Dear Jewish Lawyers,

Another year has come around and now, as we head into 5783 the need for sage counsel is ever present. The AAJLJ has been making great strides over the last year, even if most of those are behind the scenes. There was a great lawyer years ago who said to me that “we whisper loudly” and I never understood what he meant, but this year has given me some clarity.

In terms of the briefs that have been filed and the more activist stance that we have taken, much has been done. Now, we are seeing an elevated level of engagement particularly by Board members in many arenas:

• The webinar programs have been a great success and we are looking to strengthen those in terms of frequency as we have the quality in our ranks;
• We will be building a new website, which will include the facility where members will be able to filter by locale and practice focus, to allow for easier networking and finding local counsel;
• A newsletter will become a regular feature, highlighting webinars, CLE’s and articles of importance to our organization; and
• We will form a rapid response team for public messaging and constructive engagement on issues affecting the Jewish communities at large.

There are many challenges in the law at the moment, many of which will test our viewpoints as an organization and internally. I would hope that the AAJLJ can provide a rare safe space where these issues can be debated in a mature, congenial and rational manner, so that we as an organization can formulate its guidance.

A prime example is the case of Yeshiva University, Et Al. v. Yu Pride Alliance, Et Al. 697 U.S. ___ (2022), where there are diverse viewpoints within our organization as to the interface of state Human Rights legislation and constitutional rights of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression, between the individual and the institution. On such emotive issues which have a genuine bearing on the lives of those around us, there may not be a cohesive and unified viewpoint that the AAJLJ can articulate, but that should not stop the debate. As president, I was asked by members to issue a statement supporting both the YU and YU Pride Alliance stances, and declined to do so because as lawyers we can rise above virtue signaling and understand that there are many nuances in such a case. Not unlike Tevye who famously said “you are both right.” For example, one can support the YU’s constitutional argument while also agreeing with the opinion of the majority that local avenues must be exhausted prior to a stay being entertained by the Supreme Court.  

This is just one of the examples where the guidance of the talent pool of the AAJLJ is sorely needed and fortunately there are members who are willing to devote their time, considerable skill and efforts to assist the Jewish community.

I would like to thank each and every one of you for your support and in particular Sharon Aleckson our executive director for keeping us on track.  It would take far too long to thank each of those core board members who go above and beyond on a daily basis, you know who you are and you have my personal gratitude.

Rosh Hashanah is a time where, in our agrarian past, the main harvests have come in, the grain has been threshed and instead of looking at the world as finishing for a season, we immediately begin anew and look to the year ahead. We see this in Simchat Torah as well where we finish reading and start again all on the same day. This year of 5783 is a Shemittah year, one in which we could let the land lie fallow and take a sabbatical.  Nowadays we do not have such a luxury, and neither do we as Jewish Lawyers. Unfortunately, antisemitism is still rife, wars are still being waged and jews around the world need our help and our guidance in many areas.

I wish you all  “Un Buen Principio” as my people say. May your prayers resonate with you, may you be well inscribed in all of the books up on high and may you be a light unto all lawyers.

Shanah Tovah

Robert Garson