This is a beautiful time of the year in the Bay Area. We enjoy a late summer, and many of us will celebrate Sukkot, congregating in temporary, hut-like structures to remind us how the Israelites lived during 40 years of travel after the exodus from Egypt. They remind us that our existence is fragile, and that shelter is a blessing.
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American Jewish World Service (AJWS) mourns the passing of our beloved founding donor, Larry Phillips—a visionary philanthropist who brought the dream of a Jewish organization dedicated to ending poverty and promoting human rights alive.
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What a gift it would be if we were able to engage in the powerful self-work of reflection and repentance of the Days of Awe without distraction. However, most of us feel so consumed by our busy lives that scant time remains for attending to the content of our souls. And then there is the condition of our world, which kindles in us a disturbing sense of futility.
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We’re proud to share that AJWS grantee OFRANEH (The Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras, Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña) is the international winner of the 2015 Food Sovereignty Prize! The Food Sovereignty Prize spotlights grassroots activists working for a more democratic food system. The honorees are recognized for promoting food sovereignty by raising public awareness, organizing on-the-ground action, …
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This summer, we have certainly lived through some euphoric highs and devastating lows. As we continue to celebrate our country’s historic victory for marriage equality, we are also sobered by the loss of life in Virginia and Charleston, the threats to the Rohingya in Burma and the people of Haitian descent living in the Dominican Republic…
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The monsoon is ending in Nepal. You probably won’t see this news making headlines, but it is of great interest to AJWS supporters and others moved to send aid in the wake of the tragic earthquakes earlier this year.
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by Gitahi Githuku and Caroline Kouassiaman For over a month prior to President Obama’s visit to Kenya, “POTUS” was the hot topic of conversation, as much of the country was captivated by Obama’s first visit to his father’s homeland as President. The fact that President Obama had kin in Kenya coined the popular term “Our …
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President Obama will make his historic visit to Kenya this weekend—his first trip to his father’s homeland as president. As Kenya’s people eagerly anticipate his homecoming, AJWS’s Kenyan grantees are urging President Obama to address the critical human rights issues affecting marginalized communities in Kenya—including women, girls, LGBT people, and Kenya’s rural populations. Since 2004, AJWS has supported grassroots organizations in Kenya that …
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What a month! LGBT Pride Month has come and gone, but it will go down in American history as one of the momentous times for LGBT rights.
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I, along with twelve other participants in this year’s New York based Global Justice Fellowship of American Jewish World Service, returned last week from Santo Domingo where we engaged in powerful encounters with representatives of seven NGOs. The deadline of June 17th hovered over most of these meetings, several of which involved Dominican activists of Haitian descent who are not migrants and whose families have lived for generations in the Dominican Republic.
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