ajwsstaff

AJWS Staff


Why Yom Kippur Tells Us To Fight Ebola

Originally published in The Jewish Daily Forward. As Jews around the world prepare for Yom Kippur — a day when we pray to be “sealed in the Book of Life” for the year to come — the people of West Africa are struggling to save the lives of their loved ones from the Ebola outbreak, …

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Meet the 2014 AJWS New York City Marathon Team

On November 2nd, AJWS’s mighty marathon team will embark on a journey that will test their physical and mental strength: 26.2 miles! Inspired by the Jewish commitment to justice, these 15 runners have already spent months tirelessly training to run the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon. In addition to training for the race, the …

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How Are AJWS Grantees Affected by Climate Change?

This week, on the heels of the historic People’s Climate March, world leaders will convene for the 2014 United Nations Climate Summit in New York City to take action against the dangerous consequences of climate change. While the world’s developed countries have been the largest producers of carbon dioxide emissions, the world’s poorest countries are …

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Ebola Crisis in Liberia: How AJWS Grantees Are Responding

The largest outbreak of Ebola in recorded history has infected at least 5,357 people in West Africa and killed at least 2,630 as of September 16, 2014 (World Health Organization). Of the 5 West African countries in which Ebola has spread, nearly half of those infected have been in Liberia. All major hospitals and clinics …

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Ruth Messinger to Judge Genesis Generation Challenge

New York – The Genesis Prize Foundation announced today that Ruth Messinger, President of American Jewish World Service (AJWS), will join the Selection Committee for the Genesis Generation Challenge, which aims to identify and seed money for innovative projects, guided by Jewish values, to address the world’s pressing issues.

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Women speak out against sexual assault in Kenya

KENYA—Grace Mbugua was riding in a matatu van when the attendant started to harass her. First, he started flirting with her. When Grace made it clear that she was not interested, he tried touching her anyway. “When I came out [of the matatu],” she said, “I actually felt abused … How often [must this experience …

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Ugandan Court Overturns Anti-Homosexuality Law

NEW YORK, NY—American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading Jewish international development and human rights organization, today congratulates advocates of human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Uganda for their hard-won victory in persuading Uganda’s constitutional court to overturn the Anti-Homosexuality law passed by the Ugandan Parliament in December 2013 and signed by President Yoweri Museveni in February 2014.

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