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In synagogues and on the streets, Israel’s new ‘faithful left’ is making itself felt

JL;DR SUMMARY In Jerusalem's Heichal Shlomo synagogue, a new movement called Smol Emuni, or the Faithful Left, is emerging among Orthodox Jews, aiming to challenge Israel's predominantly right-wing religious political landscape. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish TraditionsOrthodox JewsPeace ActivismJewish ValuesReligious ZionismFaithful LeftLeft Wing PoliticsPolitical DiscourseSmol Emuni

Places mentioned

Jerusalem, Israel
"Attendees at the kickoff meeting of Smol Emuni, or the Faithful Left, in Jerusalems Heichal Shlomo Synagogue, Jan. 25, 2023."
Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv District, Israel
"Constant applause and cheers for our group of religious protesters, marching to join main event in Tel Aviv."
Jerusalem, Israel
"A week after the conference, a Palestinian terror attack outside a Jerusalem synagogue that took the lives of seven residents after the Shabbat service put these beliefs to a test."
Neve Yaakov, Jerusalem, Palestinian Territories
"The political response shouldn’t be based on revenge but on what we think is for the betterment of our people, he said after the Neve Yaakov attack."
Alon Shvut, Jerusalem, Israel
"Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger, a coexistence activist who lives in the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut, described his experience at the conference on Facebook."

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Retrieved 2026-03-11 05:31:20 UTC
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