Bend The Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice

Next Wednesday, I will be joining the staff of Bend The Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice as the Director of Development.  It is an exciting opportunity. Formerly known as the Jewish Funds for Justice, last year the organization merged with the Progressive Jewish Alliance. Bend The Arc is a Jewish Social Justice organization whose mission is to “connect Jews who want to make a difference with the tools they need to do so, working collaboratively across lines of race and faith with people and communities throughout the United States to create economic opportunity and secure basic rights.”

You may be wondering about the origins of the name. The abolitionist Theodore Parker, a Unitarian Minister, first used this phrase in a sermon in 1853:

“Look at the facts of the world. You see a continual and progressive triumph of the right. I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.”

It sounds like Parker’s words could be applied to 2012 as well.

Many years later, it is believed that this sermon inspired Martin Luther King, Jr. to express similar sentiments: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”.

The Synagogue Money Blog will continue. I care deeply about synagogues and feel that I have much to offer to the discussion to help such Sacred Communities remain strong and vibrant. I must admit that there have been times when I have wondered if anyone is reading what I write.  It is at those moments someone sends me an email or calls to say how helpful the Blog is and that they have shared it with others at their synagogue.

My goal is to post the Blog no later than Tuesday mornings by 10:00 AM Eastern Time. While I won’t be sending out a weekly email after today, you can either Bookmark my Blog and check it each week, or receive it via an RSS Feed. Here is information on how to Bookmark a webpage and how to receive an RSS Feed.

In terms of consulting projects, I am always happy to try to answer any questions you may have.  So please feel free to continue to email or call me. If my time does not allow for longer-term engagements, I am happy to refer you to colleagues whom I respect and who also care about Sacred Communities.