After serving on the Associated Federation Community Boards of Directors in Baltimore, Maryland for 29 consecutive years, I never anticipated writing this. The events of October 7 have profoundly altered my perspective, necessitating a change in how our federations and Jewish communal organizations in the United States approach tikkun olam, repairing the world.
Tikkun olam has always been integral to my Jewish identity, shaping my worldview and essence. As the child of Holocaust survivors, I was raised in a yeshiva k-12 school while immersed in a non-religious Holocaust survivor community. My parents, who worked tirelessly in their grocery store, entrusted my brother and me to the care of Mae Hedgpeth, a compassionate southern Black housekeeper who became our surrogate mother. While I aspired to lead an Orthodox life, I also yearned to connect with the broader Jewish community and build bridges with those outside our faith. My commitment to tikkun olam predated its popularization in Reform, Conservative and Jewish communal circles.
The October 7 massacre marks a turning point, akin to the Holocaust for my parents’ generation, compelling us to reevaluate our understanding of tikkun olam. Over the decades, as tikkun olam gained prominence in Jewish communal organizations, far too many lay leaders and staff allowed it to overshadow our Jewish identity. Prioritizing social justice and equity became more important than proudly educating and expressing the meaning and beauty of our Jewishness. This shift must change. Fundraising, political stances and partnerships must first and foremost prioritize educating about who we are, why we exist and the existential importance of Jewish survival and pride.
Jewish communal organizations must unequivocally declare their Jewish identity in all external interactions. When advocating for social justice and equity, they must assert that being Jewish is paramount. This is not a matter of equality but of survival and pride. Having recently made aliyah, I am resolute in my commitment to Jewish identity.
My communal colleagues, taking missions to Israel, hearing and witnessing the devastations and horrors of Gaza at the border, expressing emotions and feelings, and then returning to the same old playbook, must stop. While I continue to value tikkun olam, it must not dilute our Jewish identity. The essence of being Jewish must be central within tikkun olam. Our messaging must reflect the lessons of October 7, abandoning the old playbook. History has shown us the consequences of neglecting our identity.
If not now, when—and when has passed.
Harry Kozlovsky
Efrat, Israel
(Visiting daughter and son-in-law in Teaneck)
