Our affiliates are doing ground-breaking work every day.
This 2021 archive of news articles features some of it!
If you wrote or read something that should be posted, please email it to info@jewishsocialjustice.org
We also have an archive of articles from 2020 and 2022.
7 ways you can make 2022 a shmita yearBy Rudy Malcom, featuring suggestions from Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein, national Jewish educator for Avodah; Rabbi Zelig Golden, founder and executive director of Wilderness Torah; Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife, executive director of the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute; Rabbi Minna Bromberg, founder and president of Fat Torah; Dayenu Circles; and Hazon's resources (The Forward) December 30, 2021Investing in a framework and infrastructure to meet our equity commitmentsBy Ryan Cohen, governance chair of the board of directors, and Cindy Greenberg, president and CEO, of Repair the World (eJewish Philanthropy) December 20, 2021Fat liberationists celebrate fat bodies in religious communityBy Kathryn Post, featuring Rabbi Minna Bromberg, Founder and President of Fat Torah (Religion News Service) December 6, 2021Unorthodox Social DistancingBy Eliyahu Stern, mentioning Footsteps and Yaffed (Tablet Magazine) December 07, 2021Progressive Jews to Schumer: Paid leave must be part of Build Back Better legislationBy Julia Gergely, noting the support of many Roundtable organizations for paid leave (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) December 2, 2021Op-Ed: Why Mississippi’s anti-abortion law is also an assault on LGBTQ+ rightsBy Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, Scholar-in-Residence at the National Council of Jewish Women (Religion News Service) December 1, 2021Ethical KashrutBy Paula Jacobs, quoting Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, Founder & President of both Shamayim and Uri L’Tzedek (Tablet Magazine) November 29, 2021Back from COP26, Hazon’s CEO reflects on what’s needed to combat the threatBy Jesse Berman (Baltimore Jewish Times) November 19, 2021A Tulsa, Okla., congregation has become an official resettlement agencyBy Helen Chernikoff, quoting Alicia Wrenn, Senior Director for Resettlement and Integration at HIAS (eJewish Philanthropy) November 17, 2021How Repair the World’s $5.8 million JCRIF grant will workBy Helen Chernikoff (eJewish Philanthropy) November 15, 2021Opinion: You don’t have to choose between loving Israel and opposing the occupationBy Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Director of T’ruah (The Forward) November 9, 2021Help Create a Right to CounselBy Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JewishBoston) November 3, 2021As COP26 conference gathers, faith-based environmentalists fight ‘eco-grief’By Elizabeth E. Evans, quoting Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek (Religion News Service) November 2, 2021Inside the Unraveling of American ZionismBy Marc Tracy, including T'ruah and its Executive Director, Rabbi Jill Jacobs (New York Times) November 2, 2021A college student collects recipes for a Jews of Color cookbookBy Helen Chernikoff, noting the support given by Jackie Baldwin, Community Organizer at Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, and Ruth Abusch-Magder, Director of Education and Rabbi in Residence at Be’chol Lashon (eJewish Philanthropy) October 28, 2021Responding to antisemitism by growing community, deepening commitments and building coalitionsBy Rabbi Deborah Waxman, President of Reconstructing Judaism (eJewish Philanthropy) October 27, 2021Global vaccine equity: To save a life is to save a worldBy Robert Bank, President and CEO of American Jewish World Service (eJewish Philanthropy) October 26, 2021The Jewish Case for a New Department of Public SafetyBy Jonathan Gershberg, Membership and Communications Manager, and Enzi Tanner, Community Safety Organizer, both at Jewish Community Action (TC Jewfolk) October 26, 2021Jewish skeptics of critical race theory say Texas Holocaust education incident does not deter themBy Ben Sales, quoting Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, Scholar-in-Residence at the National Council of Jewish Women (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) October 15, 2021We can — and we should — support Jewish preteens and parents nowBy Deborah Meyer, CEO and co-founder of Moving Traditions (eJewish Philanthropy) October 13, 2021JWI creates collective to combat domestic violence with $750,000 Schusterman grantBy Helen Chernikoff, featuring Ariella Neckritz, Director of Violence Prevention and Training at Jewish Women International (eJewish Philanthropy) October 13, 2021An ancient mistranslation is now helping to threaten abortion rightsBy Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, Scholar-in-Residence