Join K'vod Habriot
Joining K'vod Habriot means making a commitement to ensure the human rights of all. How does one join and what happens next?
Congregational Information Sign up as a congregation!
Individual Information Sign up as an individual! Join the K'vod Habriot Facebook group
Joining K'vod Habriot requires a commitment on behalf of both the rabbi and the community to education, action, and prayer. There should ideally already be strong interest in human rights issues as part of the tzedek mission of the community. Here are the suggested steps you should take!
First Step: The rabbi and lay leaders should identify the congregant(s) who can work to mobilize your community and serve as the liaison to RHR-NA and Kvod Habriot. The liaison will be the point of contact between RHR-NA and your community, updating us on the actions your community has taken, and will also organize Kvod Habriot activities within the synagogue. There will be quarterly conference calls for liaisons to help them in their important efforts!
Second Step: Make it official Your community (whether by vote of the board, the social action committee, the Kvod Habriot committee, or the lay body whose approval you would need to publicize your involvement) should approve the covenant/brit, so that the goals and expectations of your community's involvement are clear.
Third Step: Publicity Determine how best to get human rights information to the people in your community who want it and build a Kvod Habriot chevra. Individuals will be able to sign up to receive Kvod Habriot emails from RHR-NA, including action alerts, educational material, and information about what other communities are doing.
Fourth Step: Action Begin as a community to educate yourselves on issues of human rights, to advocate with elected officials, and to build bridges to other communities of faith engaged in this holy work. Our current campaigns are holy work, embodying the words of Torah: "Justice, justice shall you pursue." (Deuteronomy 16:20) We raise our voices together as activists to insist that the Jewish community make human rights issues a key concern and to ensure that our political leaders know that there is an authentic, religious response to abuses of human rights.
We are asking congregations to focus their efforts on programs during the following times of the year:
- International Human Rights Day (December 10)
- Torture Awareness Month (June)
- Anti-torture advocacy during the Hight Holidays
- Recognition of human rights during Passover
Communities that join also commit to:
- Advocate for human rights through K'vod Habriot action campaigns, beginning with the current Honor the Image of God: Stop Torture Now, A Jewish Campaign to End U.S.-Sponsored Torture
- Encourage their congregations to sign the Jewish Statement Against Torture, joining over 700 rabbis and thousands of Jews who have already done so
- Educate themselves on the core values of Judaism and human rights, and learn about current human rights concerns
- Integrate human rights concerns into Jewish rituals and holidays
Join K'vod Habriot: A Jewish Human Rights Network
Individuals who join K'vod Habriot will get regular action alerts from RHR-NA, encouraging them to make phone calls to elected officials, publicize developments in the Jewish Campaign Against Torture, and advising them of local initiatives as they develop. We depend on our individual members to help us react quickly to legislative developments and to raise the Jewish voice against torture. You are key to keeping torture on the national agenda!
Over the course of the year, we will provide you with home rituals for Jewish holidays and International Human Rights Day, educational resources on themes of Judaism and Human Rights, and information about interfaith initiatives to end torture.
All individual members of K'vod Habriot are invited to attend RHR-NA's Second Conference on Judaism and Human Rights.
Join K'vod Habriot: A Jewish Human Rights Network
Rabbis for Human Rights-North America is committed to support communities engaged in this critical work by providing:
- Regular K'vod Habriot action alerts on pressing human rights issues, beginning with the Jewish Campaign Against Torture;
- Inspiring educational and liturgical resources, including suggestions for Jewish text study, reflections, and prayers, curricula for different ages and settings, sermon suggestions, and discussion material;
- Staff support for rabbis and community leaders.
- Suggestions for community activities related to human rights such as lobbying, speakers, film screenings, cultural presentations and opportunities for interfaith partnership and action.
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