The Torah aligns with no society, movement, or faction; to the contrary, God judges all of them with meisharim (equity). (Psalm 98:9) Yet in recent years, America’s Orthodox Jewish communities have become increasingly aligned with one side of a growing societal divide.

Many American Orthodox Jews are dismayed by resulting attitudes and behaviors now common in their communities. Over time, an informal group of dozens of such people came together, consisting of rabbis and other community leaders - male and female, young and old. They analyzed their disagreements with prevalent views and identified the underlying points of dispute. They also noted important Torah priorities that are largely absent from current American Orthodox communal discourse.

Meisharim grew out of those conversations. It believes that American Orthodox Jews should pursue three goals when engaging in the public square: core values underlying American democracy, their communities’ interests, and Torah priorities for every society. These priorities include respecting the Divine Image in every person; protecting society’s vulnerable; maintaining an equitable, righteous society; and addressing humanity-level concerns such as the precarious state of Earth's environment.