This year, I bless us that we open our eyes to truly see the beauty and the holiness of the world, and of the person before us at each and every moment, and to see the godliness of their aspirations and their fears.
Maximizing Jewish life, learning, practice and belonging remains nonnegotiable. However, when a halakhic ruling fails to achieve its purpose, we must reexamine the ruling.
This is the transcript of the speech Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson gave at the 2026 AJU Gala on May 19, 2026.
As always, we each have the power to choose to listen, to learn, and to grow, or we can shut our ears to that still, small voice. Are you listening? Are you willing? Are you here?
The challenge is how we can reinvent rabbinical training so that it’s not clinging to models that no longer work, is sustainable, and addresses the needs of today and tomorrow’s Jewish community.
Every form of Judaism that meets the spiritual needs of its adherents, that elevates moral discourse, and that enhances the divine image found in all people and the wonder of all creation, is necessary for our well-being.
How can a sophisticated modern Jew integrate the pious promises of our tradition with the tragic and often painful reality of our world and our lives? Perhaps we can use these 10 days to reflect on these timeless and timely questions.
