Social Justice
The Leftist Ethicist, May Edition
For her May column, the Leftist Ethicist offers sensible solutions for dilemmas dealing with anti-Semitism, race and class and being an ethical employer at home.
Five years after Postville: Standing Up for Immigration Reform
Five years ago one of the worst workplace raids in American history took place in Postville, Iowa — with 389 individuals detained, many deported and a town devastated. If ever there was an event that proved why comprehensive immigration reform and worker protections are needed, it was this raid.
However, for the two of us, the story in Postville started almost two years earlier, when we met with the owners of Agriprocessors, workers from the plant, and community and religious leaders.
Damage by Watching: Domestic Drones & Privacy
As domestic drones become increasingly common (cheap, too) and more states build them into public safety strategies for law enforcement, we need to think not just about public safety, but about protecting privacy and creating safeguards against abuse.
Chicago's Young Jews Align Against Public School Shutdowns
“We are graduate students and organizers. We are Jewish folks and others who believe education is a Jewish value and a human right. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the CPS school board have proposed massive school closings throughout Chicago’s most struggling neighborhoods.”
The Jewish Push for Immigration Reform: A Q & A with Abby Levine
The American conversation around immigration has taken its rightful place, center stage. Today, Abby Levine – 33 — is once again bringing Jews and social justice together to support comprehensive immigration reform, this time at the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable.
The Leftist Ethicist
The Leftist Ethicist is an advice column for Zeek readers who envision a more just world and act to create it. With a commitment to justice and progressive Jewish teaching (and a loving nod to the Bintel Brief), the Leftist Ethicist provides a space to raise questions, without judgment, and receive sensible solutions. Zeek presents the first installment here.
As a wedding present, a distant family member bought my wife and I stock in a company whose treatment of workers I strongly disagree with. I thanked the family member politely, but now I don’t know what to do. Should I keep the stock?
Two Tributes to a Social Justice Hero: Elissa Froman (1983-2013)
“She was more than a colleague and friend — she was our conscience.” Zeek presents two celebrations of Elissa Froman, from best friend Emily Pearl Goodstein and NCJW colleague and friend Sammie Moshenberg. Both are adapted from March 24 eulogies for Elissa, who passed away on Friday, March 22, at 29.
From Farm to (Seder) Plate: Supporting a New Crop of Modern-day Isaiahs
Six months ago, my relationship with tomatoes changed forever. Once, they were simply the most delectable part of a salad. Now, I can’t bear to look at one without thinking about the hands that picked it. That’s why there will be a tomato on my family’s Seder plate this Passover. And I won’t be alone. Thousands of Jews across North America will be putting a tomato on their Seder plates, a symbol of the worker who picked it and the campaign to end slavery in the Florida tomato industry. This is our collective way of fulfilling the famous promise found in the Hagaddah, “It is because of what God did for me when I went free from Egypt.”
What happened six months ago? One morning just before daybreak, I found myself huddled with a group of five rabbis in a dimly lit parking lot in Immokalee, FL.
As a Landmark Civil Rights Trial Unfolds, A Passover Call to Action
Marjorie Dove Kent Hopes to Pack the Courts before a Seder in the Streets This Week
“East Flatbush is calling for calm,” said Marjorie Dove Kent, executive director of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), on Sunday. The killing of Kimani Gray coincides with Floyd v. City of New York, a federal class-action lawsuit filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights against the NYPD, challenging its practice of “suspicionless and race-based stops” against “hundreds of thousands if not millions of people.” Opening arguments for the trial were heard on Monday. This Wednesday, March 20th, Kent hopes the Jewish community will pack the courtroom in downtown Manhattan, then celebrate with Seder in the Streets, the latest installment of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice’s trademark boldness.
Letter from the (New) Editor
Zeek is back.
After a stint of recalibrating, we’re rolling out a new incarnation of Zeek, and I’m both proud and a bit giddy to be taking over as editor in chief.
My biggest hope for Zeek? That our readers (you!) will find an online magazine that’s unlike any other — one that showcases the people, ideas and conversations driving an inclusive and diverse Jewish community. One that’s smart, progressive, and Jewish. The kind of magazine that engages people. Inspires action and innovation. Isn’t the least bit shy about rabble-rousing or kickstarting debate.So here’s what to look for: an online magazine that’s unabashedly progressive, covers the vitality and voices of a growing movement, and profiles and promotes the ways Jews pursue justice in America. We’ll tell the kinds of stories that make clear and urgent the links between social justice and Judaism, while keeping a sense of humor.
A Green Gevalt: Nigel Savage and David Weisberg on the Hazon/Freedman merger and the Jewish environmental movement
On December 3, 2012, two of the Jewish world’s leading environmental organizations announced their merger. Zeek’s Jay Michaelson sat down with Nigel Savage, founder of Hazon, and David Weisberg, executive director of Isabella Freedman, for a in-depth conversation about what it all means.
Jewish Youth Activism: A Model for Leadership Development?
The Jewish community needs innovative responses and approaches to foster engagement in our future. In order to create leaders who create Jewish experiences rather than merely consume them, we need to engage youth around Jewish issues that have meaning and purpose.
Hearing the Healers
“Healing” is an abstract word, but the experiences we have as healers are concrete and specific. Here, read the voices of three people engaged in the healing process: a military chaplain, a hospice volunteer, and a social worker experiencing her own grief.
What is the Jewish Social Justice Agenda?
We must expand what is meant by “Jewish issues” beyond Israel and antisemitism. At a recent White House event in Washington DC, dozens of Jewish leaders talked about what that broader agenda should be. Here are some of them.
Analyzing Palestinian Ramallah Protests after Mubarak's Ouster
A bird’s eye view of Palestinian protests in Ramallah in the wake of Mubarak’s ouster; thanks to Ramallah Reflections which allowed us to reprint this essay.
What the Palestine Papers Mean
On January 23, Al Jazeera released the “Palestine Papers,” 1600 internal documents from Israel-Palestine peace negotiations. The documents show that it was Israel that was no partner for peace–and that the US failed to act as an honest broker.
Queer Jewish Community Remixed: Organizing without a Critical Mass
At the intersection of queer and Jewish, how can LGBT Jewish students build a movement to empower themselves?
Unite, Confuse and Inspire: A Response to the Rise of Racism in Israel
Over 53% of Israelis believe the state should encourage Arabs to leave the country. A snapshot of racism in Israel, and a list of concrete steps to stop its rise.
Bowling in Ramallah
Does economic growth in Ramallah mean economic peace for Israel/Palestine?
Three Israels: Why We Can't Talk about BDS
Despite Theodor Herzl’s dream, Israel is not simply a state like any other state. There are three Israels: the State of Israel (a “state like any other state”), Israel/Palestine, and the Jewish State. Which state(s) shape our understanding of Israel determines our views of the BDS movement.
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- 5000 Pages of Zeek
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