Rabbis For Human Rights - North America

Conferences

"Which is greater, study or action? Rabbi Tarfon spoke up and said: Action is greater. Rabbi Akiva spoke up and said: Study is greater. The others then spoke up and said: Study is greater because it leads to action." (Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 40B)

Conference Materials

In 2006, Rabbis for Human Rights-North America hosted its First North American Rabbinic Conference on Judaism and Human Rights. In 2008, RHR-NA hosted the Second North American Conference on Judaism and Human Rights for rabbis, cantors, rabbinic and cantorial students, and all Jews committed to the protection of human rights for all. The Third North American Conference on Judaism and Human Rights was held in New York City in December 2010.

Resources from Rabbis for Human Rights-North America’s 2010 Conference: Human Rights Under Fire: A Jewish Call to Action

 

Audio/Video:

VIDEO - Courage-Voice-Vision: The Raphael Lemkin Human Rights Awards Honoring.

Greetings from Rabbi Charles Feinberg, Rabbi Rolando Matalon and Rabbi Ellen Lippmann.

Dr. Naomi Chazan, President of the New Israel Fund. Award Presented by Letty Cottin Pogrebin.

Aryeh Neier, President of the Open Society Institute. Award Presented by Marina Pinto Kaufman.

With musical performances by Marty Ehrlich, Jerome Harris and Roy Nathanson and poetry by Alicia Ostriker.

 

AUDIO - Conference Opening Plenary: Human Rights Under Fire in the Age of Obama and Netanyahu 

Iain Levine, Human Rights Watch

Dr. Naomi Chazan, New Israel Fund

Hon. Elizabeth Holtzman

 

VIDEO - Plenary: How Long Before “Indefinite Detention without Charge Becomes a Permanent Betrayal of Our Values?

Donna Lieberman, New York Civil Liberties Union

Gabor Rona, Human Rights First

Michael Ratner, Center for Constitutional Rights

Rabbi Marla Feldman, Union for Reform Judaism

VIDEO – Whose Rights? Where Does Judaism Require Us to Focus Our Efforts? Golbal Justice, Community Organizing or Israel?

Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Author

Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg, Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek

Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodek

AUDIO – Tools for Change: Using New Media When Working on Israel-Related Issues  

Isaac Luria, J Street

Dan Sieradski, Digital Strategist

Lara Friedman, Americans for Peace Now

Rabbi Alana Suskin, Congregation Shaare Torah

AUDIO – How New Media and Technology Is Changing Human Rights Activism

Sharon Kelly McBride, Human Rights First

Uri Zaki, B'tselem

 

VIDEO – Plenary: Slavery, Trafficking and People of Faith – In Our Own Backyards and Beyond

Rabbi Simkha Weintraub, Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services

Ron Soodalter, Author

Pamela Shifman, NoVo Foundation

Nisha Varia, Human Rights Watch

 

Rabbi Joy Levitt, The Jewish Community Center in Manhattan

Reverend Chloe Breyer, Interfaith Center of New York

Daisy Khan, American Society for Muslim Advancement

Rabbi Gerry Serotta, Clergy Beyond Borders

 

Steven Reisner, Physicians for Human Rights

Brigadier General (Ret.) Steven Xanakis, MD, Physicians for Human Rights

 

John Humphries, National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Rev. Richard Killmer, National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Maria LaHood, Center for Constitutional Rights

 

AUDIO - Investor Activism and Human Rights

Laura Berry, Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility
Rabbi Mordechai Leibling, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

AUDIO – Unaccountable Power from Pharaoh to Bagram: The Issue Behind the Issue of Torture and Indefinite Detention

Rabbi Arthur Waskow, The Shalom Center

Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Rabbis for Human Rights-North America

AUDIO – Bringing Slavery to Your Seder and Beyond? Integrating Human Rights Work with Jewish Holidays

Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, Union for Reform Judaism

Tamara Cohen, Rabbinical Student

Peter Beinart, Author

Rabbi Ellen Lippman, Rabbis for Human Rights-North America Board Co-Chair

Jane Eisner, The Forward

 

Resources from Rabbis for Human Rights-North America’s 2008 Conference:

 

• Beyond Guantanamo: From a session with Tom Wilner and Gita Gutierrez.

