Tag Archives: Justice

Human Rights in the Shadow of War

In the latest newsletter from Rabbis for Human Rights, NPR follows the Olive Harvest in the Shadow of War – Palestinian farmer Ayoub Abuhejleh is arrested as he tries to harvest this crucial crop. Click the photo below to hear the story from NPR.

Far from Gaza, the war between Israel and Hamas upends lives

At the same time, with the rise in settler violence across the West Bank (with three times the number of attacks on previous years), RHR are reaching out to their Palestinian partners to express solidarity and ask how they can help.  This has led to the purchase and distribution of emergency medic kits across the Northern West Bank.

Samir Awad, Avi Dabush, Rabbi Michael Marmur & Anton Goodman of RHR at the Hizme Checkpoint

Rabbis for Human Rights have, alongside a broad coalition of organisations and partners, been able to provide hundreds of boxes of food parcels to be sent to isolated and marginalised communities including Bedouin villages in the Negev and at risk Palestinian towns in South Hebron and the Jordan Valley. You can donate to support this emergency appeal on JustGiving. Continue reading →

I am not seeking for revenge, we need to rebuild – Avi Dabush

As time goes by, the numbers are still growing – So far, more than 1,400 people have died in the horrific Hamas massacre in Israel, and more than 200 people are still being held hostage under Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Almost 200 people are still considered missing (Neither dead nor hijacked. Status unknown).

Avi Dabush is a social activist and the CEO of Rabbis for Human Rights. He was also living in Kibbutz Nirim, one of the 11 Kibbutzim built as part of the 11 Points project to settle the area bordering Gaza / Egypt (1948 border).

On the Black Sabbath, Avi was sieged with his family in the shelter for 8 hours; his Kibbutz lost 5 community members who Hamas terrorists murdered.

Hear his story

This the story of the survivors. If you wish to help the Kibbutzim Nirim and Nir Oz who were attacked and suffered heavy losses in lives (Nir Oz lost more than 100 people out of a community of 400 people in total!) and property, here are a few links to donate and also a campaign to free our hijacked civilians with Posters you can download and hang:

Continue reading →

What are you doing on October 15th?

We are excited to announce that Rabbis for Human Rights’ Olive Harvest Project, protecting Palestinian communities in the West Bank will begin on October 15th!  In partnership with 5 Palestinian communities we will be bring volunteers every day of the Harvest to join Palestinian farmers and their families in picking olives, and ensuring a peaceful harvest by repelling settler violence.

We have recently released our volunteer sign-up form and hundreds of people have already signed  up to be volunteers at one or several of the harvest opportunities. If you are in the region of have friends and family who would like to join, we would be so pleased to welcome you to the Harvest!

You can find the sign up form here: מסיק הזיתים השנתי – הרשמה לימי פעילות | The annual olive harvest – activity day registration (google.com)

It is also not too late to support the Olive Harvest with a donation, our fundraising campaign has received donations from over 200 donors from Israel and around the World, click below to make a gift!

Support the Olive Harvest today! Continue reading →

On Rebuke, Consolation and Rabbinic Commitment

Thoughts on Parashat “Ki Tavo”

by Rabbi Dana Sharon

“Ki Tavo” portion is also known as “The great rebuke portion”, because it contains a long and drawn-out description of blessings and curses that will come upon the people of Israel, according to their actions. When I look up from the books and look at what is going on around me, it is easy for me, too easy for me, to fulfill the mitzvah of rebuke…

These days are the days of the month of Elul, on my desk the machzor for the Tishrei holidays is already open in preparation for Rosh Hashanah and beyond, Yom Kippur, and this passage brings up before me the text of Rabbi Mordechai Rotem’s confession:

“We closed our ears to the cry of the poor and wretched.

We disdained people of honesty and integrity […]

We set our sights on “only by might and only by power” […]

We were afraid to proclaim the truth out loud.”

Continue reading →

To Become as Blessing

Thoughts on Parashat “Re’eh” | by Rabbit Lana Zilberman Soloway

“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse. The blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; The curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other Gods, which you have not known” (Deuteronomy 11, 26-28)

These are the opening words of Parashat “Re’eh”. The Parasha that reveals many of the commandments that our people are obligated to follow when we enter the land of Israel. These include: destroying idolatry and concentrating God’s work in one place, the laws of Kashrut, the mitzvah of giving away ten percent, the commandment of holy pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times a year, and more.

Some of the commandments were already mentioned earlier, during the wilderness generation. Others are new, only announced now, as we prepare to enter the land. There are fifty five commandments in total, listed one by one, after the opening verse, which has received endless interpretations: “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse”. Continue reading →

D’var Torah: The Commandment to Oppose the Regime!

The strength to take a risk, and the humility to admit when a risk fails

In one of his discussions of this week’s Torah reading of “Vayikra,” Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l (“The Sins of a Leader,” Covenant and Conversation, 5781) pointed out that in referring to sins committed by functionaries – the priests or the judges – or by the people, for which they must bring sacrifices, the word used is “if” (im) – if they should sin. But when referring to sins of the nasi, the political ruler, the word used is “when” (asher). This is the basis for an important talmudic insight. “When a leader of Israel sins and unintentionally commits one of all the commandments of the Lord, which may not be committed, incurring guilt…” (Leviticus 4, 2).

Rabbi Sacks writes: Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai summed it up with a brilliant double entendre on the word “asher”, meaning “when” in the phrase “when a leader sins.” He relates it to the word “ashrei”, which means “happy,” and says: Happy is the generation whose leader is willing to bring a sin offering for their mistakes (Tosefta, Bava Kamma, 7:5).

Rabbi Sacks comments that the unique challenge of political leadership is that it must deal with conflicting interests Continue reading →

D’var Torah: Believing in Forgiveness – Parashat Vayechi

When do we find the first example of one person forgiving another, in the Torah? Perhaps in this week’s Torah portion, Parashat “Vayechi”. One of the first cases of human forgiveness is when Joseph forgives his brothers. Since “first time” stories often form an archetype, it’s worth dwelling on them. Continue reading →

A clear and immediate danger of blasphemy: Get off the Fence!

by Avi Dabush (Translated from the original Hebrew)

The use of Judaism and Zionism to slander, trample and harm entire communities: LGBTQ people, secular, Arabs, leftists and anyone who does not align, is a blasphemy. This is a true call for mobilization: those for whom human dignity, human rights, humanity and Judaism are important must get off the fence and join the struggle.

The idea of blasphemy is about how people harm [religion in general] good name of Judaism through what they do. I always think about this, of course when I see defendants who, on a daily basis, do not wear a kippah put one on as they are being arraigned or remanded in court. It should be the opposite. 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