Should the Jewish community adopt a conservative stance of cautious restraint or actively engage in addressing social injustice? This fundamental question drives a critical dialogue between scholars Seymour Siegel and Myron Fenster on the ideological direction of Jewish social ethics. Siegel champions a conservative philosophical approach, arguing that Jewish tradition inherently favors gradual change, skepticism of revolutionary movements, and realistic assessments of human nature. He positions Jewish minority existence—guided by unchanging divine law—as a historical testament to pluralism and resistance against totalitarianism. In response, Fenster contends that pressing contemporary challenges like war, racial conflict, violence, and environmental degradation demand active rather than quietistic engagement. Drawing on theological perspectives from Reinhold Niebuhr and Milton Steinberg, he warns that conservative retrenchment threatens Jewish survival, particularly as governmental surveillance and civil liberty restrictions increase. While acknowledging human limitations, Fenster advocates for continued Jewish pursuit of social perfectibility within democratic frameworks. The analysis concludes that Jews must balance respect for governmental authority with readiness to protest policies that violate Jewish ethical imperatives, ultimately favoring an open-ended society that pursues human betterment through active initiative rather than passive acceptance.