As many members of the AJWS community prepare for Rosh Hashanah, we pause and reflect on the year about to end. We recognize the unimaginable pain of so many people in Israel, Gaza and the Middle East, reverberating around the world as pervasive violence continues. Even in the most entrenched conflicts, we believe that people must embrace the inherent dignity of every human being to build a more just world. This universal value, called b’tzelem Elohim in the Jewish tradition, is an essential element of human rights and critical for a future in which all people live with peace, dignity and safety.
While American Jewish World Service does not work in the Middle East, we seek to realize this value in communities where we work in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. As 5784 ends and a new year begins, we will continue to believe that peace is possible in Israel, in Gaza, and everywhere people face prejudice, harm and hatred.