Press

T’ruah Welcomes Administration’s Rule to Eliminate Registry That Profiled Muslims

December 22, 2016

As a people who have suffered as well from terrorism and hate-based attacks, we rely on our government to keep us safe from those who wish to attack us or other Americans. However, the NSEERS program produced no single known terrorist convictions since being instituted in 2002, while targeting thousands of Muslim men for deportation and detention and creating fear within Muslim communities. National security policies should target suspects based on actionable evidence, not on those suspects’ nationality, religion, place of birth, race or ethnicity.

T’ruah Opposes Selection of David Friedman As Ambassador to Israel

December 16, 2016

The selection of David Friedman as U.S. Ambassador to Israel represents a threat to the security of Israelis, Palestinians, and Jews everywhere.

Statement on Knesset’s Move to Annex West Bank Settlement and Imperil the Peace Process

December 7, 2016

T'ruah expresses deep regret and concern that the Knesset has moved to annex the West Bank settlement of Amona, thereby extraordinarily diminishing, if not extinguishing, the prospects for a peaceful, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

For 50th Anniversary of 1967, Rabbinic Leaders Issue New Guide for Connecting Jubilee to Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

December 5, 2016

Today, in preparation for the 50th anniversary of Israel’s military victory in the 1967 Six Day War, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights issued a study guide on the biblical concept of yovel, or Jubilee, to help synagogues and other Jewish institutions engage in challenging conversations about the meaning of this anniversary.

Statement on the Israeli Ministry of Education’s Suppression of Free Speech and Breaking the Silence

December 2, 2016

T’ruah expresses deep concern over the Israeli Ministry of Education’s decision to summon a Jerusalem high school principal for “clarification” after he invited members of Breaking the Silence to meet with students. This action has grave implications for freedom of speech and association, both essential aspects of human rights and democracy. The Jewish community has...

Statement from T’ruah Board Member Rabbi Michael Latz on attacks on Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)

November 22, 2016

For the past eight years I have had the pleasure of working alongside Rep. Keith Ellison, who represents the congressional district of our congregation Shir Tikvah. While T’ruah does not take a position on the race for DNC chair or any other elections, we have been concerned by attacks on Rep. Ellison or comparisons between...

Rabbis Stand With Farmworkers to Demand Fair Wages from Wendy’s

November 16, 2016

Instead of joining the Fair Food Program and supporting human rights for farmworkers, Wendy’s has shifted its tomato supply from Florida to a supplier in Mexico that was prosecuted for severe human rights violations.

Rabbis Respond Nationwide In Solidarity With Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

November 2, 2016

T’ruah stands in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Tribe in their ongoing protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline. We call on the police to end their forceful and sometimes violent response to the protesters, including writing numbers on the forearms of those arrested—a mode of dehumanization too familiar to the Jewish community. The right to non-violent protest is fundamental to our American democracy, and has roots in the biblical stories of Abraham and the daughters of Tzelophechad, who stood up for justice.

T’ruah Statement on the Deaths of Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos

December 21, 2014

T’ruah grieves the deaths of Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos; we are shocked and saddened at yet another act of senseless violence claiming innocent lives. We pray for a speedy recovery for Shaneka Nicole Thompson, wounded by the same gunman, an innocent woman targeted by her former partner. The rabbis teach that to destroy one...

T’ruah Applauds Israeli High Court Protection of Asylum Seekers

December 18, 2014

T'ruah applauds the Israeli High Court for upholding both human rights and Jewish law today, preventing implementation of an amendment to Israel's anti-infiltration law that would have continued to send asylum-seekers to prison.