Israel Fellows

The T’ruah Israel Fellowship offers a select group of six students spending the academic year in Israel the opportunity for intensive study, experiential learning, development of a rabbinic voice, and cohort building. Fellows participate in monthly study sessions, special opportunities to see human rights issues on-the-ground (in addition to the regular Year-In-Israel program), and leadership...
read more

Gala 2022 Honoree Committee

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 2022 Rabbinic...
read more

Meet our 2022 Honorees

Every year, T’ruah honors several leaders for their commitment to and activism in advancing human rights. Our 2022 honorees will be presented with their awards at our annual gala on May 25, 2022. Heather Booth Raphael Lemkin Human Rights Award Inspired by her first trip to Yad Vashem in 1964, Heather Booth has committed her...
read more
Rabbis Ellen Lippmann and Tirzah Firestone smile near a worksite. T'ruah at 20 logo.

Rabbi Ellen Lippmann: Looking back 20 years, I stand in awe and gratitude

Throughout 2022, T’ruah will be sharing reflections from chaverim, staff, board members, students, alumni and more in celebration of our 20th anniversary. Rabbi Ellen Lippmann is the former Co-Chair of the Board of T’ruah and the founder and rabbi emerita of Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives. I knew Rabbi Arik Ascherman in rabbinical school, and admired him then...
read more

Free Speech: The Gray Area

On Thursday, January 11 at 4pm ET, T’ruah invites you to begin to disentangle your thoughts on "Free Speech: The Gray Area" with T'ruah's Rabbi Jill Jacobs and Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America.
read more

Our Impact

We organize, train, and support more than 2,300 rabbis and cantors across 47 states and 5 Canadian provinces who are chaverim (members) of T’ruah. Emor, the Institute for Bold Jewish Thought, delves deep into Jewish wisdom, and facilitates conversations among rabbis, scholars, practitioners, and lay leaders that tackle the most important moral and political questions...
read more

Letter from the Mexico Border

T’ruah chaver Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie shared this letter after returning from our March 2019 delegation with HIAS to El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, in Mexico. Since the Trump administration launched its “zero tolerance” policies at the Mexico border, T’ruah has sent five clergy delegations to bear witness and stand in solidarity with immigrants and...
read more

Letters from the U.S.-Mexico Border

T’ruah, together with our friends from HIAS, the global Jewish nonprofit that protects refugees, has brought over 100 rabbis and cantors to the United States-Mexico border to bear witness to the humanitarian crisis there. Standing amid so much suffering and injustice was difficult, but we were heartened to meet many heroic activists working to help...
read more
Maetal Gerson headshot

Maetal Gerson

Maetal is a first year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary. She is an Avodah Service Corps Chicago alum and is currently working as a Climate Organizing Fellow at Dayenu.
read more

Year-in-Israel Program

***As of October 7, our in-person Israel programs are on hold. Rabbinical and cantorial students in Israel can check back here for updates.*** About the Year-in-Israel Program The T’ruah Year-in-Israel Program offers rabbinical and cantorial students spending the academic year in Israel the opportunity to develop their moral voice on human rights issues in Israel...
read more

Sign up for updates and action alerts