In third grade, my Hebrew School teacher took our class into the sanctuary to point out its most important fixtures. After the Ark and the Torah scroll, he directed our eyes up to the very top of the ceiling, from which hung a sphere-shaped lamp. With our necks craned to gaze up at the orb’s …
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2012 Farm Bill Reauthorization Gives Congress a Chance to Get it Right with International Food Aid WASHINGTON, D.C.; March 1, 2012– American Jewish World Service (AJWS), an international development and human rights organization, today released its latest report, The Time is Now for Food Aid Reform: Five Reasons Why U.S. Policies are Ripe for Reform …
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Coalition Demands Urgent Action to Address Domestic and Global Food Insecurity Washington, D.C.; February 29, 2012 – As discussions around the 2012 U.S. Farm Bill ramp up, Jewish organizations seized the opportunity to call for reforms to advance a values-inspired vision of food justice. Members of the Jewish Farm Bill Working Group — American Jewish …
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When I applied for AJWS’s Volunteer Summer program in Uganda, I knew that my stay in Ramogi Village would be temporary: seven weeks of volunteering, cultural exchange, education and travel. I never predicted that the experience would permanently impact the way I live my life—then, as a regular college student, and now as a proud …
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The list of plenary speakers for the 2012 International AIDS Conference was just released and something’s missing: women. How is this possible?! Now in its 19th year of existence, the International AIDS Conference is the world’s largest gathering to address HIV and AIDS. More than 20,000 participants are expected in Washington, D.C. this July to …
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Originally posted on the blog of Where Do You Give? On February 3, 2012 the Yale School of Management held its 7th Annual Conference on Philanthropy: “Beyond Best Practices: Financing and Implementing Social Change.” The conference highlighted discussions that have been ricocheting around the philanthropy sector and there a few we just can’t get out …
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Last week, the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was reintroduced to Uganda’s parliament. First drafted in 2009, the proposed legislation quickly gained infamy for its inhumane and draconian provisions. In addition to mandating the death penalty for those found guilty of “aggravated homosexuality,” it threatens jail sentences for those who “promote” homosexuality or fail to report persons suspected …
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This week, Senegal’s presidential campaign opens amidst stones, tear gas, grenades, student protests and calls for popular resistance by a coalition of opposition parties and civil society organizations. Senegal’s current president, Abdoulaye Wade, is seeking re-election despite his term limit and dwindling popularity. Though some Senegalese support Wade, there are escalating riots over his bid …
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Originally published on Pursue: Action for a Just World. If you are of a certain age (let’s say born between 1970 and 1985), I suspect there’s a better than average chance that your introduction to the American lawmaking process came courtesy of an animated and singing piece of legislation. This plucky bill overcame his fear of …
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In the lead-up to Parshat Beshalach, ten plagues hit the Egyptians, destroying their land and decimating their population. And yet, Pharaoh stubbornly blinds himself to the suffering of his own people: the more their situation worsens, the more he hardens his heart, refusing to liberate the Israelite slaves. His frustrated advisors cannot understand his behavior, which …
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