National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS

 

In addition to being the first full week of Women’s History Month and with Purim coinciding with International Women’s Day on March 8th, this week is also National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS. AJWS President Ruth Messinger issued a statement as a National Interfaith Supporter of the week’s events:

“The National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS offers a vital opportunity to rededicate ourselves to some of the world’s most vulnerable people. Jewish tradition is unequivocal on the value of human life. As it says in Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5: ‘Whoever destroys a single life, it is as if he has destroyed an entire universe; and whoever saves a single life, it is as if he has saved an entire universe.’

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is committed to ensuring that HIV-positive people in the developing world are able to access adequate medical care and treatment, and implement effective prevention programs to reduce the rate of new infections. AJWS is also working to reduce stigma and discrimination so that people living with HIV and AIDS are able to exercise their human rights and live with dignity.

May we continue to work together across lines of faith, race, class and nationality to end the AIDS pandemic and ensure the health of future generations.”