Home

Koret Foundation Sh'ma Book Reviews

Letters to the Editor

A New Initiative: The Sh'ma Salon

Topic Discussion Guide

A new Artistic NiSh'ma

Sigi Ziering Sh'ma Ethics

Taube New Visions

The Balcony by Ruth Calderon

Torah Commentaries:
Erica Brown
Nechama Leibowitz
Mekor Chaim

Past Issues

Upcoming: Evangelicals, Jews, and Israel Yehiel Poupko David Elcott David Neff Peter Petit Shawn Landres Gershom Gorenberg Sponsorship opportunities available

End World Child Hunger!
Tell your friends about Project Manna, a new multi-faith cyberactivism campaign that takes only a minute.

Jewish Lens on Immigration Reform

Tamar Jacoby: “For most Americans, immigration is a deeply emotional issue. I’m no exception. As the child of what I call a “melting-pot marriage,” I have an instinctive empathy for immigrants and believe passionately in that miraculous balancing act we call e pluribus unum. But like most things, immigration must be approached with the head as well as the heart, and policy must be made on the basis of national interest, not emotion.
read more

Gideon Arnoff: As Jews, when we consider immigration reform, we are obliged to begin with the central Jewish teachings that emphasize welcome, protection, and love for the ger, stranger. Jewish tradition also includes principles of piddyon shevuyim, redeeming the captive, chesed, kindness, and hachnasat orchim, hospitality, which create a solid framework for a compassionate response to the needs of immigrants and refugees.
read more

Robert Rubin: Over only the past 25 years, the U. S. Congress has enacted major legislation on four occasions. And the debate typically has been couched in extreme terms:  Should we pursue Pat Buchanan’s vision of Fortress America? Or the laissez-faire open borders approach?
read more

Join Sh'ma's Online Discussion

What are the core Jewish values that shape your thoughts about immigration reform?

Post your thoughts

Quote of the Month

"This catastrophic loss of life signifies the most troubling failure of our current immigration policies and compels us to work to overhaul this badly broken system."

Josh Protas

Our Mission
Sh'ma serves as a gathering place for independent dialogue -- rich conversation of differing positions presented in an honest, respectful, and sacred conversation. Our readers, like our authors, are intellectually sharp, seeking, concerned and literate. Sh'ma is a publication of Jewish Family & Life! JFLMedia.com