Triple your gift today to support the rabbis of tomorrow

Dear Supporter

Thanks to a generous gift from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, every dollar that you donate to Rabbis for Human Rights-North America to support our Rabbinical/Cantorial Student Summer Fellowship in Human Rights Leadership will be tripled between now and July 31, up to $20,000. (Apologies to those of you who erroneously received an e-mail last week saying that the deadline had come. . .if you rushed to give a gift already--thank you!)

We are asking only rabbis and cantors to help us meet this challenge grant.

You know, better than anyone else, what support rabbinical and cantorial students need in developing their leadership skills.

The first cohort of our brand new rabbinical/cantorial student fellowship is just halfway through their eight week experience developing the skills and commitments to be strong human rights leaders for the future. Let me introduce you to two of the students participating in the program, by way of their own words:

I learned that it's easy for clergy to support a cause, sign a letter, and give a sermon or Dvar Torah. But what is more difficult is the hard work of organizing around an issue. This experience is showing me some of what it takes to lead communities, but more, how religious leaders still have a powerful voice in fighting for justice.--Seth Wax, Rabbinical Student, Hebrew College

[As a rabbi and cantor] when I seek out partnerships with organizations in the community where I serve, I will look back to my experience for an understanding of how to partner with community organizations. When I teach my congregation about human rights issues in the United States,Israel, or elsewhere in the world, I will remember the study sessions that helped me to connect these issues with Jewish tradition. Most importantly, when I need support in my efforts, I will call a member of my fellowship cohort.-- Cantor Elana Rosen-Brown (recently ordained as a cantor at Hebrew Union College, continuing her studies to become a rabbi.)

Elana and Seth are just two of the incredible students taking part in the program this summer. The other two students are Adam Zagoria-Moffet (Jewish Theological Seminary) and Michael Langer (RIETS/Yeshiva University).

Each student spends three days a week interning at a New York City human rights organization--working with populations including victims of human trafficking, women in the prison system, immigrants, low-wage workers, and welfare recipients. The other two days a week are devoted to studying Jewish perspectives on human rights, reflecting on the role of the rabbi and cantor in human rights work, and developing the skills to be effective human rights leaders.

Your gift of $180, $360 or $500 today will move us much closer to reaching our goal of $20,000, which will be matched 2-1 for a total of $60,000 to support leadership training for the rabbinical and cantorial students who will be the human rights leaders of the future.

And if you have already given, on-line or by mail, thank you again for your support of emerging human rights leaders.

With thanks,

Jill Jacobs
Executive Director
Rabbis for Human Rights-North America

Follow me on Twitter: @rabbijilljacobs