Applying Jewish Ethics: Beyond the Rabbinic Tradition is a groundbreaking collection that introduces the reader to applied ethics and examines various social issues from contemporary and largely under-represented, Jewish ethical perspectives. For thousands of years, a rich and complex system of Jewish ethics has provided guidance about which values we should uphold and utilize to confront concrete problems, create a healthy social fabric, and inspire meaningful lives. Despite its longevity and richness, many Judaic and secular scholars have misconstrued this ethical tradition as a strictly religious and biblically based system that primarily applies to observant Jews, rather than viewing it as an ethical system that can provide unique and helpful insights to anyone, religious or not. This pioneering collection offers a deep, broad, and inclusive understanding of Jewish ethical ideas that challenges these misconceptions. The chapters explain and apply these ethical ideas to contemporary issues connected to racial justice, immigration, gender justice, queer identity, and economic and environmental justice in ways that illustrate their relevance for Jews and non-Jews alike.

I wrote this book when I was 14 and lived for a year in the craziest city of India. The year that I spent in India was a rainbow. It was made up of thousands of different colors; different cultures, languages and customs than I had ever witnessed. Those months included 100s of different shades, from contrasting lifestyles, to skin colors to personalities. I was 1 girl in a palette of boys; I was 1 American in a palette of Indians. But, what made it the most magical year of my life was the paint brush that blended us all together. It made the colors bleed and blend to create one masterpiece. Sure, you could pick out and compare one color to another, but as a whole, the painting was captivating, and it made sure that your mind didn't wander to the insignificant details of race, culture, customs and class. I have created a rainbow of a book; a collaboration of different writing styles, combined to tell my stories. I hope that in reading about someone else's journey to self discovery, you find yourself as well.