This editorial printed in The Forward in December 2009 describes the need for service programs to actually serve others and not just sustain the good works of volunteers.

In 1971, Marco DeFunis, a white (Jewish) man, applied to the Washington University Law School and was denied admission. He, his wife, and parents brought a suit against the school claiming that he had been discriminated against. The original trial found in DeFunis’ favor, but the Supreme Court of Washington reversed the decision. Because DeFunis was Jewish and affirmative action was a heated issue in the Jewish community at the time, the case attracted a great deal of attention from Jewish organizations and the Jewish press—with a range of viewpoints expressed both in favor of and in opposition to affirmative action policies. In 1974, the case came before the Supreme Court and the Anti-Defamation League submitted a brief supporting the original decision. Below is an excerpt from that brief.

In 1967, James Baldwin, an African American novelist, poet, and civil rights activist, wrote an article trying to explain why after all that Jews had done for the Civil Rights Movement some African Americans could be anti-Semitic. This excerpt describes the roots of anti-Semitism in African American communities.

This excerpt comes from texts used at the 1969 Seder where Jews and African Americans came together to commemorate the first anniversary of Martin Luther King's assassination. In the excerpt Arthur Waskow describes the violence that had been used in previous struggles for freedom, including Exodus, the American Revolution and the Civil War.

Image is of a man and a woman beneath a tallit celebrating Sukkot.

The excerpt is taken from Ellen Willis' essay, “Letter to the Left,” which was written in 1969 to explain the need for a movement focused specifically on women’s liberation. Whereas many on the Left identified capitalism as the source of all social problems and inequalities, Willis argued that patriarchy – the social system based on governance by or dominance of males – was the root of women’s oppression, and that women’s oppression would not be alleviated by dismantling capitalism alone. Willis submitted this letter to The Guardian, the leading national Left newspaper of the time, but the editor refused to publish it.

The Brooklyn Bridge Collective was small countercultural Jewish community. They wrote a newspaper called Brooklyn Bridge. This excerpt was taken from an article published in the first issue of the community's newspaper and described the new vision for Judaism held by the Collective.

An organization of Jewish feminists, Ezrat Nashim called for greater equality for women within the Conservative movement. The group’s name is a play on words. While it literally means “assistance of women” it was also the name of used to refer to the women’s section in synagogues in which women and men sit separately.. In 1972, Ezrat Nashim went to the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly meeting and shared their demands, which are described in this document.

This United States Information Agency photograph of the March on Washington, August 28, 1963, shows civil rights and union leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., Joseph L. Rauh Jr., Whitney Young, Roy Wilkins, A. Philip Randolph, and Walter Reuther.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream…” speech re-imagined as a Talmud Page — surrounded by Biblical references and Jewish parallels.

Image features a crowd at the March on Washington. Men hold signs reading "Central Conference of American Rabbis."

Image of two women in sun hats at the March on Washington. Behind them more women sit under a sign reading, "March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom / Emma Lazarus Federation of Jewish Women's Clubs."

In this telegram Abraham Joshua Heschel describes his beliefs on the role of religious clergy in the Civil Rights Movement.

The article describes Rabbi William G. Braude, Rabbi Saul Leeman, and Rabbi Nathan Rosen's visit to Montgomery, Alabama in the spring of 1965.

Sermon given by Rabbi James A. Wax on Friday, April 5, 1968 at Temple Israel in Memphis, Tennessee on the occasion of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Statement by Carolyn Goodman published in the New York Times.

This video clip describes the danger the Wednesdays women encountered and reveals the dormant racism that existed in even some of the Wednesdays women. Susan Stedman and Doris V. Wilson of the Jackson team describe meeting the Northern women at the airport, with Klu Klux Klan members watching and spitting on the women as they arrived. Edith Savage Jennings, the first black women to meet with a group of white women in Jackson, tells of how after she (intentionally) removed her glove none of the women were willing to shake her hand.

Polly Cowan wrote a report at the end of the first summer of the Wednesdays in Mississippi project (WIMS) in which she described the group’s goals and their accomplishments. Two excerpts describe how WIMS began and how its purpose evolved.

