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When observant Jews gathered to challenge Israel orthodoxy, verbal sparring and walkouts ensued

JL;DR SUMMARY The second annual Smol Emuni conference at Bnai Jeshurun in Manhattan gathered hundreds of observant Jews, providing a platform for those dissatisfied with the prevailing right-wing Orthodox discourse regarding Israeli and American politics. 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

ZionismGazaOrthodox JudaismPalestiniansHuman RightsSettler ViolenceReligious LeftSmol EmuniSaul Berman

Places mentioned

Manhattan, New York, United States
"Hundreds of observant Jews convened at a Manhattan synagogue on Sunday to foster an alternative to the prevailing right-wing discourse about Israeli and American politics in the Orthodox world."
Los Angeles, California, United States
"Rabbi Sharon Brous, who leads the unaffiliated Los Angeles synagogue Ikar, said a local Smol Emuni gathering, organized through whispered invitations, had helped attendees realize their views on Israel were more widely held than they had assumed."
New York City, New York, United States
"Sperber, who grew up in Israel and now lives in New York City, said she felt like she was living in a different reality than her family due to their political differences."
Selma, Alabama, United States
"The rabbi, who famously led a megillah reading in jail after he was arrested in 1965 marching for voting rights in Selma, Alabama, expressed disappointment in the morning panelists, diverging from his assigned topic of the struggle over ICE immigration raids in Minneapolis."
Bronx, New York, United States
"Gershon Rosenberg, a junior at the Modern Orthodox Jewish day school SAR Academy in the Bronx, said during the Israel education panel that he faced intense backlash from his community after writing an op-ed in his school newspaper arguing for a broader understanding of the conflict in Gaza."
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
"I did not appreciate the assertion that somehow the Jewish passion for Israel need not be heard, Berman said."
Iran
"A diverse group of speakers that included both Zionists and anti-Zionists grappled with settler violence, humanitarian and spiritual crises sparked by the war in Gaza, and religious rhetoric surrounding the war in Iran."
Gaza, Palestinian Territories
"Toward the end of the panel, Khalil said he almost got up and left because he felt that there was not enough time devoted to talking directly about the devastation in Gaza."
Israel
"A diverse group of speakers that included both Zionists and anti-Zionists grappled with settler violence, humanitarian and spiritual crises sparked by the war in Gaza, and religious rhetoric surrounding the war in Iran."
Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv District, Israel
"a screening of Children No More, a documentary about activists holding silent vigils in Tel Aviv for children killed by the Israeli military in Gaza."

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Retrieved 2026-03-11 05:30:44 UTC
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