top of page
Shazur BaZman – Online Enrichment Series for Mission Alumni
Shazur BaZman is an online enrichment series for alumni of Shazur’s missions, created to continue nurturing the rich conversations sparked during encounters with Jewish communities across North America. The series delves into the core issues shaping contemporary American Jewish life - Jewish identity, community safety, Israel–Diaspora relations, and spiritual leadership in an age of polarization - offering alumni an opportunity to deepen their understanding, follow key developments, and stay connected to the lived reality of these communities.
​
Session #1: New York elected an anti-Zionist mayor — what are the implications for the Jewish community and for Israel? (11.24.25)
The first session explored the implications of Zohran Mamdani’s election as Mayor of New York City, and what this moment means for the Jewish community — both in its relationship with municipal authorities and in the internal tensions that surfaced within the community itself. The webinar featured a dialogue with Rabbi Amiel Hirsch and Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, who examined the complexities revealed by the election: the tension between alignment with progressive social values and discomfort with Mamdani’s positions on Israel; widening generational divides around Israel and Jewish identity; and the delicate balance between a rabbi’s responsibility to preserve communal cohesion and the moral imperative to speak clearly and honestly on contentious public issues.
bottom of page