When five rabbis boarded buses heading south in the early 1960s Freedom Rides, they reignited a longstanding debate about religious leadership's role in social activism. Through firsthand participation in testing interstate transportation desegregation, Rabbi Sidney D. Shanken chronicles how rabbinical involvement in civil rights activism both divided and energized American Jewish communities. Drawing from participant observation during the New York to Arkansas journey, Shanken argues that rabbis possess not only the right but the moral imperative to engage in social justice causes, particularly those reflecting fundamental Jewish theological principles. Analysis reveals a stark denominational divide, with Reform rabbis demonstrating notably higher rates of activism compared to their Conservative and Orthodox counterparts. While controversial within certain Jewish circles, rabbinical participation in desegregation efforts enhanced Judaism's standing among civil rights advocates and demonstrated practical application of Jewish teachings on brotherhood and opposition to oppression. The evidence suggests that authentic religious leadership demands active pursuit of social justice—silence in the face of persecution fundamentally contradicts core Jewish values, especially given the lessons of antisemitism and the Holocaust.