This excerpt comes from an oral history interview with Wednesdays in Mississippi (WIMS) participant Sylvia Weinberg Radov that was conducted by Anne Moore (the daughter of another WIMS participant) in Chicago in 2002 for a project about Wednesdays in Mississippi. In the excerpt Radov describes the purpose of WIMS, in her understanding, and what the women did while in Jackson, Mississippi.

Gabriner describes how her Jewish heritage led her to participate in social justice events.

Excerpts from Rita Schwerner's application letter to CORE's Freedom Summer project in 1964.

Schwerner's statement to the press on the discovery of her husband's, Michael Schwerner, body on August 4, 1964. The Schwerners had been participating the the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project.

Vicki Gabriner discusses the challenges of doing Civil Rights work in her oral history interview with Judith Rosenbaum from July 20, 2000.

Letter describes Sylvie's reaction to the disappearance of civil rights workers Schwerner, Goodman and Chaney. Sylvie eats a meal with Rita Schwerner and thinks about the risks involved in the Movement.

Letter from Heather Tobis Booth to her brother Jon. The letter describes the fear she and other activists experienced while organizing for civil rights during the Freedom Summer Project.

Excerpts from the official ruling in de facto segregation case Skipwith vs. the NYC Board of Education. Ruling by Judge Justine Wise Polier.

The excerpts below come from one of a series of columns written by Amsterdam News editor James L. Hicks in response to the Skipwith decision.

Letter in response to Mrs. LOK's correspondence on the Skipwith ruling. Justice Polier describes the ideal America she is striving for and the duty she feels toward ending discrimination.

Newspaper clippings of Boston Globe article about Judith Frieze's experience as a Freedom Rider in 1961.

Excerpts from the essay "Traveling" describe Paley's experiences with race with traveling.

Letter describes the experience of a young northern white activist during the first few hours of orientation and training for the Mississippi Freedom Summer. The training program took place at Western College in Oxford, Ohio.

This excerpt describes the change in world view Paul Cowan experienced while working as a journalist.

This excerpt from An Orphan in History: Retrieving a Jewish Legacy describes the author's mother Polly Cowan and the Jewish values he inherited from her.

The following is an excerpt from a paper Maslow read at the annual meeting of the Association of Jewish Community Relations Workers on January 11, 1960. He sent the paper to his colleagues at American Jewish Congress in preparation for their dinner meeting with African American leaders the following month. The paper, which he marked as “confidential,” deals with anti-Semitic tendencies in the African American community and the development of anti-African American tendencies in the Jewish community.

Letter to the Board of Trustees of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations from Bernard Goodman (on behalf of the Hebrew Union Congregation) on the HUC's displeasure on the invitation of Martin Luther King, Jr. to speak at the UAHC Biennial.

Image of neo-Nazi men (identified by the arm bands they are wearing) demonstrating against the NAACP.

Eli Evans grew up in Durham, NC. In this excerpt from “The Maids and Black Jesus” in his book The Provincials: A Personal History of Jews in the South, Evans describes the relationship
his family had with its black maids.

Like many southern rabbis, Milton Grafman found himself caught between the realities of southern Jewish life and civil rights activists. He worked towards integration, but was opposed to disruptive protests that could lead to violence and undermine local, more moderate efforts. In the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, Grafman said the following in an interview with a rabbinic student at Hebrew Union College, who was working on a paper entitled “The Southern Rabbi and Civil Rights.”

On October 12, 1958, the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation Temple in Atlanta, GA, known simply as The Temple, was bombed. The bombing took place early in the morning and no one was injured. Claiming responsibility for the bombing, a voice identified as “General Gordon of the Confederate Underground” told a member of the press: "We bombed a temple in Atlanta. This is the last empty building in Atlanta we will bomb. All nightclubs refusing to fire their Negro employees will also be blown up. We are going to blow up all Communist organizations. Negroes and Jews are hereby declared aliens." The group is thought to have been targeting The Temple’s Rabbi, who was a known supporter of civil rights.

Quotation from "They Sent Us This White Girl" where Baker writes about her Grandmother Alice's view of the world as split between Jews and non-Jews. The author describes this as her "first awareness of culture as a system of belonging..."

Excerpt from the Rosh Hashanah 1965 sermon by Rabbi William G. Braude of Temple Beth-El in Providence, Rhode Island. In this sermon, Rabbi Braude explores whether or not to wear a head covering.

