The concept of community is central to Judaism and to the ethos of the Jewish people. But community—our way of being together, our way of organizing our collective lives—has changed and evolved as the world has transformed. In the 21st century, in societies rocked by philosophical, technological, social and economic upheavals, in a world where many of the old patterns of behavior, affiliation and identity have changed, the traditional model of community is in crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic adds a layer of complexity to these changes, accelerating processes and making some ways of association obsolete.

In this special issue of Moment Magazine, a variety of leading Jewish thinkers — including Anita Diamant, Micah Goodman, Vivian Gornick, and JFN's own Andrés Spokoiny — weigh in.