Conference hosted on Zoom from Oct. 11 to Oct. 14
Inspired by sociologist Professor Philip Wexler’s 2019 book, Social Vision: The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Transformative Paradigm for the World an international group of scholars and practitioners in various spheres of research and social work will convene this week on Zoom to share new insights and ideas about meeting the many challenges facing contemporary society.
More than two years since its publication, the book is at the center of new and evolving conversations about environmentalism, race, education, interpersonal relationships, prison reform and more. This is the third such conference convened by the Institute of Jewish Spirituality and Society to explore the implications of Wexler’s arguments and further the real-world applications of his research.
Daniel Reiser, an academic scholar of Jewish mysticism, recently wrote in an extensive review: “The central claim of the book is that the Rebbe was not only a theorist or a religious leader, but also an engineer of encompassing social change that is intended for the entire world.”
As such, the book discusses foundational questions from the unique mystical perspective of Chabad philosophy and through a critical sociological lens. “What is society? What is its purpose? What is the relationship between the individual and the collective?”
The practical application of these questions is found in the way the Rebbe applies his approach to answering them in the areas of education, justice reform, ecology, geopolitics and science.
Click here to read a review of Social Vision by Tzvi Freeman.
For more information about the upcoming conference please visit interconnectedness.net.