Essay reflecting on the author's experience as a multiethinic Jew. Iny is of Mizrahi and Ashkenazi heritage.

Photograph of a teenage boy sitting on steps. He wears a white t-shirt, and jeans.

A black and white photograph of a small sweatshop, similar to those run out of a small shop or even a residence.

A black and white photograph of a the most infamous type of factory, a large room with hundreds of machines and people working in very close quarters.

From A Bintel Brief: Letters to the Jewish Daily Forward by Isaac Metzker, translated by Isaac Metzker, copyright 1971 by Isaac Metzker. Foreword and notes copyright 1971 by Doubleday, a division of Bantam, Doubleday, Dell Publishing Group, Inc. p. 72.

An excerpt from a report by the New York (State) Factory Investigating Commission.

Rose Schneiderman’s Report to the Women’s Trade Union League on her organizing efforts in 1908.

An excerpt from Sarah Rozner's unpublished memoir in which she describes striking with her siblings and using her wages to support her family.

An excerpt from Rose Schneiderman's memoir in which she describes her work sewing linings into caps.

In an excerpt from her memoir, Rose Cohen recalls her first day on the job in a piecework shop.

Photograph of garment workers eating together before a union-sponsored class.

A black and white photograph of a lecture on social psychology given outdoors on ILGWU's Unity House grounds, August, 1926.

An audio recording of The Yiddish Community Chorus of Boston Workmen's Circle singing "Mayn Rue Plats" accompanied by transcript and English translation of the lyrics.

A photograph of a black and white illustration on the cover of The Masses from July 1913. The illustration shows six women wearing period dress walking home from work.

An excerpt about hats from the New York Evening Journal, November 26, 1909.

A black and white photograph of women selling newspapers.

A commentary about what an employer needs to provide for his or her employees. The Mishnah is a traditional Jewish text.

A photograph of a black and white illustration on the cover of The Masses from July 1913. The illustration shows six women wearing period dress walking home from work.

Rose Schneiderman describes the shop girls' involvement in strikes in an article in The Independent newspaper.

A scene from the book Bread Givers depicting the main character in a confrontation with her father about being independent.

A photograph of campers at Camp Kinderland stand outside Bunk 25.

Passage from Exodus/Shemot about oppressing the stranger. The Torah is a traditional Jewish text.

In this excerpt from The House on Henry Street, Lillian Wald describes the moment that sparked the creation of Henry Street Settlement House in 1893.

In this passage from her personal papers, Sarah Rozner recalls her role providing union support during the 1915 strike.

A plack and white photograph of men and women cloak makers holding picket signs.

A passage from Leviticus/Vayikra about witholding wages. The Torah is a traditional Jewish text.

Commentary from the Mishnah about the honor of work. The Mishnah is a traditional Jewish text.

A teshuvah (legal position) about paying workers a living wage by Rabbi Jill Jacobs, passed by the Conservative Movement's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards on May 28, 2008. Teshuvot (legal positions) are interpretations of laws based on traditional Jewish texts.

A transcription from The New York Times describing the Kosher Meat Boycott.

A transcription from The Yidishes Tageblat describing the Kosher Meat Boycott.

A transcription from the Forward Describing the Kosher Meat Boycott.

A transcription from the Forward describing the Kosher Meat Boycott.

A transcription from The New York Times describing the Kosher Meat Boycott.

An article describing the Rent Strike of 1907 and Pauline Newman's involvement.

A passage from Deuteronomy/Devarim about blessing the Land God has given people. The Torah is a tradtional Jewish text. Translation from Soncino Classics, Version 2.2.

A passage from Shulchan Arukh, the Jewish Code of Law, describing the laws of Kashrut (dietary laws). The Shulchan Aruch is a traditional Jewish text. Translation from Soncino Classics, Version 2.2.

An excerpt from the Kayam Farm website articulating the mission of Kayam Farm.

A description of the Jewish Farm School taken from the Jewish Farm School website.

An account from a Jewish American Farmer, originally published in the Forward.

History of the company Earthbound Farms as written on the Earthbound Farms website.

A black and white magazine clipping written in English advertising a picnic for freethinkers and radicals.

Excerpts from a memo written by the American Jewish Committee outlining a strategy for combatting anti-semitic sentiments resulting from McCarthy-era actions against Jewish radicals.