American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading American Jewish human rights and development organization, voiced grave concerns over President Trump’s proposed FY19 budget, citing cuts to crucial aid and development programs and institutions critical to upholding the dignity of people experiencing violations of their human rights.
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Millions of children around the world are suffering from violence, hunger and discrimination—from Rohingya children living in squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh, to girls in Uganda who are recovering from sexual abuse in the aftermath of Uganda’s civil war. Fortunately, AJWS’s grantees are restoring hope, dignity and human rights for children who face injustice all over the world.
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Years ago, while on my day off from working at sleepaway camp, my backpack was stolen from the front desk of the store I was inside perusing. Though the bag didn’t contain my phone or wallet, it contained hundreds of pages of hand-written journal entries, ruminations and reflections from several years. I scoured the city …
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A record number of activists are being killed in Latin America – and old methods of security aren’t working. How do we protect activists facing threats from shadowy actors and complicit governments?
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Nine NGOs signed a letter to UN Working Group outlining concerns, including absence of due diligence and transparency requirements, limitations on free, prior and informed consent application, lack of obligations for state-owned companies. NGOs also call for NAP for requirements on access to justice and actions to prevent attacks against human rights defenders.
Read MoreParashat Matot opens with a list of the laws governing vows—in particular, vows made by women. The basic principle that underlies these laws is that if a woman makes a vow, her husband or father can nullify the vow. However, if her husband or father is aware of the vow and voices no objection, his silence signals his consent and her vow stands. While the power dynamics with regard to gender are certainly troubling, the principle expressed in these laws—that silence means assent—suggests a powerful lesson about using our voices as we work to build communities committed to the pursuit of justice.
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 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 MoreThis week’s Dvar Tzedek was originally published in 2009. Parashat Ki Tisa introduces the taboo against quantifying persons, enjoining the Israelites from giving themselves numbers. The sum of the people, it seems, is a dangerous thing—inviting evil, tempting fate, summoning the evil eye. Thus, God here commands that when Israel is to be counted the …
Read MoreSeveral weeks ago, at a gathering of alumni of AJWS’s service trips for Jewish leaders—the Rabbinical Students’ Delegation and Young Rabbis’ Delegation—I encountered three women whose overlapping narratives exemplified how we are all implicated in the struggle for human rights, and whose courage can inspire us to support this effort. I encountered the first two …
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