Laurie Zimmerman has served as the rabbi of Congregation Shaarei Shamayim, an affiliate of Reconstructing Judaism, since 2003. A graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, she writes and teaches frequently on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is the author of Reframing Israel: Teaching Kids to Think Critically About the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Rabbi Laurie also works closely with Wisconsin’s immigrant rights organization, Voces de la Frontera, and is an active member of the Madison chapter’s fundraising committee. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her partner, Rabbi Renée Bauer, and their two children.
Being in a community where we disagree with people works against polarization and forces us to consider ideas that make us uncomfortable.
Many Jews believe that Judaism commands them to expel the Palestinians and annex the land for themselves.
This is not the time to root for your team. This is the time to stand on the side of humanity.
This curriculum covers a five-part class or series designed to explore Israeli and Palestinian historical, literary and cultural narratives side by side. It includes books, essays, literary fiction and discussion.
As younger non-Orthodox Jews increasingly grow wary of the American Jewish establishment’s unconditional support for Israel, fractures within the American Jewish community continue to deepen.
Jews by choice contribute immeasurably to the Jewish community. Their experiences, questions and perspectives invigorate the Jewish world and open exciting possibilities for the evolution of Jewish civilization.
Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement
Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis
Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues
Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives
