Repair the World

Weekly Torah: Parshat Metzora 5770

This post is part of a weekly series of Torah commentaries presented by the American Jewish World Service. It was contributed by guest writer and Dvar Tzedek alumnus, Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels.

Parshat Metzora describes the outbreak of “an eruptive plague upon a house” and the series of procedures the owner and priest must go through to check and cure it. The midrash on our parshah suggests several acts that could cause this oddity—a spiritual malady affecting an external physical object like a home. Some midrashim claim the plague comes from a lack of generosity—falsely announcing that one is going to make a charitable donation or refusing to lend one’s objects to one’s neighbors. Another suggests that its causes include idolatry, violence, self-centeredness, theft and miserliness. What the various midrashim seem to agree on is that the sinner is guilty of an error of the heart: the owner of the afflicted house has placed objects and prosperity before generosity and human kindness. We too suffer from this affliction today—every time we look away when someone asks us for help or don’t give as much tzedakah as we could. But we lack the visible indicator—the tzaraat on our homes, to let us know that we need to change.

Repair Interview: Joe Solomon of 350.org on Climate Change and Building a Movement

When it comes to social issues, climate change can sometimes feel particularly overwhelming. And yet while evidence of climate change’s impact keeps rising, the voice of skepticism and global warming denying grows ever stronger.

Enter 350.org, an “international campaign that’s building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis…[and] create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet. Co-founded by environmental journalist and author Bill McKibben along with colleagues and students from Middlebury College, 350.org empowers communities around the world to stand up against climate change and bring inspiration back to the conversation.

Social Media Coordinator, Joe Solomon took some time to explain what 350 really means, talk about transforming community inspiration into political power, and share a story about how his work with 350.org inspired him in ways he never imagined.

Repair the World’s Jon Rosenberg Talks Jewish Service with PresenTense

Recently, PresenTense Magazine launched an entire issue dedicated to Jewish service. We think that’s a great thing. In the pages you’ll find excellent, thoughtful articles that discuss everything from food, faith and justice, to direct service versus community organizing, and New Orleans as a Jewish service mecca.

We were particularly excited about this interview with Repair the World’s CEO Jon Rosenberg – it’s part of a larger series called Sourcing Service, which asks Jewish service leaders to take on the question, “What is Jewish about service, anyway?”

Read an excerpt below and checkout the whole interview here.

J-Serve Adds Jewish Spin to Global Youth Service Day

Last week we posted about Global Youth Service Day, a weekend devoted to celebrating kids and teens making a difference in their communities, all over the world.

One amazing way you can get involved with GYSD, and give it a Jewish spin, is to participate in J-Serve: the National Day of Jewish Youth Service on April 17. This year marks J-Serve’s sixth year providing “teens with the opportunity to fulfill the Jewish values of gemilut chasidim, acts of loving kindness, tzedakah, just and charitable giving, and tikkum olam, the responsibility to repair the world.”

AJWS Accepting Applications for their Dvar Tzedek Fellowship

Every Friday, Repair the World publishes a Weekly Torah column featuring the writings of Dvar Tzedek Fellows from the American Jewish World Service (AJWS). The column takes the weekly parsha (the Torah portion being read that week) and examines it through the lens of service and social justice. The results are smart, thoughtful and inspiring. They bring Jewish texts to life for modern readers, and offer ancient wisdom and connections for some of today’s most pressing issues.

Now you can join in because AJWS is accepting applications for their next class of Dvar Tzedek fellows. Check out the details:

Monday Link Roundup

Happy Monday! Here in New York we got a glimpse of real spring this past weekend, and it was invigorating. To bring some of that energy into the week, here is your weekly dose of inspiring service related posts from around the web.

• AJWS announced that their President, Ruth Messinger, is joining Tony Hall, executive director of the Alliance to End Hunger and other human rights leaders, in fasting this week to protest cuts to the U.S.’s humanitarian aid budget, and call attention to global hunger.
• eJewish Philanthropy published an essay by Alison Laichter of the Jewish Meditation center of Brooklyn about the importance of making time to spiritually recharge in a life of activist work.
• Do you believe that service should be a central part of American life? Service Nation reminds us that today, April 4, you can call your Senators and voice your support for AmeriCorps, SeniorCorps, Learn and Serve America, and other service organizations that are currently threatened by potential budget cuts. All the info you need to call and stand for service can be found here.
• On a related note, The Huffington Post’s Aaron Hurst shares his thoughts on the “Three Keys to Revitalizing the Service Movement in America.”

Weekly Torah: Parshat Tazria 5771

This post is part of a weekly series of Torah commentaries presented by the American Jewish World Service. It was contributed by Dani Passow.

Parshat Tazria begins with the laws of circumcision: “When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male…on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.” It’s striking how this child, made in the image of God, innocent and pure, is subject to such a radical “fixing” so soon after birth. A reference to circumcision in a midrash on Parshat Tazria sheds light on the meaning of this ritual:

Turnus Rufus the wicked asked Rabbi Akiva: “Whose deeds are better—Those of God or those of humans?” Rabbi Akiva answered, “Those of humans are better.”…Turnus Rufus asked, “Why do you circumcise yourselves?” [Rabbi Akiva] replied, “I knew you would ask me about that, which is why I pre-empted and told you that things made by humans are better than things made by God.” Rabbi Akiva then brought Turnus Rufus two items: stalks of wheat and baked rolls. Rabbi Akiva said: “These [the stalks of wheat] are the deeds of God, and these [the baked rolls] are the deeds of humans. Are these [baked rolls] not more beautiful?”

Turnus Rufus’s initial question is audacious, surpassed in its daring only by Rabbi Akiva’s surprising answer. We would expect the great sage to laugh at the suggestion that the omnipotent and benevolent Master of the Universe can even be compared with earthly humans, who, we learn in Bereishit, are made from dust and will return to dust. And yet, Rabbi Akiva’s almost blasphemous response dares to rank the work of humans higher than that of God. In his estimation, circumcision—the symbol of our covenant—acts as a bold reminder that God did not create a perfect world; rather, God left the world unfinished, inviting us to be partners in creation.

Global Youth Service Day is Coming Up – April 15-17

Calling all kids! Join in the fun on April 15-17 for Global Youth Service Day – an “annual campaign that celebrates and mobilizes the millions of children and youth who improve their communities each day of the year through service and service-learning.”

Since it’s founding in 1988, Global Youth Service Day has become the largest service event in the world (it’s celebrated in over 100 countries!) – and the only one that specifically caters to youth. From planting community gardens, to organizing fundraising walks, to cooking at a soup kitchen and organizing a health and wellness fair, the kids involved with Global Youth Service Day are making a big difference in their communities.

• Have an idea for a service event in your community? Register it as an official GYSD event here.
• Want to get involved, but not sure how? Find an event in your neighborhood to hook into.
• Want to see how the Jewish community is getting involved with GYSD? Check out J-Serve.
• And don’t forget to check out GYSD’s amazing resource page for all the toolkits, posters, and guides you need to create a fun and successful event.

http://www.jserve.org/about

Repair Interview: Jenni Wolfson on Documenting Human Rights Abuses with WITNESS

Video has the power to change the world by changing the way we see it. In Brooklyn, an international human rights organization called WITNESS is working to leverage video’s power by providing training and support to organizations to utilize video as a critical tool in their human rights advocacy work.

Managing Director, Jenni Wolfson – who spent years as a human rights activist for the United Nations before coming to WITNESS – has seen first hand the important role the documentarian plays in changing the world. Wolfson took some time to tell Repair the World about the quickly changing landscape of video and social media, the courage she sees in activists every day, and how her background as a Scottish Jew influenced her passion for human rights work.

White House seeks students bridging faith through service

Two years ago, the White House made headlines by planting a vegetable garden on the South Lawn. The goal, said First Lady Michelle Obama, was to educate people – both adults and especially kids – about healthy, local eating and spread those values across the country.

Now, the White House is taking similarly inspiring steps towards promoting interfaith service on college campuses. The President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge “[invites] institutions of higher education to commit to a year of interfaith cooperation and community service programming on campus. This programming might take the form of campus Christian, Jewish, Muslim and secular student organizations implementing a specific year-long community service project. It might also involve students from a campus partnering with local religious groups to tackle a specific community challenge together.”