Ask a Jew Reclaiming our Confidence, with Dr. Mijal Bitton
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Dec 10, 2025 Dr. Mijal Bitton, a dynamic spiritual leader and sociologist, shares her journey as a Sephardic Jew from Buenos Aires. She dives into the balance of tradition and inclusion within the Downtown Minyan, addressing the importance of Jewish identity amid external definitions. The discussion touches on reclaiming Jewish confidence, navigating political schisms in American Jewry, and the struggle for women's agency in traditional communities. Plus, Mijal offers intriguing TV recommendations and insights on contemporary Torah narratives.
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History Repeats In Who Gets To Define Jews
- Jewish identity has long been contested from outside and within, so current attempts to define 'good' Jews repeat historical patterns.
- Reclaiming confidence in a peoplehood-oriented Judaism resists those external redefinitions and preserves communal dignity.
Double Strategy: Build Confidence And Set Boundaries
- Strengthen internal Jewish education and narrative confidence instead of bending Judaism to please external trends.
- Build a wide tent while firmly calling out leaders who ally with movements that harm Jewish peoplehood.
Siddur Party Reveals Intergenerational Love
- Dr. Mijal Bitton describes a siddur party where children named who else has a siddur, revealing that love of the siddur comes from who else loves it.
- She uses this memory to argue Jewish continuity depends on intergenerational attachment, not just personal preference.
