Sublime

I believe the core reason Hadar succeeded is because it did not attempt a big-picture reinvention of Jewish tradition or practice.

some prior body of halakhic knowledge, as summarized in the codes and other halakhic literature, serves as a foundation for individual intuition that, in aggregate, converges to consensus on various issues not covered by the extant body of halakhic knowledge.

Judaism’s unique ethical wisdom, diverse spirituality, emphasis on studying and debating sacred texts, and many rituals and practices that take place outside a synagogue—were the very parts I most loved and admired when I discovered them as an adult.

Yeshivat Hadar cannot be the only solution to the lack of Jewish empowerment education available to American Jews in the twenty-first century. In fact, if Yeshivat Hadar remains the only new institution in this field in the next five years, we will have failed to achieve our broader vision. American Judaism will thrive when it offers the most

In the Torah, God summons His special people, Israel, to take the first steps to what might eventually become a truly egalitarian society – or to put it more precisely, a society in which dignity, kavod, does not depend on power or wealth or an accident of birth.

God risks a lot, and puts up with a lot, all in the name of love—both the love God has for us and the love God hopes that we will embody and bring into the world.

The sum of the Rabbis’ educational and halachic efforts was that participation in religious life was democratized.

rabbis as teachers are in critical demand. And after a year running Hadar, I knew that my life’s focus was not only to build one specific community but also to spread the model of Empowered Judaism.

in an Empowered Judaism framework, institutional longevity is of questionable value, because the stability of an institution may actually prevent the most efficient furthering of its original founding purpose.