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November 28, 2012

American Jewish World Service Condemns Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill and Stands in Solidarity with LGBT Ugandans

New York, NY; November 28, 2012—Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service (AJWS), today issued the following statement about Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which may be voted upon by that country’s parliament in the coming days: Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill is an abhorrent violation of human rights against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and …

November 19, 2012 by AJWS Staff

Corruption—Not Homosexuality—On Ugandans’ Minds

As stories about the resurgence of Uganda’s anti-homosexuality bill inundate the blogosphere and international media, you could easily get the impression that Ugandans are rallying on the streets demanding the bill’s passage. In fact, the bill is not foremost on the average Ugandan’s mind. “They are thieves, stealing the money.” The young man shook his …

November 15, 2012

American Jewish World Service Earns Top Score in Human Rights Campaign’s Jewish Communal LGBT Inclusion Index

New York, NY; November 15, 2012— Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading Jewish organization focused on realizing human rights and ending poverty in the developing world, today issued the following statement on AJWS’s top rating in the first-ever index of LGBT inclusion policies and practices within North American Jewish communal …

October 29, 2012

More than 200 Jewish Communities Act Against Global Hunger

AJWS Gathers American Jews for Educational Program on Hunger, Encourages Congressional Action on Stalled Farm Bill New York, NY; October 29, 2012— More than 200 synagogues, college groups and households across the U.S. will participate in American Jewish World Service’s 3rd annual Global Hunger Shabbat on November 2-3. During Global Hunger Shabbat, participants will examine …

October 3, 2012

American Jewish World Service Names Mania Boyder Vice President for Development

New York, NY; October 3, 2012— American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the only Jewish organization focused solely on empowering people in the developing world to end poverty and realize their human rights, has appointed Mania Boyder to serve as its vice president for development. Boyder, who has more than 30 years of experience in leading …

September 28, 2012 by AJWS Staff

Sukkah of Peace: Chag v'Chesed Holiday Dvar Tzedek, Sukkot 5773

Few symbols associated with our holiday cycle are as colorful and interesting as the sukkah. Following the biblical command that we should dwell in this temporary and frail shelter for seven days, many Jews today will not eat under a fixed roof during the entire period of the festival, taking their meals in the sukkah and eating, conversing, …

September 25, 2012 by AJWS Staff

Making a Difference Inside Out: Chag v'Chesed Holiday Dvar Tzedek, Yom Kippur 5773

On the Days of Awe we often turn inward: immersing ourselves in prayer, fasting, working on spiritual growth and confronting expectations of change. In so many ways, these days are a time when we focus on internal matters. Although our prayer confessions are written in the plural, we usually dwell on our own singular faults. …

September 21, 2012 by AJWS Staff

Watching Aung San Suu Kyi Accept The U.S. Congressional Gold Medal

There’s a lot of hyperbole in the Capitol, especially in an election year. But there’s something about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi that makes even the most effusive praise seem inadequate. On Wednesday, September 19th at the Capitol, where Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s democracy leader, received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, I was struck …

September 20, 2012 by AJWS Staff

Dvar Tzedek: Parashat Vayelech 5773

Last year, as part of an alternative Rosh Hashanah service I attended, we discussed one of the central themes of the holiday—kingship. It was interesting to note how many of us ‘moderns’ struggle with the concept of an external authority who is judging us and then determining our destiny. Many of the participants spoke about …

September 19, 2012

American Jewish World Service Congratulates Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi on Congressional Gold Medal

New York, NY; September 19, 2012— Ruth Messinger, president of the international development and human rights organization, American Jewish World Service (AJWS), today issued the following statement congratulating the leader of Burma’s democratic opposition, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, on winning the Congressional Gold Medal: Aung San Suu Kyi’s fearless dedication to democracy and human …