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Human Rights Thought for the Week

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Human Rights Thought for the Week HUMAN RIGHTS THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK 54 HUMAN RIGHTS COMMENTARIES ON THE WEEKLY PARASHA 1 2 3 'Am I my Brother’s Keeper?' ‘Diversity and Ethics: ‘Te World’s First Refugee’ Bereshit principles of a modern society’ Lech-Lecha Rev. Alexander Goldberg Noach Mia Hasenson-Gross Joe Boxer 4 5 6 ‘Te Story of an Argument’ ‘Rebecca and the Origin of ‘Te Inspiration for Human Vayeira Chesed’ Rights and Morality’ Joseph Grabiner Chayei Sarah Toledot Dan Jacobs Rabbi Ari Faust 7 8 9 ‘Cheat, Trick, Deceive’ ‘Defending the Family’ 'Te Essence of the Jewish Vayetze Vayishlach Soul’ Sam Rodin Rabbi Raphael Zarum Vayeshev Rabbi Oli Joseph 10 11 ‘Human Rights Advocates 'Te True Value of Freedom Walk in Joseph’s Footsteps’ and Reconciliation’ Miketz Vayigash Gabriel Webber Rabbi Alex Wright 12 13 ‘What’s Jewish About Human ‘Giving Voice to the Voiceless’ Rights’ Shemot Vayechi Abigail Morris Anthony Silkof 14 15 ‘Choices’ ‘Breaking the Yoke of Slavery’ Va’eira Bo Olivia Marks-Woldman Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah 16 17 18 ‘Te Legacy of Freedom’ ‘International Law and Torah ‘Human Rights for All’ Beshalach Law’ Mishpatim Esmond Rosen Yitro Michael Goldin Dr Shaiya Rothberg 19 20 21 ‘A World Fit for God’s and ‘A Lesson in Community’ ‘Te Commitment of Human Humanity’s Presence’ Tetzaveh Rights’ Terumah Emma Dorman Ki Tisa Rabbi Mark Goldsmith Rabbi Danny Smith 22 23 24 ‘Community Building’ ‘Te Notion of Collective ‘Rituals’ Vayakhel Responsibility’ Vayikra Leonie Lewis Pekudei Keith Kahn-Harris Sammy Lee 25 26 27 ‘Leadership and Populism’ ‘Positive and Negative Liberty’ ‘A Right to Healthcare’ Tzav Shemini Tazria Hannah Weisfeld Rabbi David Mason Rabbi Danny Rich 28 29 30 ‘Breaking Up the Plague of ‘Agunot, Goats and Divorce’ ‘Religion, Modernity and Ethical Impunity Upon All Our Acharei Mot Morality’ Houses’ Shelley Marsh Kedoshim Metzora Michael Wegier David Brown 31 32 ‘Blasphemy and Human ‘Supporting Tose Whose Rights’ Hands Have Faltered’ Emor Behar Hannah Swirsky Rebecca Singer 33 34 ‘Legality and Morality’ ‘Overwhelming Numbers and Bechukotai What to Do With Tem’ Sam Grant Bemidbar Dr Edie Friedman 35 36 ‘Violence Against Women’ ‘With Crisis Comes Hunger’ Naso Behaalotecha Rabbi Benji Stanley Laura Marks 37 38 39 ‘A Right to Life’ ‘Looking Behind the Power of ‘Running Away From Snakes’ Sh'lach Words’ Korach Chukat Rabbi Lea Mühlstein Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen 40 41 42 ‘Speak Up and Speak Out’ ‘Vigilant(e)’ ‘Between Rights and Balak Pinchas Responsibilities’ Gideon Leibowitz Rabbi Richard Jacobi Matot Robin Moss 43 44 45 ‘Cities of Refuge and Human ‘Hearing Out High and Low ‘Te Right to Rest’ Rights’ Alike’ Va’etchanan Masei Devarim Rabbi Deborah Kahn-Harris Rabbi Roni Tabick Matt Plen 46 47 48 ‘A Paradox of Human Rights’ ‘Seeing With Our Hearts’ ‘Justice Does not Come Cheap’ Eikev Re’eh Shofim Sam Alston Rabbi Janet Darley Micah Smith 49 50 51 ‘Who are the Widow, Orphan ‘Tere But For the Grace of ‘Gender Policing’ and Stranger?’ G-D, Go We…’ Nitzavim Ki Teitzei Ki Tavo Dalia Fleming Georgina Bye Rabbi Sybil Sheridan 52 53 ‘Be Strong, Be of Good ‘Torah and Human Rights’ Courage’ Haazinu Vayeilech Rabbi Norman Solomon Maureen Kendler 54 ‘Te Invisibility of Modern Slavery’ V’Zot HaBerachah Elliot Steinberg INTRODUCTION Welcome to the René Cassin Parashot Project. We are proud to have brought together 54 leading Jewish thinkers, Rabbis and educators from across the UK to each write a ’human rights thought for the week’, creatively connecting each portion of the Torah to a distinct human rights theme. Tis catalogue of short writings is accessible for all ages whilst being thought-provoking and covering a wide variety of subjects. Our ambition is that this pack will be used as a tangible resource for Rabbis, Jewish educators, youth movements and schools, to engage and inspire the Jewish community at large on a range of human rights topics. Trough greater education and discussion within the community, we seek to raise awareness of a number of issues which are explored in this pack - such as the extent of modern-day slavery, discrimination and the current global refugee crisis. We hope that this greater level of discourse will manifest itself in a more mobilised and engaged Jewish community, that is ready to stand up and tackle the demanding human rights problems of today. We would like to extend our thanks to all those who have made this project possible. Tis includes all those who have taken the time and care to write these wonderful words, those who have proofread and those who have helped with the design. We