Jewish Social Justice Resources

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is an international development organization motivated by Judaism’s imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world regardless of race, religion or nationality. Through grants to grassroots organizations, volunteer service, advocacy and education, AJWS fosters civil society, sustainable development and human rights for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship within the Jewish community. http://ajws.org/

Rabbis for Human Rights Founded in 2002 this organization of rabbis from all streams of Judaism acts on the Jewish imperative to respect and protect the human rights of all people. Grounded in Torah and our Jewish historical experience and guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, they advocate for human rights in Israel and North America. They partner with Rabbis for  Human Rights-Israel in efforts to protect the human rights of Jews, Palestinians, and all others living in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. In North American work, they partner with a range of Jewish, interfaith, and secular organizations that share a commitment to human rights. http://rhrna.org/who-we-are.html. 

Union of Reform Judaism (URJ) Social Action: The passion and charge for social justice has led to a long and proud tradition of political activism by the Reform Movement. The Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism is a joint body of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Union and its affiliates that seeks to apply the insights of Jewish tradition to such domestic and foreign issues as human rights, world peace, civil liberties, religious freedom, famine, poverty, intergroup relations, as well as other major societal concerns. They have a monthly newsletter highlighting social action efforts of congregations. We are planning on submitting updates. They also list many ideas and set the focus of “hot topics” for each year. Log on to check them out! http://urj.org/socialaction

URJ Religious Action Center (RAC) has become a voice of conscience in our nation’s capital. From its historic building on Washington’s Embassy Row, the RAC has educated and mobilized the American Jewish community on legislative and social concerns as an advocate in Congress on issues ranging from Israel and Soviet Jewry to economic justice; from civil rights to international peace and religious liberty. Since it was established in 1961, the RAC has been an integral part of some of the most important political and social developments in recent history. http://rac.org

URJ Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) is the public and legal advocacy arm of the Reform Movement in Israel, founded in 1987 with the goals of advancing pluralism in Israeli society and defending the freedoms of conscience, faith, and religion. Today IRAC is the preeminent civil and human rights organization in Israel focusing on the issues of religion and state and is the leading Jewish organization that advocates on behalf of a broadly inclusive Israeli democracy, infusing social justice advocacy with the spiritual energy and humane worldview of Progressive Judaism. IRAC uses litigation, legislation, public policy and advocacy to advance civic equality. These activities have established IRAC as a leading Jewish organization working to strengthen the democratic character of Israeli society. http://www.irac.org