Scott Shay – Ahead of His Time

by Audrey Lichter

I’d like to reflect for the moment on a very special person… special to me personally and to Chai Mitzvah. Scott Shay is our founder and Board President. Along with a distinguished business career, he is a prolific and profound thinker and writer. The author of 3 books, each ahead of its time and a prediction of things to come. 

The first book Getting our Groove Back:How to Energize American Judaism tackled some of the thornier issues affecting American Judaism. One of the many issues he discussed, that of the need for lifelong learning and Jewish connection to synagogues, became the basis for Chai Mitzvah. At the time the book came out in 2005  few were offering accessible  adult education. Today we see a plethora of online courses, adult education organizations and lectures. Chai Mitzvah itself has worked with over 9,000 people in over 700 congregations and Jewish organizations. One could literally spend all day learning from podcasts, online courses, lectures, books, etc.  Synagogue attendance is once more increasing, as Jewish people once again seek community for comfort and camaraderie.

One of the many issues he discussed, that of the need for lifelong learning
and Jewish connection to synagogues, became the basis for Chai Mitzvah.

Scott’s second book released in 2018, In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism was a profound case in defense of  monotheism in a time when the atheists were on the attack and organized religion on the wane. Today, 7 years later, we see a resurgence of books making the case for religion including the newest book, Believe, by Ross Douthat which attempts to make the case why everyone should believe.

Finally Scott’s last book, Conspiracy U: A Case Study, released in 2021 – two  years before October 7th – sounded the alarm about anti-zionist conspiracy theories on the right and the left political spectrum mostly stemming from academia. People called him an alarmist and most people were blind to what was happening on the college campuses. 

We at Chai Mitzvah are most honored to partner with Scott in making some of his writing come to life. As we said when we met, “writing about something and making something happen can be two different things.” We hope we have “made some things happen” for world Jewry and for this very profound Jewish thinker,  Scott Shay.