Activism

Content type
Collection
Yasmine Esther Crop

A Virtual Sanctuary for Jewish Women of Color

Allison Abrams

Instagram has allowed an inclusive, socially aware community of Jewish Women of Color to thrive.

Topics: Activism, Religion
Boer women and children in a British concentration camp during the Boer war

A Concentration Camp By Any Other Name

Roz Tromley

A concentration camp by any other name is still a concentration camp.

Stock Photo of Water

Mikveh and Water Justice

Steph Black

I am a mikveh guide. And I am an ecofeminist.

Flowers in Naomi Bethune's Yard

Other

Naomi Bethune

I am not seen as average or conventional: not Black enough, but certainly not white enough; Jewish, but not “Jewish” enough for some.

Topics: Activism
Rakhel Silverman Arrested on July 2

Never Again: I was Arrested Protesting ICE

Rakhel Silverman

When I learned about the Holocaust in Hebrew school, I remember feeling most disgusted by the bystanders who saw these atrocities but did nothing.

Topics: Activism
Stock Photo of Microphone

How I Became a Slam Poet

Ruby Russell

Maybe we can shatter some glass ceilings if we shout loud enough. 

March for Our Lives, Pittsburgh, March 2018

Disarming Hate

Ari Kane

Gun violence affects all of us, and we cannot just bury our heads in the sand and think and pray it away.

Topics: Activism
Field in Austin, Texas

How Will Your Jewish Mother Feed You on a Starving Planet?

Sophie Hurwitz

Food justice is a feminist issue, and a Jewish one.

Topics: Activism, Food

Yavilah McCoy Addresses the Women’s March in Washington, D.C.

January 19, 2019
On January 19, 2019, Yavilah McCoy – an anti-racism activist and Jewish woman of color – addressed the third annual Women’s March in Washington, D.C.
Shira Minsk in theater production of The Diary of Anne Frank

Redefining Theater

Shira Minsk

I worked with a few of my peers to found the Actors’ Helping Alliance. Every season we pick a charity to partner with whose mission is connected to central themes in the show we’re performing.

Irma Gershkowitz in a Pussy Hat CROP

A Century of Hats and Spirit

Leann Shamash

A new mother/daughter photo project encourages viewers to challenge ageism and value the experiences of the elderly.

Sister Mary Siena Schmitt, O.P. CROP

The Women Who Organize

Jeannie Appleman

Jeannie Appleman, Senior Trainer and Organizer for JOIN for Justice, shares five tips for organizing and honors the women who inspired her. Fearless women, presente!

Topics: Activism, Family
Book display for school social justice week

Standing for Social Justice at My School

Abigail Glickman

Every year, my high school hosts a Social Justice Week, and this year, I’m the primary organizer.

Photograph of a school classroom

Orating for Justice

Naomi Bethune

Sometimes, we unintentionally challenge the way others think. This prompts dialogue, which is essential for creating change.

Topics: Activism, Schools

Founding of the B'nai B'rith Girls (BBG)

April 22, 1944

B’nai B’rith Girls was founded by Anita Perlman.

La Croix Beverage Can

Oy, La Croix!

Molly Weiner

In researching La Croix and the devastating effects of our cans of privilege, I began to wonder: what effect would the consumers of La Croix have if they stopped buying bubbly water and instead used that money to combat destruction, contamination, and climate change? What if we could forgo our craving for pamplemousse and instead utilize our privilege for good?

Topics: Activism

Dr. Tarece Johnson

Tarece Johnson, EdD, is a womanist, entrepreneur, diversity and inclusion expert, poet, artist, author, activist, and advocate.

Emma Cohn at Social Justice Conference

Post-It Note Privilege

Emma Cohn

Recognizing your own privilege for the first time is deeply disquieting. It can feel like you’re doing something wrong, or as if you can’t participate in social justice efforts because you benefit directly from the oppression of others. And those feelings may never fully go away, but that’s okay.

Topics: Activism, Education
Open Hillel Protest in NYC

Who Funds Religious Life on College Campuses?

Rakhel Silverman

Jewish life organizations on college campuses rely on outside funders with their own agendas, and progressive religious students are left in the dust.

Topics: Activism, Religion
Madison, Wisconsin

This is Not My Story

Emma Nathanson

Besides its bike-friendly status, Madison also has a reputation for being incredibly liberal. You can’t go one block in Madison without spotting a Prius sporting a bumper sticker in support of a Democratic candidate. Often, Madison feels like an insulated left-leaning bubble within red Wisconsin.

Topics: Activism, Schools
Sarah Silverman's I Love You America

I Love You, Sarah

Larisa Klebe

In this particular political moment, Sarah Silverman’s latest project, her show on Hulu called I Love You, America, is exactly what I need.

Topics: Activism, Television

Episode 27: The Power of Women's Anger (Transcript)

Episode 27: The Power of Women's Anger (Transcript)

Julia Clardy's Three Grandmothers

My Personal Imahot

Julia Clardy

When it comes to grandmothers, I hit the jackpot. My grandmothers are some of the strongest and most incredible women I’ve ever met, and because I come from a blended family, I have three of them! My grandmothers are models of power and grace, and they haven’t sacrificed their passions and values as they’ve aged. They’re all fierce defenders of justice, and I am who I am today largely because of their influence.

March for Our Lives NYC

Rising From the Ashes

Rachel Harris

April 19th was a day of highs and lows. During the day, school was abuzz. Everyone was talking about the next day’s school walkout (planned in response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida)–whether they were going to do it, what they thought the punishments might be, if they were going to be in our local newspaper…my phone was on fire with texts from the organizers’ group chat. We planned to meet that day after school. We sat in the conference room, excitedly discussing who was bringing what, and writing the post for the Facebook event. I went home, giddy and anxious. My leg bounced under my kitchen table while I worked on my homework, my trademark nervous habit. I worried that no one would show up, or that everyone would get in trouble and blame me, or that it would rain really hard. My foot bounced faster. My phone dinged, bringing me out of my reverie.

Topics: Activism, Schools

Sheila Decter

Originally from the Boston area, Sheila Decter worked throughout her career to support the Jewish community, including the movement for Soviet Jewry, until her retirement in 2017.

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