Jewish values in an age of political betrayal

(JNS) — Tikkun Olam, the Jewish call to “repair the world,” has long inspired Jews to champion justice, defend the vulnerable and fight oppression. For much of the 20th century, that ethos naturally aligned with the Democratic Party, widely seen as the defender of civil rights and social progress. Jewish activists stood at the forefront of labor movements, civil-rights marches and anti-apartheid campaigns, believing that liberalism and Jewish values were one and the same.

But the political landscape has changed—and dangerously so.

The Democratic Party has veered sharply left, embracing ideolog...