New book offers contemporary Jewish perspectives on artificial intelligence, reproductive technology, animal rights, and more—and their ethical and spiritual significance.
New York, NY – December 2025 – CCAR Press, a division of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, proudly announces the publication of Striving to Be Human: Jewish Perspectives on Twenty-First-Century Challenges, edited by Rabbi Leah Cohen Tenenbaum and Rabbi Douglas Kohn.
Each day, new technological innovations spark fierce debates between promise and peril. Striving to Be Human offers Jewish wisdom to help navigate these existential divides. In his clarion call for ethical behavior, Rabbi Hillel tell us, “In a place where there is no humanity, strive to be human.” But what exactly does it mean to be human in this age of rapid transformation? Striving to Be Human confronts the age-old, ever-evolving question of humanity with boldness, hope, and a foundation in Jewish texts.
Striving to Be Human begins with “Challenges from Within Us,” addressing topics including moral justice, belonging, queer theology, and good and evil. In part two, “Challenges from Beyond Us,” the authors delve into artificial intelligence, robotics, reproductive technologies, and the animal-human relationship. The result is a profound conversation about Jewish values and human dignity in our evolving landscape.
Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, PhD, Irving and Miriam Lowe Professor of Modern Judaism, Arizona State University, and coeditor of Perfecting Human Futures: Transhuman Visions and Technological Imaginations, said, “This timely collection of thoughtful reflections by Reform rabbis invites readers to examine the meaning of being human when the future of humanity is challenged by the prevalence of humanmade technology, and when the future of democracy is threatened by the refusal to honor intrinsic human dignity and diversity. Rabbis, educators, and congregants will find this anthology a source of inspiration and an invitation for further reflections.”
“One of the most fundamental inquiries in Jewish philosophy is what makes humans different from animals, on the one hand, and from angels, on the other,” said Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President and Dean of Valley Beit Midrash and author of Pirkei Avot: A Social Justice Commentary. “In our era of rapid change, Striving to Be Human masterfully helps us return to such questions to not only reclaim our basic humanity but to consider how to actualize the potential of flourishing humanity! This book will guide us toward moral and spiritual insights that can challenge and support our theological and ethical journeys ahead.”
Jonathan D. Sarna, PhD, Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University, and author of American Judaism: A History, said, “At a time of unprecedented challenges to humanity, this volume offers Jewish wisdom on the core question: What does it mean to be human? A thoughtful, readable, and well-produced guide to conundrums as ancient as Adam and Eve and as recent as the development of artificial intelligence.”
Rabbi Leah Cohen Tenenbaum, DMin, BCC-PCHAC, is a Board-Certified Chaplain with Advanced Certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital where she also serves on the Ethics Committee, teaches medical providers, and presents at national conferences on spirituality, serious illness, and medical ethics.
Rabbi Douglas Kohn has led historic Temple Beth Jacob in Newburgh, New York, since 2019, having previously served synagogues in Buffalo, Baltimore, Chicago, and Southern California. Deeply committed to social justice and Israel, Rabbi Kohn served for eight years on the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism and the National Board of ARZA.
Striving to Be Human: Jewish Perspectives on Twenty-First-Century Challenges is available at strivingtobehuman.ccarpress.org.
To request review copies, interview opportunities, or to book author events, please contact: Raquel Fairweather-Gallie, Marketing and Sales Manager, CCAR Press: rfairweather@ccarnet.org.