Authorities must act to protect the human rights of displaced Haitians and stop these acts of violence NEW YORK, NY – American Jewish World Service (AJWS) reports that a fire in a Haitian displacement camp over the weekend is likely the latest in a string of deliberate attacks on survivors of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. …
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Progress has been made but participation by grassroots Haitian groups and U.S. and Haitian oversight are needed to fully overcome the devastation NEW YORK, NY- American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading Jewish international human rights and development organization, released the following statement on the fourth anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Haiti on January …
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Three Filipino grassroots organizations to receive disaster aid NEW YORK, NY —American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading Jewish international human rights and development organization, announced today that it selected three Filipino grassroots organizations to receive the first round of disaster relief grants in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). AJWS has raised almost $500,000 …
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April 12, 2013— Ruth Messinger, President of American Jewish World Service, and Rabbi Steve Gutow, President of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, sent the following letter to President Obama calling on the US government to renew our commitment to Sudan. Ms. Messinger, Rabbi Gutow, and Martin Raffel, JCPA Senior Vice President, are available for …
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December 12, 2012—American Jewish World Service (AJWS), Church World Service, Environmental Justice Initiative for Haiti, The Episcopal Church, Gender Action, Global Justice Clinic, Grassroots International, Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, Other Worlds, Oxfam America, TransAfrica and Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, released the following statement in response to the launch of the Secretary-General’s “Initiative …
Read MoreA shocking and inspiring episode in Parashat Pinchas occurs when the five daughters of Zelophechad stand up to Moses, Aaron and Elazar and demand to inherit their father’s property, in the absence of any sons. This courageous act, which challenges the assumption that tribal land can be passed on only from fathers to sons, seems to leave Moses speechless and moved, and he takes their claim to God.
Read MoreParashat Shmini begins as the week of inaugural worship in the Mishkan, the desert temple that enabled God to dwell among the Israelites, is coming to a close. But tragedy strikes when two young priestly acolytes, Nadav and Avihu, die at the altar. It is a brief and puzzling story: we are simply told that each brought his incense pan and offered incense on “strange fire,” even though God had not commanded it of them. And the next thing we know, they are consumed by God’s fire.
Read MoreThe Pentateuch’s penultimate portion, Parashat Ha’azinu, memorializes the “Song of Moses,” canted by the great leader on the day of his death. An epic poem in six parts, Ha’azinu tells of God’s enduring relationship with Israel, unfurling their stormy entanglements into both desert past and prophetic future.
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