Jewish Law, Tradition and Rights of the Bedouin

Discriminatory land policies that disadvantage the Bedouin run contrary to Jewish law and tradition. We are taught: “The rights of any other man to his property must be as important to you and as near to your heart as your own property rights.” (M. Avot 2:12) From the commandments relating to the treatment of gerim,...
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Post-Election Message from Rabbi Jill Jacobs

April 10, 2019 Dear Friend, How do we maintain hope in times of uncertainty, or even despair? One midrash (rabbinic expansion) offers a surprising suggestion about how Moses inspired the Israelites toward freedom: “Moses would bring the Book of Job and show it to the elders of Israel enslaved in Egypt so that they would...
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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...
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We refuse to despair

Dear friends, Over the last two weeks, we have watched with horror as Russia launched an unprompted and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine, attacking and besieging major cities, resulting in 2 million people fleeing their homes. Many of us worry about family, friends, and acquaintances there. For those of us with roots in the region, the...
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Not By Might: My Israel/Palestine

I am starting to write this from a cramped seat on an El Al flight to join the Center for Jewish NonViolence action from May 14-23 in the West Bank. I’ve been asked to drash Beha’alotecha in light of this trip, but, full disclosure, I have to write now because there won’t be enough time after...
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Be the Window

The window – where the dove returns with an olive branch –  is about hope and connection. The window is an escape from the crushing waves of the endless news cycle of fear and violence. The window is a possibility of change – of redemption.
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Photo of the author, Rabbi Toba Spitzer

Pesach: No One Is Free Until All Are Free

How can we take on our own “marking of the doorposts” for this moment? What am I prepared to do, or say, to help bring this cursed war to an end? How might I “mark” myself as someone committed to the collective liberation of Palestinians and Israelis?
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Stop Torture Now: A Complete Rabbinic Sourcebook

This is T’ruah’s primary resource booklet on government-sponsored torture, originally published in 2005. It includes the shorter versions of Rabbi Melissa Weintraub’s articles on torture and Jewish law, insertions for High Holidays services, materials for study and discussion, and the original public letter to the Bush Administration, signed by over 800 rabbis and cantors. The full-length versions...
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