Religious doesn’t have to mean right wing

In the shadow of a religious Zionism increasingly defined by the hardline nationalism of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, a quiet yet firm alternative is brewing among religious Jews. 

Smol Emuni (Faithful Left) has become a sanctuary for those who refuse to choose between their commitment to Jewish law and their dedication to universal human rights.

The movement, which began in Israel three years ago, has now launched a Diaspora movement, starting in the US. For left-leaning religious Jews in Australia, it provides a critical blueprint for a future where "religious" and "liberal" are no longer treated as mutually exclusive identities. 

US founder Esther Sperber describes Smol Emuni as a movement that refuses to let the language of Torah be weaponised as a tool for vengeance or perpetual occupation. It offers direct counter-narrative to what she calls the "Smotrich-ification" of Jewish discourse.  

"That depiction of what Judaism means, which is kind of enamored or enthusiastic about power and domination and revenge, really needed a counter-voice," Sperber says. She argues that the religious right has been remarkably successful at branding its specific brand of nationalism as the only "authentic" Torah path, leaving those who believe in equality feeling ideologically homeless.  

In New York, Sperber and her colleagues realized that while similarly aligned organizations like J Street or the New Israel Fund perform vital functions, there was a specific need for a new zerem (meaning stream or movement) that speaks the language of faith rather than just secular advocacy. "I think we have a niche and an audience that is not part of those groups and would not necessarily join them," she explains.