What Gives? The Jewish Philanthropy Podcast · Jewish Funders Network

Rabbi Sharon Brous – Love, Loss, and Building Sacred Communities

·50 min·3 clips

Loneliness is a precondition for tyranny because fascist rulers need disconnected people.

Rabbi Sharon Brous joins host Andres Spokoiny to discuss her new book, "The Amen Effect," and the urgent need for sacred community. Brous is the founder of IKAR, a groundbreaking Jewish community in Los Angeles known for its inclusive and innovative approach. The conversation explores how ancient Jewish wisdom can address modern crises of loneliness and division, particularly following the October 7th attacks. Brous centers her book on an obscure Mishnah describing a Temple Mount ritual where the brokenhearted walk against the crowd. She explains that every passerby must ask, "What happened to you?" and offer a blessing. The rabbi connects this to statistics showing 40% of UK adults and 20-25% of Americans report having no close confidants. She cites U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's work, noting loneliness has health impacts equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes daily. Brous references studies on Haredi communities, where strong social bonds correlate with longer life expectancy despite other health factors. A key insight is that loneliness is a precondition for tyranny, as philosopher Hannah Arendt argued. Brous warns that tribalism becomes dangerous when connection to an in-group inversely relates to empathy for those outside it. She rejects a false binary between tribalism and universalism, arguing deep Jewish identity should inspire broader human connection. The rabbi uses Jewish mourning rituals as a metaphor, suggesting the current Jewish moment is an extended period of *aninut* and *shiva*, where focusing inward is necessary before re-engaging the world. Brous describes the book's cover, designed to look like a torn garment stitched back together, symbolizing communal healing. She emphasizes that rituals like Mourner's Kaddish require a minyan because the community's "amen" represents relentless, loving presence. The tone is deeply personal, educational, and pastoral, blending textual analysis with raw emotion from recent collective trauma. The style is conversational yet profound, moving between ancient texts and contemporary crises. Listeners interested in building resilient communities, combating loneliness, or applying Jewish thought to modern life will find this episode compelling. Those seeking a purely political analysis of current events or a light discussion might find it too emotionally or spiritually intense.

As heard by us

A measured conversation about presence, Jewish responsibility, and the tension between tribal loyalty and broader solidarity.

Rabbi Sharon Brous centers the conversation on presence and communal response. When people are broken, the answer is not to pull away but to make a room that says, amen, I see you.

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Why you'd press play

If you want Jewish leadership that treats presence as a practice, not a slogan.

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