“I’m an American Jew. In the United States, white supremacy has moved from the margins to the mainstream. Gun violence is an untreated epidemic. For immigrants and their families, navigating life has become difficult, often terrifying.
“I came to Pardes to re-ground myself in questions that matter: I believe American Jews—with a past of persecution and present of privilege—are uniquely positioned to fight for justice in the United States. How did our sages envision a just society? How do we build communities that feel accountable to our own people and to The Other? How can t’fillah, and relationship with God, make us fuller, stronger people?
“My teachers have been dynamic, adept guides, pushing me to gain the tools to continue calling on our texts in my own life—and the life of my communities—for many years to come.”
Ami is a writer and activist. He was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs in New York City and co-founded TableTalk, a forum for conversation between groups that wouldn’t otherwise interact on college campuses. Ami’s writing on race, politics, and Jewish community has appeared in The Atlantic, the Jewish Journal, and the Forward.
