AJWS Blog

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.

Silent Rebels: Women in Liberia Access Justice

When there is a problem to solve, the women of Liberia know what to do: they put on their t-shirts that say “WIPNET,” (Women in Peacebuilding Network—under the umbrella of West Africa Network for Women in Peacebuilding Liberia, an AJWS grantee of nine years) and they gather. “They call us silent rebels,” says Cecilia T. …

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Dvar Tzedek: Parshat Vayakhel-Pekudei 5772

As a teenager, I used to groan when it came time to read Vayakhel-Pekudei each year. Privately, I referred to this as the “interior decorating” section of the Torah, and the detailed descriptions of the mishkan bored me to no end. Who cared about the exact height, width and depth of every vessel in the …

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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 …

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Chag v'Chesed: Purim 5772

We often look at Purim as a day of inversion and celebration: we wear masks and don costumes, make noise at Haman’s name, and eat a festive meal with family and friends. But Purim’s meaning goes far deeper than the surface and it is hardly about just masquerading and reveling; everything from the narrative of …

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