The Fourth Place: From Prayer to Power: The Urgent Case for Community Organizing in  Synagogues

In a time of rising antisemitism and hatred for Israel, gathering is no longer enough—Jewish communities must organize, mobilize, and act. Antisemitism is no longer a distant threat—it is visible, vocal, and accelerating. Jewish communities are gathering, grieving, and speaking. But they are not organizing. And without organizing, even the most passionate communities remain powerless in the face of a coordinated and growing challenge.

In 1989, sociologist Ray Oldenburg gave us the idea of the “third place”—those vital spaces beyond home and work where community is built. Cafés, parks, and bookstores became the heartbeat of civic life because they invited conversation, connection, and ultimately, collective action.

And today, the Jewish community must ask a harder question: where is our Fourth Place?

I have spoken at many synagogues about the rise of antisemitism. When I ask how many people are actively doing something about it, only a few hands go up. When I ask how many are using social media to speak out, even fewer hands rise. And when I ask how many are simply waiting—for Israel to end the war, for calm to return, for someone else to fix the problem—there is often a faint, knowing smile. That is the quiet truth: too many are waiting. Too few are acting.

Jews have long stood at the forefront of social justice movements around the world, yet when it comes to fighting antisemitism,........

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