The Golden Age of American Jewry is Not Over: Defending Democracy in Turbulent Times

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American Jews have experienced unprecedented freedom and opportunity in this nation. Yet, today, we witness threats to the very democratic institutions that made this golden age possible, from intensifying political polarization and rising hate crimes, disproportionately affecting Jews, to the erosion of the rule of law and minority rights. 

Some say that the Golden Age is over; some are committed to preserving it. Defending democracy is not merely a matter of self-interest but about fulfilling our deepest obligations to the principles ensuring that all minority communities can thrive in a pluralistic society, the principles that transformed America into a beacon of hope for all in our own land and for the oppressed worldwide. What should be our response to these challenges at this crossroads for our nation and our community? 

Join us as we welcome Rabbi David Saperstein, Director Emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and one of the most influential Jewish and religious leaders in American public life. He spent four decades at the forefront of civil rights, religious liberty, and social justice advocacy, and was named by Newsweek as the most influential rabbi in America. Rabbi Saperstein made history as the first rabbi to serve as a U.S. Ambassador, holding the role of Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom during the Obama administration. A longtime scholar, attorney, and interfaith leader, his career has been dedicated to defending democracy, minority rights, and pluralism in the United States and around the world.

We strongly encourage in-person attendance. If you prefer to watch via livestream please register at the link above and check the box for Livestream. A link will be emailed before the event. A recording of the event will also be made available for all attendees (in-person & virtual).

About Rabbi Saperstein

Rabbi David Saperstein is director emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, having served as its director and counsel for 40 years. Designated in 2008 by Newsweek Magazine as the most influential rabbi in America and by the Washington Post as the "quintessential religious lobbyist on Capitol Hill," after leaving the Center, he became the first rabbi in American history to have been designated a U.S. Ambassador, serving as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom during the second term of the Obama administration.

From 2019-20, Rabbi Saperstein served as the President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, the international arm of the Reform Jewish Movement. He remains today the senior advisor to the Union for Reform Judaism.

Also an attorney, he taught seminars on church-state law and on comparative Jewish and American law for 35 years at Georgetown University Law Center and after government service continued his academic work as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's Foreign Service School and Center for Jewish Civilization and as a Distinguished Fellow at the PM Glynn Institute at Australian Catholic University.

During his career, Rabbi Saperstein has served on several governmental foreign policy taskforces including as the first chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and until recently as the chair of a federal advisory committee on human trafficking. Over his long career, he has served on the boards or executive committees of over 20 national organizations including the NAACP, People for The American Way, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and the National Religious Partnership on the Environment. Most relevant to today’s/tonight’s topic, he has served on, indeed often heading, a number of domestic interfaith coalitions including the Coalition to Preserve Religious Liberty and, internationally, served on boards of Jewish umbrella coalitions engaged in formal dialogue programs with the Vatican, World Council of Churches, World Evangelical Alliance and the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch. He currently chairs the “World Faith Development Dialogue,” and co-chairs the, Jewish--Muslim–Evangelical, “Multi-Faith Neighbors Network,” and the “World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Faith in Action.”

Rabbi Saperstein’s work has been recognized over the years from many sources, receiving numerous national organizational awards (including the inaugural recipient of the Embassy of the Netherlands' "Anne Frank Award") and honorary doctorates from five universities including Yale University. This past summer, the American Bar Association's Human Rights Magazine honored him with its "Human Rights Hero" designation. His articles have been published in publications ranging from the New York Times and the Washington Post to the Harvard Law Review.

Rabbi Saperstein is married to Ellen Weiss, an award-winning journalist and has two sons, Danny (a musician) and Ari (a journalist).