New Jewish Social Justice Website – www.utzedek.org
www.utzedek.org was launched today by Uri L’Tzedek (Awaken to Justice), leaders of the Orthodox social justice movement. There are tons of Torah sources, activist resources, events, volunteer opportunities, information on where to eat at Tav HaYosher (ethically certified) restaurants, and more.
Also, check out Shmuly, Uri L’Tzedek’s co-founder, getting arrested in protest of civil and human rights violations in Iran.
Is there a factory somewhere in America where they manufacture these Jewish “social justice” organisations?
Don’t worry, he’s protesting Iran, so it’s “kosher” for everyone. When Uri L’Tzedek is willing to protest civil human rights abuses in the occupied territories we can talk about “social justice.”
(I don’t intend to undermine the good work Uri L’Tzedek is doing in bringing local justice issues to the orthodox community, but once they choose to take on international politics without protesting the occupation in any way, they begin to look as hypocritical as mainstream organizations).
I don’t see any indication that the Iran protest is officially associated with Uri L’Tzedek as an organization.
I’m with CoA. Also, I don’t see why getting arrested by the NYPD constitutes any sort of mesirus nefesh. Now, getting arrested by the IDF…
BZ, it’s an official ULTz event — it went out in their online newsletter and its on their website on the online calendar.
I agree with the sentiment that until Uri L’Tzedek protests the persecution of Palestinians under Israeli Occupation, their protests of Iran will seem like a way of ignoring the elephant in the room. Protesting Iran isn’t radical in any way. It’s just another way of towing the line.
I wish the people behind this great initiative a great success
Let the Jew continue their work of spreading justice and peace
FormerMuslim congrats on leaving Islam
It’s just another way of towing the line.
What if the line is right regarding this issue?
Btw, I just saw that President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Is this for real? When will the hero-worship end?
What you may not have heard yet is that the selection process for the Nobel Peace prize ended in February, when Obama was in office for a whole week or two. America has become the laughingstock of the world. Roger Cohen had a funny piece up today that, in the same spirit, Sarah Palin should be awarded the Pulitzer for promising to read a book sometime.
At least we can all have a laugh about it, and the funny punditry is coming from right and left. One of my favorite is that on the same day that America bombed the moon in the first recorded act of interplanetary war, its President earns the Peace prize.
I should also add, as if its necessary, that having Rabbis camping out on the street to protest and getting arrested over an issue they have no power to even remotely influence is… just sad. A private phone call to their elected representatives would have accomplished more. These Rabbis need a good communal beating for skirting their actual responsibilities, if they had any to begin with.
I think, in general, the Jewish community should re-institute allowing beit dins to issue rulings to enable legally beating people. For example, it should be ruled that Naturei Karta need to be kicked in the balls, on sight. Perhaps that will initiate a much needed process of self-reflection and teshuvah within their community. Similarly, men who refuse to give gets should be beaten, until they wisely rethink their position.
I don’t think we appreciate the benefits of court-directed controlled community violence. For example, how about we beat people instead of jailing them for a year? Minor felonies – family violence cases, that kind of thing. One beating can accomplish a lot of good in this world, at tremendous savings in resources currently devoted to litigation and incarceration.
Why just the Nobel Prize? Why not change the Constitution so that Mr. Obama can be Supreme Court Chief Justice and Fed. Chairman? Why just the Peace Prize? Why not a Nobel for science or literature?
Jonathan1 writes:
Why just the Nobel Prize? Why not change the Constitution so that Mr. Obama can be Supreme Court Chief Justice and Fed. Chairman?
Yeah, why doesn’t the Norwegian Nobel Committee just go ahead and change the U.S. Constitution? What’s stopping them?
“Why not change the Constitution so that Mr. Obama can be Supreme Court Chief Justice and Fed. Chairman?”
Those two people won’t give congress permission to change the constitution.
This person is not me and is impersonating me.
The lower-case ‘a’ did raise a red flag.
Those two people won’t give congress permission to change the constitution.
I think they’d make an exception for President Obama.
(What a slap in the face this is to Bill Clinton, btw, who spent the last year of his presidency obsessively working for a Israel-Palestinian and Israel-Syria deal.)
Ok, BZ. You caught me. I didn’t realize the Norwegian Nobel Committee doesn’t have the power to change the U.S. Constitution. Thanks for the clarification.