Between May and June, 2024, heavy monsoon rains bombarded the communities on the island nation of Sri Lanka and caused severe flooding and mudslides. The country, already experiencing a severe economic crisis, was pushed to the verge of calamity. The disaster was most dramatic in Southern Sri Lanka, where farming and fishing communities were left …
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In wake of kidnapping of Nigerian girls, Jewish human rights organization lauds Senate introduction of International Violence Against Women Act WASHINGTON, DC — Congress must act swiftly to strengthen policies aimed at ending violence against women and girls worldwide, a crisis underlined by the recent kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria. In the …
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American Jewish World Service applauds the White House’s guidelines on campus rape, urges Congress to pass International Violence Against Women Act to tackle gender-based violence globally NEW YORK, NY – American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading Jewish international development and human rights organization, praised the Obama Administration today after the White House released new …
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WASHINGTON, DC — In a visit to the White House today organized by American Jewish World Service (AJWS), 30 Jewish leaders and rabbis from across the nation met with White House officials to learn about the administration’s strategy to end violence against women, girls and LGBT people. The delegation urged administration officials to continue working …
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New national ‘We Believe’ campaign will also press for U.S. policies to support LGBT rights and end child marriage globally NEW YORK, NY—As part of an ambitious new multi-year national advocacy campaign, American Jewish World Service (AJWS) today launched a major push to urge the U.S. Congress to pass the International Violence Against Women Act …
Read MoreParashat Tazria opens with a passage that makes many contemporary readers bristle at its seemingly obvious gender discrimination. Describing a woman who has just given birth, the text relates that not only is she impure, but the length of her impurity doubles for a daughter in contrast to a son. While the gender-based distinctions in the text may arouse anger or confusion, they provide an opportunity to reflect on the topic of gender and they may also offer insights into how gender plays a role in our own lives and in the lives of people around the world.
Read MoreWhat does it mean to “count”? To count can mean to tally items to determine the total—as in, the teacher counted her students. To count can also mean to have merit, importance or value—as in, every little bit of help counts. In Parashat Ki Tisa, God instructs Moshe to count the Jewish people. Men over the age of twenty are included in this census, and each is commanded to donate a half-shekel, which is used for the construction and upkeep of the Tabernacle.
Read MoreParashat Miketz continues the narrative of Joseph and his brothers. It describes Joseph’s ascent to power, the trust he earns from Pharaoh and his power as a minister over all of Egypt. It also mentions, in passing, a woman whose life becomes entwined with Joseph’s: Osnat, daughter of the Priest of Ohn. Osnat receives a bare four sentences, and is never again mentioned in the Tanach. Who is she, and what can we learn from her presence in the text?
Read MoreAnu Mokal was four months pregnant the night policemen brutally assaulted her at a bus stop in Satara, India. They beat her so severely that she suffered a miscarriage. When she later filed a complaint against them, no investigation took place, despite the presence of witnesses. Why? Because she was a sex worker, and the policemen—who had charged her with soliciting clients at the bus stop—were just ‘doing their job.’
Read MoreParashat Vayishlach contains the harrowing story of the rape of Dina and its equally violent aftermath. Dina “goes out” to see the daughters of the town of Shchem. Instantly Shchem, the son of Chamor, sees her, takes her and defiles her. He then falls in love with her and asks for her hand in marriage. Dina’s father, Yaakov, is unable to offer a response, remaining silent and waiting for his sons to return home from the field. As a form of retaliation, two of Yaakov’s sons, Shimon and Levi, slay all of the men of Shchem and take the women and children as captives.
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