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.
From Despair to Dignity: Supporting Migrant and Refugee Sex Workers in Uganda
On the streets skirting refugee camps across Uganda, sex workers eke out a living on the margins of legality; their very profession and immigration status marking them for harassment, arrest, and detention. Within this community, lesbian, bisexual and queer women have become particularly vulnerable after Uganda’s recent passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, a draconian law that criminalizes homosexuality, making some offences …
Stories of Hope: September 2025
First, we want to wish you and everyone you love a shanah tovah u’metukah — a good and sweet New Year ahead! We hope Rosh Hashanah felt empowering this year and that you’re preparing for a meaningful Yom Kippur, whatever that looks like to you. In this time of change and uncertainty, we created the …
The Origins of AJWS: Reflecting on 40 years of Human Rights Activism
Over forty years ago, I began discussions with leaders of major Jewish organizations, with synagogue Rabbis and their congregations, to organize the first Jewish organization dedicated to respond to world poverty, hunger and dehumanization. Eventually, and together with philanthropist Larry Phillips, I took a leap and founded American Jewish World Service (AJWS), stepping away from …
A place to breathe again: How an AJWS partner in Kenya restores hope to young mothers
As I stepped into one of the safe spaces created by Lean on Me Foundation for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Kisumu, Kenya, I was instantly wrapped in warmth – not just from the sun streaming through the windows and the smiles of beautiful babies, but the strength and resilience that the young mothers …