As 2017 draws to a close, I know how easy it is to feel the weight of despair. And yet, I’m taking time to celebrate global victories for human rights. Many of these victories haven’t made headline news, but they are making a life-saving difference for millions of people worldwide. I’m deeply proud that with …
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Two weeks ago, I was in Haiti visiting AJWS’s grantee partner Kouraj, which is the Creole word for “courage.” What an apt name for an organization led by courageous activists who are fighting for a very simple human right that still eludes people in more than 70 countries around the world. That right is the …
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This piece is part of AJWS’s Chag v’Chesed publication series. As Passover approaches, I am contemplating the ancient Israelites’ journey from slavery to freedom and thinking about the journeys that lie ahead of us. While today, American Jews aren’t facing the shackles or hard labor experienced by our ancestors in Egypt, our collective memory of …
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“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” These are the powerful words of Frederick Douglass, the 19th century African American who escaped slavery to become an historic leader of the abolitionist movement. His words bear repeating. I’ve been thinking again and again about their profound relevance today, when the need to make progress …
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For me, history is about footsteps. Moving from one place to another. From one reality to another. As Jews, our ancestors moved from slavery in Egypt toward freedom. They were not freed by standing still; they had to walk toward their redemption, one step at a time. For those of us today who wish to …
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