“Hineni.” In Hebrew, the word translates to “Here I am.” But Hineni is not just physical presence—it is a state of being. An expression of readiness combined with courage. In Jewish tradition, Hineni was uttered by our ancestors when they were called upon to act in moments of profound crisis or transformational change.
Read More I hope you are enjoying a relaxing and rejuvenating summer. I love walking down Market Street in San Francisco and seeing the LGBTQI flags proudly waving. The celebration of Pride is palpable and, after a long and painful struggle, so well-deserved. But we cannot take this for granted. There are lessons to be learned and …Read More
Read More I hope you’re enjoying summer so far! I wanted to make sure you saw our special Pride edition of Stories of Hope. Below, you’ll find stories of the inspiring activists that you support—like Thailand’s transgender trailblazer, Jetsada “Note” Taesombat of the Foundation of Transgender Alliance for Human Rights. AJWS envisions a world where all LGBTQI …Read More
Read More Happy Pride Month! At AJWS, we’re proud of the activists we support around the world who work tirelessly to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice for all people—no matter who they are or whom they love. Thanks to your support, we’re one of the largest funders of LGBTQI rights worldwide. This year, …Read More
Read More Last week, I was joined by several AJWS partners and supporters as we explored the Dominican Republic together. I had been to the DR many years before, but like many people, I was there primarily on vacation to enjoy the beaches and have a good time. On this trip, I was in the historically rich …Read More
Read More This past Thursday, we celebrated Valentine’s Day in the US — a simple if somewhat commercial opportunity to share our love for our partners. It’s easy to take for granted that we can express this love openly and without fear. But for same-sex couples living in one-third of the world’s countries, this is simply impossible. …Read More
Read More I hope you are enjoying 2019 so far! I’m excited to share this collection of stories, videos, photos and news that highlight the impact we are making together. Included below are stories of hope and perseverance from our courageous grantees around the world. Thanks to your continued partnership and support, our grantees are able to …Read More
Read More Welcome to the winter issue of Stories of Hope—our quarterly collection of stories, videos, photos and news that highlight the impact we’re making together. Despite the rise of hate and intolerance at home and worldwide, we are deeply grateful that our AJWS community is making a difference. That is why we’re excited to share this …Read More
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Around the globe, the people who grow, catch and harvest what we eat struggle to live off their land, pass down knowledge to future generations or even provide themselves healthy, sustainably produced food. But after a long struggle, peasants have scored a major victory to protect their rights. On December 17th, 2018, the United Nations …Read More
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From Temple Emanu-El’s magnificent bima, Robert spoke about our shared obligation to live our Jewish values — to repair our broken world in difficult times.
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