What is Halachic Left?

Halachic Left is a grassroots movement of halachically-observant Jews advocating for our communities to oppose Jewish supremacy, support ending the Israeli military control and occupation of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and work for a just and equitable future for Israelis and Palestinians. Our work is grounded in our relationships within our religious communities, and we combine internal change work with external-facing activism to push for change from multiple angles. We publish original Torah content, host educational events, and join and organize protests – all in service of our vision of freedom, safety, justice and equality for all people between the river and the sea.

Who is Halachic Left?

The Halachic Left network is made up of religious Jews from Orthodox & traditional egalitarian communities. As active participants in our local religious communities, we are affiliated with traditional Judaism while pushing for deep political transformation. 

Halachic Left leadership consists of a volunteer-led board and operations team. Our board is made up of Noam Weinreich, Caroline Morganti, and Eliana Padwa. Our operations team consists of a number of rabbis and Jewish professionals; as such, their identities are not currently public for fear of professional reprisal.

We are also lucky to have a large number of lay volunteers and participants.

What does Halachic Left do?

Halachic Left operates according to our three organizing values: community, Torah, and advocacy.

We build community among observant Jews across the world via our WhatsApp chats and provide resources and support to empower them to engage with their communities on this topic.

We host shiurim and publish original Torah content, including a weekly dvar Torah and holiday supplements, to explore how Halacha and Divrei Chazal inform our political vision.

We advocate within our communities and institutions, including shuls, camps and schools, to build awareness of alternative viewpoints on Israel and Palestine and challenge status-quo support for Jewish supremacy in the Land.

Is Halachic Left Zionist?

Zionism and anti-Zionism are hotly contested labels that mean different things to different people, and therefore, Halachic Left does not take an official position on Zionism. Our membership includes Zionists, anti-Zionists, non-Zionists, and people who, for a variety of reasons, do not identify with a particular label at all. We embrace pluralism and ideological diversity while organizing around a common goal: ending Jewish supremacy, ending the Israeli military control and occupation of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and building a just and equitable future for Israelis and Palestinians. By inviting our members to join us as they undergo their political journeys, we are able to lower barriers to entry and build a wide base of support for our key policy positions.

How do you define “Halachic”?

We define halacha as the binding system of laws and obligations through which the Jewish people practice our covenantal relationship with God. Practically, this means that our membership spans across the spectrum of Orthodox and traditional egalitarian communities. Group communications and events observe traditional Shabbat and kashrut strictures, are centered in communities where traditional halachic observance is the norm, and engage meaningfully with Torah and Jewish tradition.

While many of our in person and online events are open to all who identify with our core values and mission, we also believe there is a need for community spaces, such as our Whatsapp chats, that are specifically tailored to members of the communities described above.

Why is it necessary to organize as a group of observant Jews against Israeli violence when groups like JVP and IfNotNow exist?

Observant Jews who oppose Israel’s actions face unique challenges to organizing within their communities. These communities tend to be more right-wing to start with, and we face a greater risk of being socially ostracized for espousing left-wing views. It is important to have a space which is specifically designed for Jews committed to halacha to discuss these challenges and workshop new ways of organizing that account for our observant and leftist identities. 

Further, our particular relationship to Jewish tradition provides a different lens through which to understand and respond to Israel’s actions. We find that having our own community space where we share that common framework is important to allow us to fully explore and engage with that lens.. That said, many of our members are also affiliated with other organizations on the Jewish and general left, and we  are interested in building and strengthening those relationships.

You’re a bunch of diaspora Jews. What right do you have to speak about Israel?

We reject the idea that one needs special credibility to speak about human right’s violations — this is true no matter who is committing them, including Israel. Israel carries out its occupation and violations of international law flagrantly and in plain sight of the entire world. It is incumbent upon everyone who values human life to speak out against the state’s actions.

With that said, Halachic Left members largely do have greater insight into Israeli society than the average person living outside of Israel and are positioned to understand Israeli perspectives. While we are primarily based in the diaspora, many of us have lived in Israel, are Israeli, and/or have family and friends in Israel. Growing up in frum communities, many of us were raised to have a strong emotional attachment to the State of Israel and were often encouraged to make aliyah and join the army. We remain involved in Orthodox and traditional egalitarian institutions with strong material and emotional ties to Israel. Given these experiences, our membership is extremely familiar with pro-Israel narratives and more than qualified to challenge them. 

As citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries that are sending military aid and arms to Israel, we are deeply implicated in Israel’s aggression in Gaza and Lebanon and the occupation of the West Bank. As taxpayers, we have a right to speak out against the violence being done at our expense.

Further, as long as our safety as diaspora Jews is invoked to justify the oppression of Palestinians in Israel and censorship and surveillance of left-wing activists in the United States, we belong in this conversation. It is becoming increasingly clear that repression of pro-Palestine voices does not only fail to make diaspora Jewish communities safer, but actually endangers our ability to build relationships with other marginalized groups facing violence and discrimination. For this reason we feel a responsibility to speak out against the weaponization of antisemitism to shut down important conversations about Israel and Palestine.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, as religious Jews we believe in the concept of kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh —- the Jewish people are all responsible for each other. We have an obligation not only to care for each other, but also to provide rebuke when Jews are behaving unethically. 

How can I get involved with Halachic Left?

Send us a message on our contact form or email us at [email protected]!

I’m not sure if Halachic Left is the right community for me. Can I still get involved?

If you’re not sure if HL is the right place for you, feel free to send us a message at [email protected] to discuss. While our WhatsApp community is intended as a closed space for people in traditionally observant communities, you are also welcome to join our email list and attend our events.

I’m not “Halachic” in the above sense but am interested in similar organizations.

Please reach out to us and we’d be happy to recommend some!