at the National Council of Jewish Women and Katey Zeh (The Washington Post) October 12, 2021Men must hold each other accountable over the disrespect of womenBy David Cohen, Manager of Strategic Advancement at Shalom Bayit (eJewish Philanthropy) October 7, 2021New NCJW campaign aims to educate community about Jewish law and abortionBy Helen Chernikoff, featuring Sheila Katz, CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, and Deborah Rosenbloom, Chief Program Officer at Jewish Women International (eJewish Philanthropy) October 1, 2021Like America, Genesis has 2 creation stories. Simchat Torah renews our ability to tell them bothBy Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder, Director of Education and Rabbi-in-Residence of Be’chol Lashon (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) September 27, 2021What Would it Look Like to Create Safe, Inclusive Spaces for Jews of Color?By Jennifer Turner, New York City Service Corps Program Director at Avodah (Lilith) September 24, 2021Wilderness Torah, Camp Newman collaborate to build Center for Earth-Based JudaismBy Robert Nagler Miller (J.) September 17, 2021You are Jewish enough: Our message to interfaith couples and families with members of diverse heritagesBy Paul Golin, Executive Director of the Society for Humanistic Judaism, and Keren McGinity (eJewish Philanthropy) September 14, 2021Seven trumpets sounded: New Jersey environmental activists blow shofars in NewarkBy Larry Yudelson, featuring Phil Aroneanu, Chief Strategy Officer at Dayenu (The Jewish Standard) September 8, 2021This is not a drill: The climate change emergency demands a Jewish responseBy Jakir Manela, CEO of Hazon, and Nigel Savage, founder and former CEO of Hazon (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) September 6, 2021Op-Ed: This Rosh Hashanah, give Earth a sabbaticalBy Rob Eshman, touching on work by Dayenu (Los Angeles Times) September 5, 2021Jewish Women International to train JCC staff to help children exposed to domestic violenceBy Helen Chernikoff (eJewish Philanthropy) August 26, 2021Jakir Manela, CEO of the combined Hazon-Pearlstone Center, talks next stepsBy Helen Chernikoff (eJewish Philanthropy) August 25, 2021In our season of reckoning, what to remember when abuse stories break in Jewish communitiesBy Sheila Katz, CEO, and Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, Scholar-in-Residence, both at the National Council of Jewish Women (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) August 25, 2021Jews of color, once sidelined, now being recruited by Jewish agenciesBy Rachele Kanigel, quoting Lindsey Newman, Director of Community Engagement at Be’chol Lashon, Marcella White Campbell, Executive Director of Be’chol Lashon, Eric Greene, Board Member of the Jewish Multiracial Network, and Analucia Lopezrevoredo, Executive Director, Jewtina y Co. and Senior Director of Project Shamash, at Bend the Arc (The Jewish News of Northern California) August 5, 2021Israeli startup Uniper eases loneliness among homebound seniorsBy Helen Chernikoff, quoting Reuben Rotman, CEO of the Network of Jewish Human Services Agencies (eJewish Philanthropy) July 22, 2021Avodah Considers Stepping Out on Israel/PalestineBy Mari Cohen, discussing Avodah, JFREJ, and Repair the World (Jewish Currents) July 22, 2021How the Jewish world is responding to Ben & Jerry’s decision to exit Israeli settlementsBy JTA Staff, quoting Daniel Sokatch, CEO of the New Israel Fund (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) July 19, 2021Nigel Savage looks back on two decades at HazonBy Helen Chernikoff (eJewish Philanthropy) July 19, 2021With merger, Baltimore is set to become a center of Jewish environmental workBy Rudy Malcom, discussing the merger of Hazon with the Pearlstone Center (Baltimore Jewish Times) July 15, 2021A Black Jewish filmmaker brings her dual identities to BETBy Gabby Deutch, mentioning Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Executive Director of T’ruah, and Rabbi Sharon Brous, Senior Rabbi at IKAR (Jewish Insider) July 15, 2021Creating camp communities of belonging for allBy Yolanda Savage-Narva, Director of Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) for the Union for Reform Judaism, and Ruben Arquilevich Vice president for URJ Camps, NFTY, and Immersives (eJewish Philanthropy) July 14, 2021MAZON is growing a national network of grassroots anti-hunger groupsBy Helen Chernikoff (eJewish Philanthropy) July 13, 2021How HIAS and Repair the World’s mission meshes with MacKenzie Scott’s visionBy Melanie Nezer, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs at HIAS, and Cindy Greenberg, CEO of Repair the World (eJewish Philanthropy) July 13, 2021Wendy Rhein will become Repair the World’s senior development directorBy Helen Chernikoff (eJewish