In The News
Opinion | We came from different parties and faiths. We left as compatriots.
On America’s 250th birthday, how discussions of the Declaration of Independence and other documents are bridging religious and political divisions.
Opinion | Why it’s hard for American Jews to talk about democracy — and why we absolutely must
Why might conversations about democracy feel so difficult within the American Jewish community today? In this opinion piece, A More Perfect Union’s Aaron Dorfman and the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Yehuda Kurtzer explore the historical and communal dynamics behind that hesitation and why this moment calls for renewed courage and clarity. The health of American democracy and the vitality of Jewish communal life may depend on it.
Dialogue Across Difference: A Vital Tool for Jewish Community and Beyond
As polarization deepens across society, many Jewish educators and leaders are investing in dialogue across difference. In this feature from Sight Line, The Covenant Foundation’s digital journal, leaders across the field share how structured conversation can build empathy, strengthen relationships, and help communities navigate difficult issues constructively. A More Perfect Union’s Jeremy Bannett joins other Jewish community leaders in reflecting on the role dialogue can play in strengthening relationships across communities.
Opinion | One lesson of NYC’s mayoral election: Rabbis’ political endorsements come with a cost
In the days following a hard-fought election, New York — and the rest of this country — will need voices of healing. We’ll need rabbis who can bring people back together across divides; who can remind us that belonging is bigger than partisanship and that our covenant with one another endures longer than any term in office. If we can remember that, we can reclaim something that feels radical in this polarized moment: the possibility of conversation, deliberation, and principled debate, even among those who disagree.
Written by:
Aaron Dorfman, A More Perfect Union
Opinion | Defunding and demonizing the government's faith-based partners will make its job harder
A recent assault on Lutheran social service organizations by the newly created Department of Government Efficiency signals a dangerous precedent for all faith-based nonprofits serving vulnerable populations. In this joint opinion piece, the authors explain why these actions threaten both religious freedom and effective public-private partnerships.
Co-written by:
Aaron Dorfman, A More Perfect Union
Amanda Tyler, the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
Jennifer Walker Thomas, Mormon Women for Ethical Government
Standing together for our democracy
This opinion piece written by A More Perfect Union’s Aaron Dorfman and Protect Democracy’s Justin Florence makes the case for strengthening civil society.
Opinion | Faith-based communities have a role to play in strengthening democracy
The work that faith communities already do – to educate, compromise, forge consensus, and move forward – is central to the functioning of American democracy. With their help and their leadership, we can elevate our national community and build a stronger democracy together.
Written by: Sofi Hersher Andorsky
Opinion | Why Jews Must Mobilize to Save America's Democracy
Since America’s founding, our democracy has offered uniquely fertile ground for Jewish life to thrive. For our community, threats to our democracy from toxic polarization and rising political violence are distinctly urgent, real and familiar. This is how we can, and must, organize to protect it
Written By: Aaron Dorfman
I worked the polls, and I renewed my faith
This week my faith in humanity, and my faith in America, was renewed. It wasn’t because of the outcome of the elections. No, my faith was renewed because I served as a poll worker in a local precinct where I live. I remembered that democracy isn’t simply a word or a set of ideas. Ultimately democracy comes down to people softening their hearts in order to live together, to respect and trust one another.
Written by: Josh Feigelson
Opinion | A clear path to strengthen American democracy
Democracy is inherently fragile, and it is confronting its greatest challenges in generations, both in the United States and globally. In fact, after decades of steady democratic expansion around the world, 2021 represented the 15th consecutive year in which democracy has been in global retreat.
Written By: Aaron Dorfman