If you’re a rabbi, cantor or Jewish community leader, I encourage you to support Hyatt workers by signing on to this new statement, “An Appeal to for Justice at Hyatt:”

The Torah commands us “You shall not abuse a needy and destitute laborer” (Deut 24:14), and the Rabbis later teach that employees have a right to organize and demand just conditions and compensation for their labor (Tosefta Bava Metzia 11:24).

We cannot stand idly by as the housekeepers and hotel workers of the Hyatt Hotels stand to lose their hard won and fair compensation. The call to pursue justice (Deut. 16:20) demands that we stand with these workers so that they don’t slip into poverty.

Therefore, we, the undersigned concerned rabbis, cantors, and community leaders, call on the owners and leadership of Hyatt Hotels to commit to the Jewish and universal obligations to treat workers fairly and to recognize the value of their labor. We call on all Jewish institutions and individuals to support Hyatt workers in their disputes, and we express our willingness to boycott Hyatt properties in support of these principles if requested to do so by the affected workers.

I’m thrilled to report that the primary signers of the statement include Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative and Orthodox rabbis from across the country. Sixty more leaders have already signed on as supporters.

For more background, read my recent post on the subject or check out the website Hotel Workers Rising.