Who are you?
I am Michael A. Dover, an Ohio-born, Columbia and Michigan educated social worker and sociologist. Since 2000, I have been a Jewish activist for peace with justice in the Middle East, following consistent progressive activism in alternative press, anti-Vietnam war, Chile solidarity, and radical social work efforts over the years. Since 2007 I have been teaching social work at Cleveland State University, including since 2021 as a lecturer emeritus. My area of expertise is theories of human need and human injustice.
Why do you Give to Partners for Progressive Israel?
I have been giving monthly although modestly at various low levels for a number of years, along with regular support for another Progressive Israel Network (PIN) group. I also follow the efforts of the Halachic Left and other groups. I am currently a member of a Reconstructionist synagogue. I feel a moral and political obligation to work within the Jewish community to win people over to supporting justice and self-determination for Jews and Palestinians. In the 2025 World Zionist Association elections, I voted for the Hatikvah slate supported by PPI and other PIN groups.
What programs of ours do you most enjoy?
I have meaningfully interacted with three Executive Directors and with Board President Paul Scham. I regularly read PPI materials. But it has been the occasional Zooms and Webinars which have particularly enhanced my appreciation for Partners for Progressive Israel. After 10/07/2023 and the onset of Israel’s utter destruction of Gaza, I concluded that the “two-state solution” mantra is just not enough. We need to organize, engage in local dialogue between Jews and Palestinians and Muslims, and learn as much as we can about the realities on the ground in Israel and the Middle East. Partners for Progressive Israel is indispensable for doing so.
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