“Jews praying in the synagogue on Yom Kippur” (1878), painting by Maurici Gotlieb. cc: Wikipedia
Rabbis for Human Rights wishes you “G’mar Hatima Tova”
The vidui (recounting of our sins) during the High Holidays is intended to make us feel uncomfortable, to confront us with the wrongs we have done. This vidui relates to our society today, to the way in which we treat the unemployed and disadvantaged, immigrants, migrant workers, single mothers, the elderly, the exploited women, the Arab citizens of the State and the Palestinians, and those we disagree with politically. The vidui asks us to take individual responsibility also for the collective sins of our society. Just as the High Priest in ancient times had to recite his own vidui before saying a vidui for others, we in the human rights community need to look at our own sins before we recount the sins of the society we are part of.
We apologize that the English version of the vidui will only be available tomorrow (Tuesday, October 25th). We will send it by email to all of you who receive emails from us, and will be posted here on the website as well. If you wish to receive the vidui as a Word document, please write Rabbi Ascherman at ravarik@rhr.israel.net, or call 050-5607034 (Not on Yom Kippur).
cc: wikipedia
Next week
- Registration for students has opened for the Everett programme - We operate a Centre for Human Rights in Hadera as part of our work as “Rabbis for Human Rights.” This centre helps vulnerable members of the community. This year we are able to take on a student who, in return for volunteering 8 hours a week with us and attending four Friday meetings, will receive from Shatil a year’s grant of 9,000 NIS. The programme will begin on 21.10.12 and end on 14.6.13.
Register today for the programme “Kolot Yehudiim” – Beit Midrash for Human Rights
The olive harvest season begins on Friday 5.10.12. During this period, the Palestinian farmers from villages in the West Bank receive threats, and are even prevented from accessing their lands. Frequently olives are stolen from their trees (we have all seen the photos of trees that were poisoned and uprooted). Rabbi Yehiel Grenimanncalls us to come and volunteer in the olive harvest of 2012.
- Friday, 28.9.2012, demonstration in the Sheikh Jarrar neighbourhood of east Jerusalem
- Sunday, 30.9.2012, 15:00 – demonstration for the rights of the Negev Arabs, Lehavim Junction
Last week
On Thursday (20.9), the police raided the village of Dehamesh, between Ramle and Lod. On Thursday, there were demolitions in the Bedouin settlements of Avda, Bar Hadaj in the Negev.
We participated in a three-pronged assembly opposite the homes of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Interior and the Defense Minister, with the aim of asking forgiveness for the behavior of Israeli society towards strangers.
Rabbis for Human Rights and the Inter religious Council in Israel hosted (Tuesday, 9.9) a delegation of Hiroshima survivors at a modest dinner at the RHR offices. Among the participants: Representatives of the Jewish-Arab delegation from the Inter religious Council who had visited Hiroshima. The Hiroshima survivors were also hosted by Muslim and Christian religious figures. Here is a photo of the meeting in Jerusalem. On the visit of the Hiroshima survivors to Israel, see the Facebook page of the Israeli Movement against Nuclear.
Social Justice
The month of Elul and the ten days of repentance following it are a fixed point of time, when we are asked to do some soul-searching and make changes. Rabbi Idit Lev sums up the year on the main protest website (Hebrew).
On Tuesday, 2.10.2012, 20:00, we will gather at the Central Bus Station of Yavne and go to build another improvised house in Israel for Rachel Levy, who was evicted from public housing (from the house she was born and grew up in). This activity is one of many needed, so that this winter people will not be left without a roof over their heads… We will all gather at the Central Bus Station of Yavne and go to the area where we will build a house in place of the one that the state took away. Details of transport to follow. Join in this event.
Rights in occupied territories
We are involved in the fight of the Jahalin tribe against the demolition of the school in Han al-Ahmar.
Lawyer Avital Sharon,the legal department of RHR: Last week there were two incidents of the vandalizing of water pipes in the Palestinian village of Biral-Eid in South Hebron Hills. As you will remember, the village inhabitants were expelled from their homes by violence on the part of their settler neighbours and their lives in the village became unbearable. The latest acts are part of an additional pattern of abuse. The legal department updates all those dealing with law enforcement in the area on what is happening and demands that they implement every means to protect the village residents and to stop the violence directed against them.
The media
In honour of the approaching new year,Rabbi Idit Lev participated in the programme “Seder Yom” with Karen Neubach, and gave her point of view on the custom of “Tashlich.”
Matti Shemoelof mentions us in his column in Mako of the activities on behalf of families thrown out on the street. The writer Eyal Maged, in “Ha’aretz”, mentions the struggle for the school in Han al-Ahmar. Rabbi Idit Lev sums up the year on the main protest website.
Rabbis for Human Rights wishes you “G’mar Hatima Tova”
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