

We are likely to experience the beginnings of a second American revolution on Monday, January 20th. Donald Trump is more than merely a politician; in fact, he is in so many ways a counter-cultural symbol of the political world that he is about to inherit again.

The core imperative of every community professional is to ensure the security and well-being of their community. Our tradition speaks to this sacred principle:

“Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily, your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Eternal shall be your rear guard.

Even as we prepare today to be evacuated from our Sherman Oaks residence, I am reminded of the broader, and more significant, outcomes here.

The impact of this natural disaster will be significant not only on the LA story but more directly on the LA Jewish community, as in some measure this experience has a distinctive Jewish component to it, as many of the affected areas are densely settled by Jews.

We are on the cusp of a new age of Jewish political behavior. If the second half of the 20th Century and the first quarter of this century were dominated by Jewish liberal politics, then this moment will be driven by the emergence of Jewish conservatives, bringing with them a new set of political norms, policies, and priorities.

We are operating in a society where a number of fundamental patterns are reshaping our culture, redefining our economy, and reframing our social norms. Each of these elements has implications for the American Jewish communal system.

Transformational changes are redefining the Jewish organizing model. As a result, we note major shifts impacting the Jewish religious and communal market space:

We will need to be prepared for a profound state of cultural disruption and structural displacement! For some, the next four years will represent a political tsunami, while for others, the President’s policies and actions will affirm their expectations.

As I have written elsewhere, 21st Century American Judaism represents a fundamentally different experience, requiring us to reconsider how we as a community are organized. We find ourselves with a 19th Century communal legacy model, serving a 21st Century constituency, often representing a 20th Century agenda!

The results of the 2024 election won’t just shift political power in this nation to the right, as this moment will mark the undoing of the foundations of American Jewish liberalism. In its aftermath, Jews will be confronting a changing political landscape both within our community, and beyond.