Judaism in America: Future Tense? and Future Tense! Why are we here? Why are we Jews? Why does the world need – if indeed it does – a Jewish presence, a Jewish voice? In this discussion with Rabbi Aft we’ll go beyond just discussing the challenges, for without a clear and compelling sense of Jewish purpose, strong enough to motivate successive generations of young Jews to live Jewish lives, form Jewish families and have Jewish children, then the future is indeed tense. Rabbi Sacks in his book of the same title said: "Western civilization is the product of two cultures: ancient Greece and ancient Israel. The Greeks believed in fate: the future is determined by the past. Jews believed in freedom: there is no ‘evil decree’ that cannot be averted. The Greeks gave the world the concept of tragedy. Jews gave it the idea of hope. The whole of Judaism – though it would take a book to show it – is a set of laws and narratives designed to create in people, families, communities and a nation, habits that defeat despair. Judaism is the voice of hope in the conversation of mankind."