Smol Emuni US Conference
March 8, 2026

When and Where?

Sunday, March 8, 2026
כ׳ בַּאֲדָר תשפ״ו
10:30 am-5:15 pm

B’nai Jeshurun Synagogue
270 West 89th Street, New York, NY
Livestream will be available

The Smol Emuni US 2026 Conference will confront the moral urgency of this moment—bearing witness to the devastation of Gaza, the violence across Israel and the West Bank, and the fear, trauma, and responsibility that shape our Jewish lives today. We will wrestle honestly with what it means to name injustice, acknowledge harm, and examine our own implication as Jews and as Americans. From that reckoning, we turn toward action—exploring Jewish frameworks of teshuvah, tikkun, and moral courage as tools for repair, accountability, hope, and the pursuit of a more just future.

Conference Theme

סור מרע ועשה טוב בקש שלום ורדפהו

Swerve from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it

Schedule

10:30-11:00 Registration and Schmoozing

11:00-12:30 Morning Plenary

12:30-1:30 Lunch

1:30-1:45 Mincha

1:45-3:15 Conversation Circles and Torah Learning

3:15-3:30 Break

3:30-5:30 Afternoon Plenary

Morning Plenary:
סור מרע Witnessing the Devastation of Gaza

Over the past two years, Israel has carried out widespread devastation and loss of life in Gaza, intensified violence in the West Bank, and seen deepening fear and trauma within Israel itself. The commandment סוּר מֵרָע—to turn away from evil —demands that we first confront reality honestly: to see suffering clearly, to name injustice, and to reckon with our own implication and responsibility.

This plenary invites us into the difficult work of moral witnessing.

How did we arrive at this moment?
What does it mean to acknowledge evil without turning away?
What are our moral responsibilities—as Jews shaped by Torah, and as Americans whose government and institutions play a role in this reality?

Afternoon Plenary:
עשה טוב The Commandment to Do Better

If סוּר מֵרָע calls us to turn away from evil, עֲשֵׂה טוֹב commands us to move toward the good.

Judaism does not assume moral perfection, rather it offers pathways for repair when we fall short: tikkun (repair), tochacha (loving rebuke), and teshuvah (return). These are not abstract ideals, but practical tools—for individuals, for communities, and for institutions to help us chart a path forward after harm has been done.

Many among us feel that our Jewish institutions, our leaders, our rabbis—and we ourselves—have failed to live up to our responsibilities as religious Jews guided by Torah values.

This plenary asks what it means to act faithfully now.

We will hear from religious, political and grassroots leaders who are doing inspiring work in these areas.

Register Now

Ticket Cost:

$50 Early Registration (by February 15)
$72 Standard Ticket
$18 Student Price

Actual cost per person is $180. Please consider making an additional donation.
For Livestream, register below as well. Please consider making a donation.

Register

Confirmed Speakers