In keeping with its mission for social justice and democracy, Lab/Shul will soon be partnering with A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy to think strategically about how Lab/Shul as a community can support efforts to preserve and strengthen democracy in the United States.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) Getty ImagesThe Federal Reserve has raised interest rates another 50 basis points, in an attempt to tamp down inflation. Yet interest rate hikes have not yet had any meaningful impact on high food prices. The Fed can’t address a major cause of inflation: the corporate profiteering and price gouging that is slowing down grocery sales, changing consumer buying patterns and exacerbating food insecurity.Fed Chair Jerome Powell recently rationalized the rate hike, "Our job is to restore price stability so that we can have a strong labor market that benefits all, over time." Federal Reserve Bank President of St. Louis, James Bullard likewise thinks rates need to go up “aggressively” in 2023, potentially echoing the Volcker shocks of the 1980s. Esther George, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President, was surprisingly blunt, linking inflation to higher household savings, “We see today that there is a bit of a savings buffer still sitting for households, that may allow them to continue to spend in a way that keeps demand strong,” she said