Keeping MLK’s legacy alive in our work for justice today Today is the one day we set aside each year for the sole purpose of reflecting on the tremendous ethical legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and our moral obligation to “carry it on.” But this year, with so much injustice in …
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Over and over in my travels throughout the 19 countries where AJWS works in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, I’ve been struck by our grantee partners who toil tirelessly to protect the world’s most vulnerable communities. As 2018 comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on these human rights defenders. These …
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Tragically, the Trump administration is encouraging authoritarian leaders around the world to indulge their baser instincts—and many of our grantee partners and their communities are feeling the repercussions firsthand.
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I am elated today because our grantee partners in India have achieved an historic victory for LGBTQI+ rights. Earlier today, the Indian Supreme Court struck down a colonial-era law that criminalized consensual sex between same sex adults. As India is home to nearly one-fifth of the world’s population, this single ruling removes the threat of …
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The Torah teaches: “If you see a donkey of someone you hate struggling with its burden, and you are hesitant to help that person—you must help that person.”
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This week, I’m heading to the border. I’m going because this summer I’ve felt devastated by news of the barbaric treatment of immigrants and refugees who have crossed into our country, as I’m sure you have as well. Each painful headline has hit me hard. Day after day, I have read about children separated from …
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It is difficult to imagine the contours of my life without the influence of one of my heroes: Harvey Milk. As a young Jew who was just coming out as gay, I was deeply inspired by Harvey’s courage, confidence and secure sense of self.
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Watching girls and boys, men and women, striving together for gender equality in India gave me not only great hope, but also evidence that this better world is possible.
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In a time marked by divisiveness and disagreement in our country and within the American Jewish community, something truly momentous happened earlier this month. A diverse and influential group of Jewish organizations and leaders—spanning nearly every part of the American Jewish community—came together to make a bold statement in a united voice: Stop the massacre …
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As 2017 draws to a close, I know how easy it is to feel the weight of despair. And yet, I’m taking time to celebrate global victories for human rights. Many of these victories haven’t made headline news, but they are making a life-saving difference for millions of people worldwide. I’m deeply proud that with …
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