AJWS President Ruth W. Messinger delivered a riveting commencement address yesterday at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) calling on the graduates — Rabbis, communal workers and Jewish educators — to embrace a 21st Century Judaism that emphasizes global citizenship and the pursuit of social justice for all people.

AJWS has officially launched a searchable online database of Jewish social justice texts designed to support rabbis and Jewish educators who want to teach about Judaism and social justice.

AJWS has launched the Global Circle, a community of young professionals dedicated to supporting AJWS’s mission to alleviate poverty, hunger and disease in the developing world.

AJWS has expressed solidarity with the five members of Congress and three anti-genocide activists arrested Monday at the Sudanese embassy in Washington DC.

AJWS has created a special certificate informing successful afikomen seekers that a donation to fight hunger in impoverished communities around the world has been made in their honor.

AJWS has named Robert Bank as its new Executive Vice President. In this role, Bank will work closely with the international development organization’s president, Ruth Messinger, and vice presidents to oversee AJWS’s programmatic work, strategic planning and operations.

AJWS has recently awarded more than $5.7 million to 224 grassroots project partners in 33 countries. This total marks an increase of nearly $2 million over its last grants review in June.

In time for Passover, AJWS and AVODAH have launched the Exodus and Revolution Sourcebook, a comprehensive teaching guide to Exodus and Revolution, Michael Walzer’s book on the Exodus narrative and its enduring impact on Jewish contemporary life and global politics.