Across Guatemala, the rabbis bore witness to stories of remarkable resistance and resilience that have inspired them to return to their pulpits, schools and organizations ready to lead for change.
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Just Thought is a series of essays from AJWS applying Jewish wisdom to the pursuit of tikkun olam today. Drawing upon Jewish history, Torah sources and the latest headlines, we plumb pressing questions about human rights and global justice from a Jewish perspective through monthly essays by noted scholars, activists and AJWS staff. Last month, …
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One year ago today, in a state-run group home for battered and neglected youth in Guatemala City called Hogar Seguro, 56 girls were locked in a single room that caught fire. While the girls’ screams reverberated through the neighborhood, officials barred neighbors and firefighters from entering the building, leaving the young women to burn alive. …
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Last month, high in the mountains of Guatemala and surrounded by fellow rabbis and human rights defenders, I was given an opportunity to witness what it means to stand up for justice that I will never forget. We were there as part of American Jewish World Service’s Global Justice Fellowship — a program designed to inspire, …
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Often when a group of American rabbis visit a foreign country, they spend most of their time with the local Jewish community. But the 13 Jewish leaders — including two from New Jersey — who were selected as Global Justice Fellows by the American Jewish World Service (AJWS) didn’t even step near a synagogue during …
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