sincerely hope that this resource can be used as widely as possible, so please feel free to share it online and in person. If any of the readings spark questions or a desire to get involved in our work please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at [email protected] By studying both our religious texts and our history, it is clear that there is a profound and powerful relationship between Judaism and human rights that must be continued. It is through education, cooperation and activism that British Jewry can work to protect human rights and truly commit to the ideals of Tikkun Olam (healing the world). Mia Hasenson-Gross Director, René Cassin “AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?” Tomas Jeferson and the America’s Founding Fathers A commentary on Parashat Bereshit and beautifully restated in the US Declaration of By Alexander Goldberg Independence: “We hold these truths to be self- evident, that all men are created equal, that they are Am I my brother’s keeper? Tis is a fundamental endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable question that the Torah poses to us. It is a question Rights...” that is lef hanging throughout the entire Torah: Who Today, there is a universal understanding of the is our brother or sister? How am I responsible to them? equality and solidarity. Te Universal Declaration of Why am I responsible? When do I need to respond? Human Rights expresses this as: “All human beings Parashat Bereshit provides us with the beginnings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Tey are of an answer. endowed with reason and conscience and should act Rashi famously asks why the Torah starts at all with towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” the Book of Genesis. His own view is that it should Te Torah itself recognises that it is not enough to surely start at Exodus XII with the frst Commandment simply state the connectivity between humanity and given to Israel, the nation. Before we can explore this G-d and between human and human. Tere remains relationship between Israel and Hashem we need to a tension that is exposed with this early section of the understand the one between humanity and Hashem. Torah within the Cain and Abel story. Cain’s anger In essence, we are taught that all of humanity comes and jealously, his wish to overcome his brother with from common ancestry created in the Divine Image: violence ends in tragedy. It is when Cain is challenged “And G-d created humanity in His image, in the by his actions does he ask Hashem whether he is his image of G-d He created humanity; male and female brother’s keeper? It is a question that is posed to us He created them.” Genesis 1:27 individually and collectively in every generation. Do Te sages understood that from this we learn that I utilise the enormous power that I have for good or to destroy, hurt, starve or commit an injustice to simply use it to advance my own cause regardless of another human being is a desecration of that image: a who it might hurt? desecration of the Divine. Te Mishnah says “Whoever It was the same question posed to America’s destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an Founding Fathers by the anti-slavery movement entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered and by the sufragettes a hundred years ago. It is the as if he saved an entire world”. (Mishnah Sanhedrin question that we still ask ourselves today in terms of 4:5; Yerushalmi Talmud 4:9). global inequality that results in hunger that claims We learn that each and every one of us is minted 21,000 lives each day or treatable diseases that take the from the same mould and yet is diferent: and yet if lives of millions each year. two humans were the sole people lef on this earth In essence, G-d’s gif to us is the power of free will. then they could create a world We are ultimately judged by how we utilise the power of human agency: on how we keep our brother and “And G-d entire: hence to destroy a created humanity human is to destroy that our sister. in His image, in the world of possibility. image of G-d He created It is this concept humanity; male and that is carried down female He created them.” 1:27 throughout the ages. During the Enlightenment, they were developed by Alexander Goldberg is the Jewish Chaplain to Bereshit the University of Surrey and a founding trustee of René Cassin בְּרֵ אשִׁ ית 1 DIVERSITY AND ETHICS - PRINCPLES contravention of the biblical imperative from the OF A MODERN SOCIETY creation story of, “be fruitful and multiple and fll the land.” Te Netziv claims that by uniting under this A commentary on Parashat Noach By Joe Boxer “one speech,” the people were not dispersing and were not flling the world as G-d intended.
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