Dear Reader,

As we approach the Jewish New Year in this time of horror and shame, I am reminded of a Talmudic discussion about the holiday. The sages say that on Rosh Hashanah, God judges the Jewish people first, and then judges the other nations of the world. One of the rabbis, Rav Hisda, compares this to God judging a king before the rest of his community.

We might recoil from the chauvinism of that analogy. Yet crucially, Rav Hisda is elevating the Jewish people not so we can receive special privileges, but so we can be held responsible. Our tradition says that whatever the misdeeds of others, we must first account for our own sins.

Tragically, this spirit is almost wholly absent from an Israeli leadership—and an American Jewish establishment—that refuses to reckon with Israel’s moral responsibility for the destruction of an entire society, and for an escalating regional war.

That’s why I’m so proud of Jewish Currents for offering a different path. In this terrible period, the magazine has attempted to model an honest, ethical Jewishness.

Can you support Jewish Currents this High Holiday season? If our work has mattered to you over this past year, make a gift today, ensuring we can grow in the year to come. Thanks to a generous donor, every gift received will be matched.

We can’t do it without your help. While our audience has more than tripled in the past year, our subscriptions and membership still cover just 20% of our budget. The rest comes from individual contributions from supporters who care about our work.

So we’re thrilled to announce that this High Holiday season, all contributions will be matched. Thanks to a generous supporter, if you donate to Jewish Currents today, every dollar you give will be doubled.

Will you make a High Holiday gift this year to help build an alternative Jewish future? Contribute today to ensure that Jewish Currents can thrive in the year to come.

May we look inward in this season, and grow in empathy and courage.

Shanah tovah,
Peter Beinart
Editor-at-Large