A D’var Torah by Rabbi Laura Abrasley for Shabbat Zachor/Purim
It had been a long, challenging day. My body was very tired. More than ready for a good night’s sleep. But my soul was on fire after a remarkable, inspirational, wake-up-call of a day spent with CIW, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. (Immokalee, pronounced Ih-MOK-a-lee, a small town in southwest Florida, is the center of the fresh tomato industry.) CIW is a worker-driven human rights organization internationally recognized for its achievements in fighting human trafficking and gender-based violence at work. CIW believes everyone has a role to play when it comes to food justice: workers, growers, suppliers, and consumers.
My visit to their headquarters, part of the work I am blessed to do as a member of T’ruah’s Board of Directors, introduced me to these activists who shine a much-needed light on the ongoing abuses of America’s food industry, especially the exploitation directed at farm workers whose everyday efforts are responsible for the food we place on our tables. It began in the early 90s as a local action to push back against an industry with a long history of creating inhumane conditions, severe worker abuse, and in some cases forced labor, the equivalent of modern slavery. T’ruah has partnered with CIW since 2011 to support their work in the Florida tomato fields and beyond.
Before 2011, tomato farm workers were subject to long hours in the hot Florida sun without a break. They lived in abysmal housing and their wages were so low they could not afford the tomatoes they harvested. CIW’s Fair Food Program changed the landscape. It initiated a unique partnership among farmworkers, Florida tomato growers, and participating retail buyers, including Subway, Whole Foods, and Walmart. The program gave workers a voice at the negotiating table, forced abusers out of the shadows, improved the lives of those who work in the industry, and transformed the Florida tomato farming workplace.
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Honestly, I will never look at a tomato the same way. Tomatoes now represent for me a complex story of human dignity and respect, values rooted in fundamental Jewish teachings. The Torah is abundantly clear when it comes to the value of worker rights and focuses multiple times on the ethical treatment of laborers. Everyone should have a voice and be able to speak up without fear.
This week is Shabbat Zachor, the Shabbat that precedes our joyful, complicated, and revolutionary holiday of Purim. We read a special Maftir, a few additional verses from Deuteronomy to round out our Torah reading, that starts:
Zachor (Remember) what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt … (Deuteronomy 25:19)
The verses describe an unprovoked attack made by Enemy #1, the Amalekites, as the Israelites left Egypt. It was an egregious assault, targeting the people when they were tired and hungry, striking down the most vulnerable who traveled at the rear of the group. According to the Book of Esther, the Purim villain Haman is descended from Amalek (Esther 3:1), which is why we read these verses from Deuteronomy on Shabbat Zachor.
The Purim story is one of revolution orchestrated by ordinary, everyday people doing what they must to survive, even when they are vulnerable and lack obvious power. Esther, despite being queen, fears for her life when she steps out of the role society has assigned to her and approaches the throne. Mordechai is a target of Haman’s hate and just barely avoids being executed. They stood up for what they believed. The heroes are people who fight against oppression, demand their voices be heard, and refuse to let greed win.
CIW’s Fair Food Program beautifully illustrates Deuteronomy’s call of zachor, to remember to push back against those who oppress the rights of others. The brave voices of CIW have stepped up for years to speak the truth of worker rights to those who hold power over them: corporate growers, food suppliers, and conscious consumers. Their cry for justice has created real change.
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But the call from Deuteronomy continues. Once the Israelites are safe and settled in the land, they are commanded to wipe out the memory of Amalek and never forget (Deuteronomy 25:19). Today, CIW’s Fair Food Program elegantly balances this further instruction. These modern, revolutionary heroes remarkably refuse to hold a grudge against those who once sought to suppress them. Once an agreement is signed with a grower and/or supplier, CIW enters the promised land completely with their corporate partners. They are ready to forget with their whole heart, the pain of horrible working conditions wiped out and forgiven with an eye towards a better future together. CIW’s inspirational example to always remember but forgive and forget for the sake of partnership is a powerful coda to our Purim story. It is the essence of their transformational work.
As someone who is engaged on a regular basis with food justice programs, I ask myself how I could not have known about CIW and the circumstances of farm workers. My time with CIW inspired me to wake up and realize that the price of an inexpensive tomato often comes with an unseen cost. CIW’s work is ongoing and has expanded in recent years. And it needs our attention more than ever. What I learned at CIW reminds me that while food justice commands us to make sure everyone has access to nutritious, affordable food, this work is incomplete unless we include respect and dignity for food workers, a guarantee of fair wages, and healthy working conditions for all who labor.
Think about that the next time you buy a tomato.
Rabbi Laura Abrasley serves as the Co-Senior Rabbi of Temple Shalom in Newton, Massachusetts. When she’s not at the congregation, she enjoys pursuing justice, strength training, or reading a good book.