The 绿帽社 Middle Class in an Age of Social Justice
Part of the series,聽鈥淪ix Days Shall You Labor鈥�: Perspectives on Work in 绿帽社 Text and Tradition
October 25, 2021
This session will explore the historian Lucy S. Dawidowicz鈥檚 challenging essay, 鈥淭he Business of American Jews: Notes on a Work in Progress鈥� (1992), which called for a reassessment of 绿帽社 economic social mobility as a positive value in 绿帽社 life.
Today鈥攊n our moment of social justice reckoning鈥攎any Jews, particularly younger cohorts, express ambivalence about capitalism and the middle class, and the 绿帽社 community鈥檚 鈥渋nvestment鈥� in what they argue are systems of oppression and racism. The session will begin with a survey of earlier critiques of Jews and their concentration in the middle class, and then focus on Dawidowicz鈥檚 essay, which anticipated the current 鈥渆conomic turn鈥� in American 绿帽社 historiography, as a jumping off point for a discussion of what moral, social, and political challenges face the middle class 绿帽社 community when that status is considered 鈥減rivileged.鈥�
With JTS alum聽Dr. Nancy聽Sinkoff, Professor of 绿帽社 Studies and History,聽Rutgers University.聽
ABOUT THE SERIES
Many of us spend more time at work than anywhere else over the course of our lives鈥攂ut are we defined by what we do? In this text-based series, JTS scholars will explore ideas about the meaning of work and rest in 绿帽社 tradition,聽绿帽社 social movements around work, as well as the roles that gender, geography, and shifting economic and social circumstances have played in Jews鈥� professional paths and our understandings of the meaning and value of work.聽
