Human Rights Shabbat
Every year, more than 100 synagogues throughout North America commemorate Human Rights Shabbat, an RHR-NA initiative to educate Jewish communities about the intersection of Jewish values and universal human rights.
Human Rights Shabbat 2012
Join Rabbis for Human Rights-North America for our annual celebration of Jewish values and universal human rights! Now in its fifth year. Human Rights Shabbat 2012 will be December 7-8, with the alternate date of December 14-15 or whatever date best suits your community. More information will be available soon. Please click here to sign up!
Human Rights Shabbat 2011
How do we live a life of k'vod habriot, respect for the inherent dignity of every person? How do we model this respect in our synagogues and communities? These were some of the key questions addressed during Human Rights Shabbat, 2011. Our focus was embodying k'vod habriot and a life devoted to human rights.
Resources for Human Rights Shabbat 2011
Introduction
Prayers
- A Prayer for Human Rights Day , Rabbi Brant Rosen
- A Prayer for Human Rights , Rabbi David Freidenreich
Sample Sermons
- Forgiveness Beyond Borders, Rabbi Alana Suskin
- Who is Wise, Powerful, Wealthy, and Honored? , David Spinrad
- Jerusalem's Many Faces, Marisa James
- The Necessity of K'vod Habriot in an Age of Terror, Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster
- The Pain of Projection: Understading Islamophobia while in Arabia , Rabbi Simkha Weintraub
Study Materials
- Speaking about Human Rights from Your Pulpit, Rabbi Joshua Gutoff
- Manifesting K'vod Habriot in Your Community , Rabbi Gilah Langner
- Fair Trade and Human Rights, Ilana Schatz
- "You Be the Judge:" A Jewish Obligation to Act in Solidarity with Muslims, Rabbi Michael Ross
- Special offer for Human Rights Shabbat congregations: Show the groundbreaking film Budrus at a discounted rate!
Additional Resources from RHR-NA
Human Rights Shabbat materials as one PDF
What you can do on Human Rights Shabbat:
- Give a sermon (or ask your rabbi to give a sermon) on a human rights issue.
- Teach children about human rights in Judaism. Click here for resources for children and youth. (link to Rebecca Rosenthal stuff)
- Study the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and learn about Jewish values that connect to universal human rights.
- Teach your community about Rabbis for Human Rights-North America.
- Invite a speaker from a human rights organization.
- Read Jewish human rights prayers.
- Join together with other religious communities for an interfaith celebration of human rights.
Find out which congregations and communities have signed up for Human Rights Shabbat 2011 so far!
E-mail us for more information or to sign up for Human Rights Shabbat 2011.
Resources from Human Rights Shabbat 2010
Introduction
Prayers
- A Prayer for Human Rights Day by Rabbi Brant Rosen
- A Prayer for Human Rights by Rabbi David Freidenreich
- An Interfaith Human Rights Prayer from the National Religious Campaign Against Torture
Sample Sermons
- Modern Slavery and the Jewish Commitment to Human Dignity by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster
- Reflects on Her Trip to Israel with Rabbis for Human Rights-North America by Rabbi Debora Gordon
- Human Rights vs. Human Obligations by Rabbi Barry (Baruch) Leff, Co-Chair of Rabbis for Human Rights in Israel
- Indefinite Detention and Jewish Sources on Justice by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster
Learning about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Masekhet Zechuyot HaAdam: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights with Jewish texts
- Text Study on Masekhet Zechuyot HaAdam
- Background: What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Why Do We Celebrate It
Children's Programs
- Jewish Values and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Hanukah and Human Rights
- Children's Book Suggestion and Discussion Questions
Email sign up
Stay Connected to Rabbis for Human Rights-North America.
