Each year, T’ruah honors a group of extraordinary clergy who demonstrate an unwavering commitment to living and working in accordance with a Torah of justice and human rights. And each year we turn to our supporters to help us find these remarkable leaders by nominating their clergy colleagues and friends. Nominations for our 2024 Rabbinic Human Rights Heroes will be reviewed by a Gala Honoree Selection Committee made up of distinguished rabbis, T’ruah board members, and previous T’ruah honorees. Learn more about the 2024 Gala Honoree Committee members below.
Rabbi Aaron Brusso, 2020 Rabbinic Human Rights Hero Award Winner
Rabbi Aaron Brusso is senior rabbi of Bet Torah, in Mt.Kisco, NY. In addition to pastoring, preaching, teaching and leading in the Bet Torah community, he is an officer of the Rabbinical Assembly and a Senior Rabbinic Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute. Rabbi Brusso has been a vocal supporter of immigration rights and was awarded the 2020 Human Rights Hero award from T’ruah. Rabbi Brusso received his ordination and master’s degree in Jewish Philosophy from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and bachelor’s degree in Political Science from American University. He has written articles featured in The Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Slate and been featured in the Washington Post.
Rabbi Amy Eilberg, 2015 Rabbinic Human Rights Hero Award Winner, Former T’ruah Board Member
Rabbi Amy Eilberg is the first woman ordained as a Conservative rabbi by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. She serves as a spiritual director, peace and justice educator, and teacher of Mussar. She currently serves as Chair of the Racial Justice Subcommittee of the Conservative Movement’s Social Justice Commission and as Chair of Congregation Etz Chayim’s Anti-Racism Impact Team. Her book, From Enemy to Friend: Jewish Wisdom and the Pursuit of Peace, was published by Orbis Books in March 2014. She received her Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in 2016.
Rabbi Rachel Greengrass, 2021 Rabbinic Human Rights Hero Award Winner
Rabbi Rachel Greengrass has been at Beth Am since 2008. She holds several leadership roles in the Jewish community including chair of the CCAR Resolutions Committee; she is a Rabbis Without Borders Fellow, CLI fellow, a Hartman Rabbinic Fellow, member for the Commission on Social Action for the URJ’s RAC board, Peace and Justice Committee for the URJ, past President of the Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami, founder of RAC-FL and iLGBTQ.
As part of her commitment to social justice, Rabbi Greengrass led coalitions of organizations that protested, lobbied, and educated around various justice topics including LGBTQ rights, Women’s Healthcare, Immigration Justice, Voting rights and more.
Rabbi Michael Adam Latz, Former T’ruah Board Co-Chair
Rabbi Michael Adam Latz is a dad, husband, and rabbi. He spent nearly 22 years as a congregational rabbi and now works in the field of hospice and chaplaincy. He has been active in justice and human rights campaigns for marriage equality, to address mass incarceration, to support asylum seekers, and to address racist police violence. He is a past Co-Chair of the T’ruah Board, a Shalom Hartman Senior Rabbinic Fellow, and a Wexner Graduate Fellowship Alumn. He was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City in 2000.
Rabbi Nancy H. Wiener, Former T’ruah Board Co-Chair
Rabbi Nancy H. Wiener, D.Min., BCC, serves as founding Director of the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Center for Pastoral Counseling and Dr. Paul and Trudy Steinberg Distinguished Professor in Human Relations at HUC-JIR/New York. Her publications include: “Insights into Moral Injury and Soul Repair from Classical Jewish Texts,” Journal of Pastoral Psychology, 2018 and in Military Moral Injury and Spiritual Care: A Resource for Religious Leaders and Professional Caregiver (Chalice 2019; Maps and Meaning: Levitical Models for Contemporary Care (Fortress 2014), “Pastoral Care in a Postmodern World: Promoting Spiritual Health Across the Life Cycle,” and “Seminary-Based Jewish Pastoral Education,” Judaism and Health (Jewish Lights, 2013). She is past co-chair and board member of T’ruah. She is a board member of the Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains.
