Recap: The 2024 Jewish Summit on Civics
What is the Jewish Summit on Civics?
The Jewish Summit on Civics, held March 11-13, 2024 in Washington, DC and online, was a first-of-its-kind effort to advance the role of civic learning in Jewish contexts. The Summit brought together leaders from more than 20 Jewish organizations, including educational institutions, advocacy organizations, synagogues, community centers, and museums, representing a diverse array of approaches, expertises, denominations, geographies, and constituencies.
Summit participants attended the Civic Learning Week National Forum (CLW), a full-day conference featuring briefings and conversations on the current and future state of civic learning in the United States. Highlights of the day included a conversation between Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Sonia Sotomayor, and a fireside chat between Archivist of the United State Colleen Joy Shogan and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. Jewish Summit on Civics participants then met to metabolize their learnings, share successful civic learning concepts with one another, and envision the future of civic learning in Jewish contexts.
“The Jewish Summit on Civics will hopefully be looked back on as the birthday of real Jewish collaboration on civic learning, and the connection of Jewish education leaders to the larger civic learning movement.” - 2024 Participant
If you’d like to review the full Interim After-Action Report, please do so here.
What is discussed at the Jewish Summit on Civics?
Conversations at the 2024 Jewish Summit on Civics were varied and far-reaching, but focused broadly around three major themes:
Utilizing effective civic learning to inculcate civic knowledge, skills and dispositions
American democracy relies on a broad foundation of informed, capable, and dedicated civic participants. And while they should advocate strongly for their positions, Americans must appreciate and uphold the processes, institutions, norms, and values that underpin a functioning democracy.Engaging authentically with ideological pluralism
Civic learning and ideological pluralism are inextricably linked - the ability to communicate across differences, pursue consensus, and craft compromises are essential to a functioning democracy and effective civic engagement in an ideologically diverse nation.Building the field of Jewish Civic Learning
More must be done to develop the research and resources necessary to support widespread civic learning in Jewish spaces. The enormous variety of Jewish organizational affiliations and approaches, and the broad diversity of Jewish political, religious and demographic identities, means that there cannot be a “one-size-fits-all” approach, and that moving the needle on civic learning in Jewish contexts will require strategic and sustained focus and investment.
What were the key takeaways of the Jewish Summit on Civics?
The Jewish Summit on Civics produced an incredible foundation on which to build a stronger, intentional field of Jewish Civic Learning. That foundation will be built on some critical and key takeaways, including:
Civic learning and engagement are vital to a functioning U.S. democracy.
Jewish institutions have a responsibility to engage in civic learning.
There is a lot of opportunity to refine what civic learning and engagement look like in practice, including the role of Jewish professionals in promoting it in Jewish spaces.
A “laboratory” approach of experimentation, peer review and dissemination through a collective impact network may catalyze civic learning innovation.
There is a hunger for resources and recommendations applicable to a diverse array of Jewish institutions, including synagogues, JCCs and advocacy organizations.
If you’d like to review the full Interim After-Action Report, please do so here.
How do I get involved?
The A More Perfect Union team is hard at work turning the numerous insights and proposals from the conference into a long-term action plan. In the meantime, here are two ways to get involved:
If your Jewish institution is interested in joining this conversation and helping to build the field of Jewish Civic Learning, consider joining our growing network. There is no financial contribution required, just a commitment to action to protect and strengthen American democracy.
If you are individually interested in this work, we encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter, check out our list of upcoming events, and consider making a financial contribution to our collective effort. There is a role for every interested individual!
