Rethinking Chosenness: A Dialogue for Our Time
“Chosenness” has been both a source of pride and discomfort in Jewish life. What does it mean to be a “chosen people” in an age of equality, interconnection, and moral responsibility? This Evolve series invites a deeper look — not to settle the question, but to open it. We’ll explore how the idea of chosenness can evolve into a call toward purpose, justice, and shared humanity.
Discover New Evolve Essays on Chosenness:
The fundamental flaw is not the arrogance of the claim, troublesome as it is, but that the claim requires that there was a Divine chooser who made a choice.
The belief that Jews are Chosen risks promoting Jewish chauvinism and even racism.
Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan’s arguments against chosenness still ring true.
Join the Conversation
We want to know what you think and why, in order to promote these important conversations beyond this site and into the wider Jewish world. Is the claim that Jews are the Chosen People important to your identity? Do you find it objectionable? Why?
Past Perspectives on Chosenness From Evolve:
First published in The Reconstructionist, September 1984, pp. 8-27
First published in The Reconstructionist 50/7, June 1885, pp. 9-14
First published Mordecai Kaplan's 1948 book, The Future of the American Jew
