Last week I noted that we are currently in the midst of reading the seven Haftarot of Consolation that follow the Jewish communal mourning of the Tisha B’Av festival. Our prophetic portion this week comes from Isaiah 49:14-51:3 - a prophetic address that begins with these powerful words of comfort:
Can a mother forget her babe, [...]
Archive for the ‘Children's Rights’ Category
Your Safety is Continually in My Thoughts…
Posted in Children's Rights, Coexistence, Israel, Palestine, Tisha B'Av, War on August 22, 2008 | No Comments »
We Are Strong, We Are Healthy, We Are Fine…
Posted in Africa, Children's Rights, HIV/AIDS, Health Care, International Aid, International Health, JRC Africa Trip 2008, Rwanda, Uganda on July 14, 2008 | 1 Comment »
The highlight of our Sunday was a visit to the Islamic Center in Nyamyrambo, where we visited with the WE-ACTx children’s program. The young people from our group had already spent the morning with the WE-ACTx young people (above) while the adults went to visit with Mardge Cohen and several interns at their home in [...]
“Amahoro” Means Shalom
Posted in Africa, Children's Rights, HIV/AIDS, Health Care, Human Rights, Hunger, International Aid, International Health, JRC Africa Trip 2008, Poverty, Rwanda on July 13, 2008 | No Comments »
On Shabbat we began our day with a study and discussion of the Torah portion - the central themes of Parshat Pinchas (zealous violence and its complex aftermath) were uncannily appropriate to our experiences of the past few days.
The central experience of our Saturday was a visit to CHABHA (Children Affected By HIV/AIDS) - an [...]
Abir’s Garden
Posted in Children's Rights, Coexistence, Human Rights, Israel, Palestine, Peace on April 29, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Last year I posted a heartbreaking article by Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian whose 10 year old daughter Abir (right) was killed by a rubber bullet by Israeli border police in the West Bank town of Anata. Bassam is a co-founder of Combatants for Peace - an important coexistence organization made of former Israeli soldiers and [...]
The Bad Seed
Posted in Children's Rights, Education, Judaism, Religion, Torah Commentary on August 24, 2007 | 1 Comment »
From this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tetzei:
If a man has a wayward and defiant son, who does not heed his father or mother and does not obey them even after they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town at the public [...]
Inherent Dignity
Posted in Children's Rights, Civil Rights, Current Events, Genocide, Human Rights, News, Poverty on June 19, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Another anniversary I can’t let slip by unnoticed: on this day fifty-nine years ago, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights adopted its Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
I know, I know: it’s a controversial document, it’s non-binding, the UN has left unfulfilled its promise on human rights, blah, blah, blah…
I don’t want to hear it. [...]
On Passover, Parents and Children
Posted in Children's Rights, Health Care, Human Rights, Judaism, Pesach, Poverty, Prayer, Religion, Religion/Politics, Spirituality on April 1, 2007 | 4 Comments »
Yesterday at our Shabbat morning minyan, I noticed a particularly large number of parents and children. Over here was an adult woman helping her elderly mother by pointing along to the transliteration in the siddur. Over there was a man with his four year old in his lap, his tallit falling down across her shoulders. [...]
“And You Will Incur Guilt…”
Posted in Children's Rights, Food, Immigration, Judaism, Labor, Religion, Torah Commentary on September 12, 2008 | 1 Comment »
From this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tetzei:
You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer, whether a fellow countryman or a stranger in one of the communities of your land. You must pay him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets, for he is needy and urgently depends on it, else he [...]
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