 

• Honor the Image of God: Jewish Texts on the Torture Crisis: From a session with Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky.

 

• Jewish Values and the Rights of Immigrants: From a session with Rabbi Amy Eilberg.

• Texts of Human Rights: From a session with Chancellor Arnold Eisen.

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Abrahamic Faiths: From a session with David Gushee, Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer, Chancellor Arnold Eisen and Suleiman Nyang.

 

• Curriculum on Human Dignity, Self-Defense, and Judicial Process: From a session with Rabbi Ed Feld; see also the Introduction to the Study Guide.

 

• Human Dignity, Defense of Life, and "Ticking Bombs;" Torture in Jewish Law and Values: From a session with Rabbi Melissa Weintraub; notes for teaching this material

 

• Human Rights in the Abrahamic Faiths: Opening and Closing Remarks: From a session with Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer.

 

• Judaism and Zionism and Human Rights from a Palestinian Perspective - Time for Forgiveness, Reconciliation and Coexistence: From a session with Professor Munther S. Dajani.

 

• Opening Remarks at Lemkin Awards: Remarks by Rabbi Amy Eilberg.

 

• Remarks at Lemkin Awards: Remarks by Peter Edelman.

 

• The Dignity of Work and the Indignity of Slavery: From a session with Rabbi Gordon Tucker. For the source sheet with questions, click here.

 

• We are all Israel: Thoughts of a religious Jew and a secular Zionist: From a session with Rabbi Arthur Green.

 

Audio Recordings from the Conference

The Rabbi as Human Rights Advocate: A Conversation from the Seminaries

International Human Rights Day: A Dialogue on Judaism and Human Rights in Our Time

 

Listening for God in the World: Personal Spirituality and Social Justice Work

 

Health Care For All? An Examination of Health Care Rights and Responsibilities

 

An Earth Covenant Perspective on Human Rights

 

Human Rights Advocacy and Education: Current Issues and Jewish Connections

 

Abraham Joshua Heschel: Teachings on Human Rights

 

Wrestling with Our (Israels)Jewish, Human and National

 

Empowering People to Improve a Shattered World: The Evolution of Tiqqun Olam

 

Eight is Not Enough: Low Wages and Human Rights

 

Making Human Rights a Jewish Concept

 

Maskhet Haaztmaut: A New Curriculum for Exploring Jewish Values, Zionism and Israel

 

Can Human Rights Be Separated From The Larger Struggles for Social Justice, Peace and Ecological Sanity?

 

Torture in Our Time (Panel Discussion)

 

Torture and Jewish Law: Texts and Reflections

 

The Challenges of Economic Justice in the US and Israel: More Alike Than We Would Like?

 

Human Rights from the Perspective of a Palestinian Human Rights Activist

 

Bringing Human Rights to Your Congregation: Pragmatic and Programmatic Approaches

 

Social Action, Jewish Values and Halakha: Mandate or Mixed-Message?

 

Human Rights in the Post September 11 Environment

 

Kiddush Hashem l’einei Hagoyim

 

Standing Up for Immigrants’ Rights

 

Confronting Genocide in Darfur

 

Creating the Context and Taking Action to Affirm Human Rights

 

Property Rights of Non-Jews in the Land of Israel: The Olive Tree Campaign and Defending Homes

 

Working Together to Redress Human Rights Violations in the Territories - The Political, Social and Judicial Process

 

Maskhet Haaztmaut: A New Curriculum for Exploring Jewish Values, Zionism and Israel

 

Security and Human Rights: Does It Have To Be A Zero Sum Game?

 

Land for Peace in the Jewish Tradition

 

Justice and Proportionality: The Lebanon War