Shabbat Service and Cultural Program: Critical thinking and the pandemic

Our Shabbat service, online.

Cultural program:

How scientific and critical thinking saved me – and failed me – during the pandemic

We Humanistic Jews see ourselves as “committed to science.” How can you be committed to science if you’re not a scientific researcher yourself? Do you accept the conclusions of scientific researchers? Or do you do your own critical thinking? And how can you do your own critical thinking given the deluge of scientific evidence out there?

During the pandemic, scientific research—and its immense value—has become prominent. Yet, as a society, we have often failed to make the best use of that evidence. Dahlia will use her own experience of the pandemic, especially as the spouse of a high-risk person, as a case study to start this discussion.

Dahlia Remler, a TCC member for over 20 years, is professor at the Marxe School of Public & International Affairs, Baruch College, City University of New York. She tries to teach her practitioner-students how to interpret social research and analysis—to extract valid and actionable evidence, avoid being misled, and deal with uncertainty. She recently co-authored an op-ed aimed at Covid vaccine opponents who see themselves as critical thinkers and the legitimate reasons they see themselves that way. Dahlia is an economist by training and her research focuses on health care and insurance, poverty measurement, and research methods. She is co-author of the textbook, Research Methods in Practice, which she swears is very readable.

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