Destiny divided: How Rav Soloveitchik’s vision shaped - and splintered - American Jewry

This piece was originally published yesterday, May 6, in ejewish philanthropy. See the original publication here - Link.

In the pantheon of 20th century Jewish thinkers, few names loom as large as Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. As the intellectual architect of Modern Orthodoxy, “the Rav” sought to reconcile traditional Judaism with the challenges of modernity. His framework of dual covenants Brit Goral (Covenant of Fate) and Brit Ye’ud (Covenant of Destiny) transformed American Jewish identity beyond the boundaries of Orthodox Jewry. Yet this framework, particularly his concept of a Covenant of Destiny, may have unwittingly contributed to the fracturing of American Jewry and its vulnerability to contemporary antisemitism.

The consequences of this shift were profound. American Jews increasingly defined their collective purpose through the concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world). What began as a minor Kabbalistic concept evolved into the central pillar of American Jewish identity, but with a totally new interpretation. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma became the archetypal image of this new Jewish purpose. Social justice activism became not just compatible with Jewish identity but its very expression. 

By the late 20th century, tikkun olam was widely acknowledged as a central Jewish tenet -even as a rationale for Jewish survival. This universalization of Jewish values created a bridge between Jewish tradition and American liberalism. Jews found common cause with other minorities and proudly championed civil rights, humanitarian aid and democratic pluralism. The particular became universal: Jewish ethics were recast as a vehicle for addressing society’s broader challenges. 

This era saw American Jews achieve unprecedented integration and influence in American society, yet the very success of this universalizing project contained the seeds of today’s crisis. 

As Judaism’s particularistic aspects were subordinated to universal ethics, American Jews increasingly diverged in their understanding of what constitutes “Jewish values.” What began as a unifying framework - that we are bound by shared purpose, not just shared suffering -evolved into competing visions of that purpose. The most dramatic manifestation of these competing visions is the contemporary debate over antisemitism. 

American Jews broadly agree that antisemitism is resurgent but fiercely disagree about its nature and sources. Studies show that Jewish perceptions of antisemitism are “primarily explained by political ideology and partisan identity”: Liberals tend to view right-wing extremism as the primary threat, while conservatives focus on left-wing anti-Zionism. These polarized perceptions have undermined the community’s ability to present a unified response to rising hatred.

The greatest casualty of this polarization has been Jewish solidarity regarding Israel. As universal values became paramount for many American Jews, Israel’s policies came under increasing scrutiny. The universalist ethos that once united Jews around shared ethical commitments now divides them along ideological lines.

The identity politics prevalent in American discourse has further complicated this challenge. Many young Jews feel forced to choose between their Jewish communal loyalty and their progressive values. Some have embraced the binary framing that positions Jews as white and privileged, accelerating an identity crisis that undermines communal cohesion and political efficacy.

The result is a community without a dominant voice that can claim to represent American Jewry against antisemitism, particularly from the left. The polarization around Israel has damaged communal cohesion and undermined the community’s ability to advance its interests. 

Rav Soloveitchik’s project of elevating Jews from a “camp” defined by shared suffering into a “congregation” united by shared purpose was noble, but the universalization of Jewish values that followed has inadvertently weakened Jewish particularism at precisely the moment when solidarity is most needed. His Covenant of Destiny inspired American Jews to seek moral purpose beyond mere survival, but the resulting emphasis on universal ethics has left the community fractured and vulnerable in the face of resurgent antisemitism.

The challenge facing American Jewry today is to reclaim a balance between universalism and particularism - to find a way to champion universal values while maintaining Jewish solidarity. This would require rekindling what Rav Soloveitchik called the Covenant of Fate - our shared history and destiny as a people - alongside our commitment to tikkun olam. Without such a rebalancing, American Jews risk finding themselves increasingly isolated in their individual moral pursuits, bereft of the collective strength needed to combat the rising tide of antisemitism.Rav Soloveitchik’s Covenant of Fate represents what happens to Jews collectively - our shared experiences of persecution and survival - and the Covenant of Destiny represents what we aspire to achieve - our moral purpose and religious commitments. This distinction allowed American Jews to move beyond defining themselves merely by their suffering and instead embrace an active, purposeful identity.