About Smol Emuni US

Smol Emuni US is a group of members of the observant Jewish community, committed to the foundational religious principle that all people are created in the image of God. We consider the pursuit of justice, equality, and dignity for Jews, Palestinians and all people a fundamental religious imperative.

We believe that extreme nationalism and socio-economic disparities breed racism and cruelty in the US and Israel. This conference will launch Smol Emuni US.creating a public forum for the observant community to grapple with these issues.

We are working in collaboration with Hasmol Haemuni Israel, a group of activists from the religious, Haredi and Masorti community who seek to promote peace, equality and justice in Israeli society.

Smol Emuni US Team

  • Arnold Franklin

    Arnold Franklin teaches in the History Department at Queens College, CUNY and directs the Queens College Center for Jewish Studies. His research focuses on Jewish society and culture in the medieval Islamic world.

  • Tirza Leibowitz

    Tirza Leibowitz is deputy director for Physicians for Human Rights Israel. Previously she litigated and led initiatives for equality and justice with Bizchut—The Human Rights Center for People with Disabilities and the Open Society Foundations. 

  • Rachel Landsberg

    Rachel Landsberg is a Jewish educator, climate activist and community organizer.

  • Adi Mahalel

    Adi Mahalel is a Professor of Yiddish Studies. His first book, The Radical Isaac: I. L. Peretz and the Rise of Jewish Socialism came out in 2023. His forthcoming translation and scholarly introduction of Hanan Ayalti’s novel Boom and Chains: A Yiddish Novel Set in Israel/Palestine, will be published in 2025.

  • Jonathan Siegel

    Jonathan Siegel is Chief Economist at the Office of the New York City Comptroller. He is a Board member and security coordinator at Congregation Ramath Orah.

  • Esther Sperber

    Esther Sperber is an architect, founder of Studio ST Architects. Born and raised in Israel, she has been living in New York for 25 years. She writes and lectures about architecture, culture, religion and psychoanalysis. Her work has been published in the New York Times, The Huffington Post, Lilith, the Jewish Week, TOI the Forward as well as many academic journals. She is one of the leaders of Hostages' Family Forum in NY and the pro democracy protests.