Press Releases

American Jewish World Service Condemns Drastic Changes to the Human Rights Reports and Calls on Congress to Safeguard Global Human Rights 

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) strongly condemns the U.S. State Department for drastically limiting their reporting on human rights abuses documented in the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and calls on Congress to act to safeguard global human rights. Expected reductions in the content of these reports narrowly define who is entitled to …

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AJWS Condemns Trump Administration Travel Ban 

Senseless executive order will destabilize countries in conflict, says leading Jewish human rights organization  NEW YORK, NY – American Jewish World Service (AJWS) strongly condemns President Trump’s Executive Order banning travel from 12 countries, including several in which AJWS supports grassroots human rights organizations. This senseless and inhumane action fails at its ostensible objective of …

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Jill Minneman Elected Board Chair at American Jewish World Service 

NEW YORK — American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading global Jewish human rights organization, has elected Jill Minneman to lead its Board of Trustees. A long-time trustee and advocate for social change, Ms. Minneman steps into this leadership role at a critical moment for human rights advocates worldwide. “Jill becomes our Board Chair at an …

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AMERICAN JEWISH WORLD SERVICE ANNOUNCES 2025 GLOBAL JUSTICE FELLOWS 

 The fellows include seven rabbis and one cantor who will travel to the Dominican Republic to meet grassroots activists and later to Washington, D.C. to advocate for U.S. foreign policies that champion human rights in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.  American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading Jewish organization committed to promoting global human …

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AJWS Denounces “Stop Work” Order that Freezes All Foreign Assistance and the Reinstituting of the Global Gag Rule

As the dust settles around the Trump administration’s first week, American Jewish World Service stands with our partners in civil society here in the United States and worldwide against the costly decision to freeze nearly all U.S. foreign assistance. For almost 80 years, U.S. aid has delivered enormous influence around the world. Beyond its humanitarian …

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AJWS Statement on the Need to Extend Temporary Protected Status and Humanitarian Parole

AJWS applauds the Biden administration for extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for people from Ukraine, Venezuela, Sudan and El Salvador last week. But this extension is not enough. AJWS supports grassroots activists in Haiti and Nicaragua, where the human rights crises are dire—Haiti’s government has collapsed, with gangs violently ruling the country. In Nicaragua, the …

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AJWS Statement on the Dominican Republic’s Mass Deportations to Haiti

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) strongly opposes the Dominican Republic’s recent wave of inhumane mass deportations to Haiti.   Even before Dominican President Luis Abinader announced on October 2 plans to expel up to 10,000 people per week, his administration was carrying out deportations in ways that violated the country’s own protocols and laws.  There …

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Civil Society Organizations Call on Biden Administration to Address Human Rights Concerns about the International Force in Haiti 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, 18 organizations with decades of experience tackling injustice and inequities in Haiti joined in calling on the Biden Administration to address human rights concerns regarding the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS).  In an open letter to the U.S. Department of State, the group called on the U.S. as lead funder and …

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Katherine Haynes Elected as Chair of the Board of Trustees at American Jewish World Service

American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading global Jewish human rights organization, has elected Katherine Haynes as Chair of AJWS’s Board of Trustees. A seasoned strategist and researcher, Ms. Haynes brings deep knowledge and experience in advancing equity to her new role.    “Katherine becomes Board Chair at a time when formidable obstacles throughout the world push …

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