We hear a lot these days about threats to democracy, both domestically and abroad.  But we rarely hear about what our faiths have to say about democracy, or the extent to which our actions in practice match our religious teachings.  As a result, important issues remain largely unaddressed, such as whether our faiths provide insights on both the threats democracy can pose to our societies, as well as its ability to protect us from tyranny and bondage, or what our faiths have to say about our willingness to take risks or make sacrifices to affirm democratic principles.   

On July 9th, we will confront these issues head on, led by two learned speakers: Rabbi Melanie Aron, who served as the rabbi of Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos, CA for three full decades and has been an intrepid advocate for Jewish-Islamic dialogue; and Ismail Royer, Director of the Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team for the Religious Freedom Institute, whose own inspiring journey is such that he once pled guilty to weapons charges relating to a violation of US neutrality laws but has transformed himself into a passionate advocate for American civilization.  As with all JIDS sessions, we will make plenty of room for participation by everyone in attendance, including in small-group dialogues.  

RSVP for this event at: [email protected]