Rabbi Arthur Waskow has been one of the most influential figures in American Jewish life since he wrote and organized the original Freedom Seder in 1969. He has helped to establish and strengthen the field of Jewish and multireligious justice, transformed contemporary Jewish theology, and served as a renowned prophetic voice for people of conscience across issues and generations.

Forty-two years ago, Reb Arthur founded The Shalom Center and became its director, pouring his heart and soul into inspiring a progressive Judaism that lived up to its deepest values of equality and connectivity.

An elder now, Waskow has passed The Shalom Center onto the next generation, with deep faith that his ideas and impact will continue to ripple and resonate as the organization renews itself. 

In honor of this major milestone, and to help ensure that Arthur’s legacy lives on through a thriving Shalom Center in the years ahead, we are launching the Reb Arthur Waskow Legacy Fund. Our goal is to raise $500,000 by December 31st, 2025.

Alongside your financial contribution, we ask that you share with us blessings, stories, tributes, memories, anecdotes, pictures, or video clips of, with, and for Arthur. These submissions will be compiled into a blessing book that we will present to Arthur as a keepsake, so he can get a clear sense of the remarkable impact he’s made on so many lives over the years.

By giving to this fund, you are expressing your gratitude, love, and reverence for Arthur and his impact while he can fully receive it. And in so doing, you are helping to fulfill his greatest dream: the flourishing of The Shalom Center, nourishing the prophetic movement of sacred justice that he’s spent his life cultivating, at a time when we need it most.