ISJL Southern & Jewish 2026

Rachel Gollay - Keshet
How do our Jewish texts, teachings, and traditions motivate our work for justice in the world? What do we mean when we talk about “Jewish social justice,” and what’s our role in faith-based advocacy as Jews in the South? In this hands-on session, we will dive into Keshet's 7 Jewish Values for Taking Action, with LGBTQ+ rights as our focus. We will workshop ways to incorporate and communicate the values that resonate most with us so we can bring them back home to our communities. At the end of the session, we will share an opportunity to put our Jewish values into practice by crafting and sending impactful messages to our elected representatives in support of equality and safety for all.

Note: Keshet's work is 501c3-friendly and nonpartisan.

Drawing from the archives of the Dallas Jewish Historical Society (DJHS), we will examine how Jewish merchants built thriving businesses, contributed to community development, and navigated the challenges of identity, assimilation, and social change. Through personal stories, photographs, and historical documents, the conversation brings to life the entrepreneurial spirit and civic leadership of Dallas’s Jewish “merchant princes.” You will leave this session understanding how to engage with your local historical societies and bring primary source-based programming to your communities. 

For most of Jewish history, Torah was studied by people who spent their days making things: farmers, tailors, carpenters, merchants, builders, cooks, and artisans. 

The ISJL's 2026 A. Mitchell and Morrise Meyer Bell Rabbinical Intern, Rachel Sturges, is not only a current rabbinical student but also a former instrument builder. She will share insights into Torah visible only when we try to make something ourselves. 

What does it mean that the Torah's first image of G-d is not king, judge, or warrior, but Creator? Why is the first person explicitly filled with the spirit of G-d not a prophet, but the artisan Bezalel? What can craftsmanship teach us about humility, creativity, failure, and repair? Drawing on Torah, Jewish thought, and personal experience at the workbench, this interactive session invites participants to explore a surprising idea: making things is not merely practical work: it is one of Judaism's deepest spiritual disciplines. No woodworking experience required. If you've ever raised a child, cooked a meal, taught a class, planted a garden, built a community, or tried to repair something broken, this conversation is for you.