Press Releases

AJWS today announced that Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodek has joined the organization’s staff as Rabbi-in-Residence/Director of Jewish Communal Relations. In his role, Spodek will serve as the primary liaison between AJWS and the organized Jewish community at both the local and national levels.

AJWS is urging rabbis across the country to discuss the genocide in Darfur with their congregants during the upcoming high-holidays.

Ruth W. Messinger, President of AJWS, issued a statement today expressing outrage that the Government of China has
revoked the visa for Joey Cheek, a 2006 Olympic speedskating champion and outspoken advocate in the movement to end the genocide in Darfur.

AJWS today announced that it has awarded in its most recent grant review more than $3.8 million in grants to 154 organizations in 27 countries throughout the developing world.

AJWS has written United States (U.S.) Ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.). Zalmay Khalilzad and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging them to take advantage of key opportunities to dramatically strengthen efforts to bring peace to Sudan and Chad.

AJWS today applauded a joint statement from presidential candidates, Senators Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama pledging their united resolve to end the Darfur genocide and bring peace and security to all of Sudan.

AJWS is launching a sweeping national grassroots advocacy campaign aimed at ending the genocide in Darfur. The campaign includes grassroots mobilization calling on President George W. Bush not to attend the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing unless China takes concrete steps immediately to end its support for the government of Sudan.

Ruth W. Messinger, president of AJWS today issued the following statement expressing great sadness over the passing of United States Representative Tom Lantos (D-CA), the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress and an important figure for the American Jewish community.