Category Archives: Uncategorized

Emergency Food Boxes Appeal

At this crucial moment, in the shadow of war, underserved communities find themselves in dire circumstances, grappling with food insecurity and the struggle to live a dignified life.

The British Friends of Rabbis for Human Rights are supporting Rabbis for Human Right’s appeal to get aid to communities falling between the cracks

With your support they aim to deliver food boxes to survivors of October 7th and families in Southern Israel facing poverty; Bedouin communities in unrecognised villages in the Negev; Palestinian communities in the West Bank facing settler violence; asylum seekers and migrant workers. The Torah teaches us that social solidarity is measured by caring for the most vulnerable and excluded.

Together, let us rally behind our shared mission and recognise the power of solidarity during these testing times. 

Donate via JustGiving here

100% of proceeds will go towards food parcels

Religious Freedom for All Religions

A few weeks ago Hasidim from Rabbi Berland’s extremist communtiy began coming to the Stella Maris Monastery in Haifa to pray in the doorway, since they consider it to be the tomb of the prophet Elisha. When they were asked to stop, they arrived in greater numbers and now pray loudly inside the monsatery and its grounds.

In response, Rabbis for Human Rights and other groups came to the monastery in a show of solidarity with the church and its congregation. Continue reading →

Avi Dabush in Times of Israel: We’ll have to define our own Jewish and Zionist identity

Right-wing Jewish supremacists must not be allowed to distort Torah teachings and crush foundations for long-term prosperity in this Land we hold dear!

“The attempt by the Jewish supremacist right wing to weaponize Judaism and Zionism in order to attack anyone who refuses to fall into line with their fake patriotism is nothing new. This is a well-known practice of violent and dangerous right-wing forces throughout history.”

Click here to read the full opinion piece

D’var Torah: On Karma in the Torah Portion | On the Urgency of our Situation

Thinking about Karma in the Torah by Michael Zamir 

In the transition from East to West, Karma received a utilitarian interpretation of “Do good, receive good”. We have received an incentive that pushes us to do good deeds, and also warns us from less good deeds, because all things come with a price tag. There is a “good” deed and a “bad” deed. There are “good” people and “bad” people. Our desire to catalog everyone as either “good” or “bad” is a trap. In this imaginary separation, we place ourselves, without a doubt, with the “good”, and protect ourselves from the “bad”. This separation, exists in our mind from the beginning of time, but it’s not connected with reality.

Reflections on the urgency of our situation by Rabbi Michael Marmur

“Hope I am Crying Wolf” From Rabbi Marmur’s TOI Blog this week

The new government will strip Israeli democracy of its assets, in the name of tradition and security. It’s going to be ugly, unless we do all we can to stop it!

Within the next few hours or days, negotiations to form a new government in Israel will be concluded. The government was elected by a democratic process, and the results must be respected. That does not mean, however, that they should be welcomed (they shouldn’t), or that we should assume things will work out well (they won’t). It seems most likely that democracy, pluralism, fundamental human rights, and the rule of law will be under relentless attack.

Read the full D’var Torah HERE Continue reading →

In the Name of Judaism – Thoughts on Parshat “Chayei Sarah”

Rabbi Lana Zilberman Soloway shares testemony from a soldier in the IDF as well as her own observations from a visit to the historic city of Hebron in the West Bank where up to 800 soldiers are stationed to protect settlers.

Many things happened to our mother Sarah during her lifetime, but the the greatest impact she had on the Jewish future was in her death.

“Sarah died at Kiryat Arba, that is Hebron, in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her”. (Genesis 233, 2) Continue reading →

Parashat VaYishlah: Words of Peace

“And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, so they hated him, and they could not speak peacefully with him”. (Genesis, 37, 4)

How is hatred born? What is the human mechanism that creates such a harsh feeling? Is it jealousy that causes hatred? Perhaps it is the difference or specialness of the other, that I lack, that arouses the hatred. Is it the absence or neglect of a significant person who arouses love that causes hatred? Perhaps the past difficulties and memories of the father are reflected in the relationships of his children. We are referring to hatred amongst brothers.

No doubt Joseph is an annoying younger brother. Continue reading →

We Can Make 5782 a Turning Point: It is up to us!

Shana Tova!

Dear Friends and Partners,

The New Hebrew Year stands before us. After the Jewish month of Elul, a month in which we prepare our hearts we arrive at what is known as Judgment Day. Standing before God or facing ourselves, we are called to engage in serious soul searching. Who is to live and who is to die and what is to live and what is to die in our souls? How can we abandon our habits and our flaws and be just a little bit better in the coming year? Which of our curses will we leave behind in 5781 and which blessings will we carry forward and bring upon ourselves in the New Year? Continue reading →

Shavuot of Violence and Fear: Is there still hope like that between Naomi the Hebrew and Ruth the Moabite?

“Turn back, my daughters, for I am too old to be married. Even if I thought there was hope for me… Oh no, my daughters! My lot is far more bitter than yours, for the hand of the LORD has struck out against me.” But Ruth replied, “Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” Ruth 1:12-16

Preparing for Shavuot this year is very difficult. We are mired in long and hard days of darkness. Thousands are hurt daily by the violence inside of Israel and from the war between Israel and Hamas. Continue reading →