Renowned Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz to Speak on Compassion

By Molly Pincherli

Global social justice activist and educator Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz is joining JFS CEO Michael Hopkins for a Center for Jewish Care luncheon titled “The Role of Compassion in Social Change” at the Marriott in Del Mar next month.

“It’s an honor to welcome Rabbi Shmuly to San Diego for this thought-provoking conversation, focused on deepening our moral commitment to the central Jewish virtue of compassion,” said Hopkins.

Drawing from ancient texts, contemporary case studies and his own experiences as a social activist, Yanklowitz will illustrate how acts of compassion can bridge divides, heal communities and drive systemic change.

The event will take place on the heels of Yanklowitz’s participation in a cross-denominational think tank about food ethics convened by the Pope. Yanklowitz – who counts food justice, aiding people seeking asylum and promoting the humane treatment of animals among his passions—said he accepted the invitation because “interfaith bridge building is crucial to addressing pressing ethical issues.”

During this High Holiday season, Yanklowitz pointed out, the dominant theme of the liturgy is compassion when Jews of all denominations repeat in Hebrew— “El rachum v’chanun” —God is compassionate and slow to anger. With the repetition, he said, we remind ourselves of the importance of emulating these virtues.

“A big part of the Hebrew word for compassion self-implies that we learn it in the womb. The Hebrew word for womb is ‘rechem’ and the word for compassion is ‘rachamim,’” said Yanklowitz in an interview. “The idea is that from the very beginning of our existence we are immersed in that merciful space.”

And yet, despite this auspicious beginning, Yanklowitz believes that, in today’s society, our lack of proximity to one another and the pace of modern life have made both it easier to dehumanize others and harder than ever to practice spiritual self-care.

“At the end of the day, I think life is about reducing suffering for other people and for ourselves. In fact, self-compassion is linked to our ability to be more compassionate to others. There are so many levels of [suffering] there’s poverty, sickness, physical challenges, then there’s mental illness, social alienation, and indeed a form of spiritual suffering as well.

I feel that in our hyper-politicized era that many people turn towards elections as a vote as their primary form of addressing social ills— ‘I’ll just be a Democrat or a Republican. I’ll vote, and I’ve done my part’ – but I think that Judaism asks much more of us than just being a voter and asks us to think about our daily interactions, life purpose and commitment.”

The Role of Compassion in Social Change, a JFS luncheon and conversation are scheduled November 12, from 12-2 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit jfssd.org/luncheon2024.