The AJWS community has a lot to say about what's happening in the world. Read our insights about the struggle for justice and human rights around the globe — and meet the activists on the frontlines of the fight to build a better world.
Torah—with its rich narratives and poetry, glimpses of the Divine and profound wisdom—is a text we turn to for inspiration, intellectual stimulation and meaning. Yet there are moments in the Bible when culturally located prejudices come to the fore and the reader is left struggling with the tension between timeless writing and context-bound oppression. One …
Judaism’s core lies in community. On Shavuot, the “time of the giving of our law,” we gather together to receive the Torah, making a covenant with God, in the name of the Jewish People. We are given the Torah and 613 commandments to build our community, our relationship with God and our relationships with one …
The ballroom at the Excel tower in Rangoon, Burma was filled with people. Youth wearing colorful outfits mingled with older men and women in traditional Burmese dress. Everyone was looking around, eager and excited. They had all come to take part in Burma’s very first celebration of International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO), which happened …
Yesterday, May 17th, was International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO). Hundreds of events took place in 95 countries around the world, including countries in Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, AJWS grantee Rainbow Community Kampuchea (RoCK) focused its IDAHO action on bringing together activists from surrounding countries to develop a regional advocacy strategy. AJWS grantees in Cambodia, …
Boldly painted on the sides and rears of many TATA trucks and tractors are the words “INDIA IS GREAT.” Alongside an open lotus flower, symbolizing purity, these words hold true on a number of levels. First, India is great in terms of the country’s size and diversity of natural resources. India is the world’s largest …