Philanthropy) July 1, 2021The Jewish Case for Abortion Rights | OpinionSheila Katz, CEO, and Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, Scholar-in-Residence, both at the National Council of Jewish Women (Newsweek) June 29, 2021Rabbi Jill Jacobs, leader of T’ruah, is getting a title changeBy Helen Chernikoff (eJewish Philanthropy) June 29, 2021Most Jewish groups are giving hybrid work a try, come fallBy Helen Chernikoff, including comments from Melissa Johnson, General Counsel and Vice-President for People and Culture at the Union for Reform Judaism (eJewish Philanthropy) June 17, 2021Is J Street unwelcome in the American Zionist movement?By Arno Rosenfeld, including comments from Ameinu, Bend the Arc, Jews For Racial and Economic Justice, and the Union for Reform Judaism (The Forward) June 14, 2021Growing the Jewish Social Justice RoundtableBy Helen Chernikoff (eJewish Philanthropy) June 7, 2021‘We still have a lot of work to do’: The Jewish communal response to George Floyd’s murder, 1 year laterBy Asaf Shalev, including comments from Melanie Roth Gorelick, Senior Vice President at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Carin Mrotz, Executive Director of Jewish Community Action, and Ginna Green, Leadership Team Member of the Roundtable (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) June 2, 2021Social justice leader Rabbi Jennie Rosenn takes on climate changeBy Helen Chernikoff (eJewish Philanthropy) June 1, 2021Pew 2020, through a gender lensBy Jamie Allen Black, CEO of Jewish Women’s Foundation of New York (eJewish Philanthropy) May 25, 2021If you want to make a difference in the Jewish community, fund womenBy Meredith Jacobs, CEO of Jewish Women International (eJewish Philanthropy) May 20, 2021Pew 2020: What have we learned in 30 years of studies?By Nancy K. Kaufman, founding board member of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable (eJewish Philanthropy) May 20, 2021Words mean thingsBy Abby Levine, Executive Director of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable (Medium) May 19, 2021Don’t call it hybrid: Multi-access is the future for Jewish communitiesBy Rabbi Esther L. Lederman, Cantor Rosalie Will, and Rabbi Leora Kaye, Director of Program for the Union for Reform Judaism (eJewish Philanthropy) May 11, 2021Black Jewish Lives MatterAn episode of Heart and Soul, featuring April Baskin, Racial Justice Advisor to the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable, and Yehuda Webster Community Organizer with Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (BBC) May 6, 2021First Jew of color to lead an American Jewish museum resigns, citing gender and racial discriminationBy Asaf Shalev, including comment from April Baskin, Racial Justice Advisor to the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable; the Roundtable (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) April 30, 2021‘Love your neighbor as yourself:’ How Torah is helping me process Derek Chauvin’s convictionBy Sandra Lawson, Director of Racial Diversity Equity and Inclusion for Reconstructing Judaism (The Forward) April 23, 2021Chauvin Guilty On All Counts, But Work Remains AheadBy Lonnie Goldsmith, featuring Enzi Tanner, Community Organizer at Jewish Community Action and JCA’s work (TC Jewfolk) April 20, 2021JWI initiates new conversation on domestic violenceBy Helen Chernikoff (eJewish Philanthropy) April 15, 2021Racial justice and the Jewish community: One year after the death of George FloydBy Leslie Dannin Rosenthal, Board Member, Lois Frank, Former Board Chair, and Melanie Roth Gorelick, Senior Vice President, all at Jewish Council for Public Affairs (eJewish Philanthropy) April 19, 2021MAZON CEO Abby Leibman seizing the moment on hunger policyBy Helen Chernikoff, featuring Abby Leibman, CEO of MAZON (eJewish Philanthropy) April 15, 2021Disability-inclusion advocates ponder the future, post-RudermanBy Helen Chernikoff, featuring Reuben Rotman, CEO of the Network of Jewish Human Services Agencies (eJewish Philanthropy) April 9, 2021Migrants and asylum seekers are suffering. Why, as a Jew, I can't turn awayBy Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek and Arizona Jews for Justice (The Arizona Republic) April 1, 2021Granting D.C. statehood would honor freedom during this holy seasonBy Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek and Arizona Jews for Justice and Reverend William Lyons (The Arizona Mirror) March 29, 2021How do Jewish Organizations Respond to Racism and Racial Violence? Spoiler: Doing Internal WorkFeaturing Rebecca Eisen, Human Resources Manager at Hazon; Judy Levey, Executive Director at Jewish Council on Urban Affairs; SooJi Min-Maranda, Executive Director at ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal; and Liz Sweet, Chief of Staff at HIAS (Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah blog) March 27, 2021Grounded in gratitude, tackling systematic racism with open heartsBy Rabbi Sandra Lawson, Director of Racial Justice, Equity and Inclusion at Reconstructing Judaism (eJewish Philanthropy) March 26, 2021Crossing the sea and journeying through the wilderness: Embracing women’s history through the lens of PassoverBy Dr. Judith Rosenbaum, CEO of the Jewish Women’s Archive (eJewish Philanthropy) March 25, 2021‘We simply feel forgotten about:’ 9 Asian American Jews speakBy Talya Zax and Zachariah Sippy, featuring Yoshi Silverstein, Founder and Executive Director, Mitsui Collective; Keshira haLev Fife, Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute; Janu Mendel, Executive Director, Repair the World Miami; SooJi Min-Maranda, Executive Director, ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal; Gen Xia Ye Slosberg, Program Associate, Jewish Youth for Community Action (The Forward) March 20, 2021‘This has been exhausting’: Asian-American Jews on the Atlanta spa murders and rising anti-Asian hate crimes, in their own wordsBy Asaf Shalev and Andrew Lapin, featuring Yoshi Silverstein, Founder and Executive Director, Mitsui Collective, and Rabbi Mira Rivera Associate Rabbi & Director of Pastoral Care at Romemu (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) March 19, 2021Rabbis will need the support of their communities to heal post-pandemic By Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive of CCAR, and Rabbi Lewis Kamrass, President of CCAR (eJewish Philanthropy) March 19, 2021This Passover, Keeping Us SafeBy Bekkah Scharf, an organizer with Bend the Arc (Lilith) March 18, 2021Jews helped get kids out of Trump’s ‘cages’. Now they face a reckoning. By Arno Rosenfeld, featuring Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Director of T’ruah; Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director of The Religious Action Center; Barb Weinstein, Associate Director of the RAC; and Melanie Nezer, Senior Vice President for Public Affairs at HIAS (The Forward) March 3, 2021
A Beat to Which We All Can Move: A Call to Jews to Embrace the Pursuit of Racial JusticeBy Rabbi Deborah Waxman, President of Reconstructing Judaism (eJewish Philanthropy) February 24, 2021Our post-prophetic age: Jewish activism for this moment!By Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek (The Times of Israel) February 20, 2021Antisemitism Is a Critical Piece of a Racial Justice AgendaBy Carin Mrotz, Executive Director of Jewish Community Action (The Forge) February 15, 2021American Jews are taking a hard look at racism in their midstBy Yonat Shimron, featuring Rabbi Sandra Lawson, Director of Racial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Reconstructing Judaism; Abby Levine, Executive Director of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable; April Baskin, Racial Justice Advisor to the Roundtable; Yolanda Savage-Narva, Director of Racial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Union of Reform Judaism; and Rabbi Deborah Waxman, President of Reconstructing Judaism (Religion News Service) February 12, 2021A Chicago Jewish Civil Rights Group Thrives, but Faces Big Questions By Martin Levine, featuring JCUA and Judy Levey, Executive Director and Jackie Baldwin, Community Organizer (Nonprofit Quarterly) February 10, 2021
Opinion: The Myanmar coup puts genocide victims in new peril. We must not sit by.By Serena Oberstein, Executive Director of Jewish World Watch (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) February 9, 2021Opinion: Reunited families will need ongoing supportBy Ann Toback, CEO of The Workers Circle (Washington Post) February 7, 2021Parshat Yitro: Want to fight injustice and build community? Start with humility.By Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) February 4, 2021With a New U.S. Administration, Jews Must Advocate to Pass the Equality ActBy Idit Klein, President & CEO of Keshet (Jewish Journal) February 2, 2021Lessons from a Pandemic Funder By Samantha Wolthuis, Associate Vice President for Programs at American Jewish World Service (Inside Philanthropy) February 1, 2021‘There’s no one right way to kohenet’: The Hebrew priestess movement aims to center women’s voicesBy Esther D. Kustanowitz, featuring Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) January 29, 2021New Beginnings – Tu BiShvat and the Climate CrisisBy Nigel Savage, President & CEO of Hazon, Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, CEO of Dayenu, Lisa Colton & Rabbi Josh Weisman (eJewish Philanthropy) January 12, 2021Jewish leaders to Mayorkas: DHS needs liaison focused on domestic terror By Jacob Kornbluh, reporting on a meeting attended by some Roundtable affiliates (The Forward) January 10, 2021
Visit our archive of 2020 news articles.