S3K Synagogue Studies Institute

The S3K Synagogue Studies Institute works with scholars, clergy, and communal leaders to promote greater understanding of Jewish congregational life and to increase the value and stature of Synagogue Studies as a key field for academic research and seminary education. The Institute identifies key trends, convenes conversations around topics of common concern, promotes collaborative research, and disseminates important new knowledge to leaders in congregations as well as academic, communal, and philanthropic institutions.

S3K Report Fall 2007

Synagogues and Social Justice: Creating Sustainable Change Within and Beyond the Congregation

How do synagogues make change? Change in ourselves, our families, our congregations, our communities, our world?

In May 2007, the S3K Synagogue Studies Institute and Jewish Funds for Justice (JFSJ) convened a consultation on synagogue engagement with social justice. Participants included fifty clergy, lay leaders, activists, and funders from around the United States who are interested and involved in doing justice work within and beyond synagogues.

S3K and JFSJ invited three widely recognized scholars of congregations and social engagement: Professors Nancy Ammerman (Boston University), Mark Chaves (Duke University), and Richard L. Wood (University of New Mexico).

The S3K-JFSJ gathering sought to begin to address these issues. We asked, "How are synagogues engaging in justice work? How can we determine if this engagement is transforming not only the world, but also the synagogues and congregants themselves? And what does that transformation look like?"

Download the S3K Report in pdf format

Discuss the S3K Report on the JFSJ blog, jpsot