American Jewish World Service
Encyclopedia
American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is a nonprofit
international development
organization, founded in 1985, which supports community-based organizations in 35 countries in the developing world
and works to educate the American Jewish
community about global justice
. Its headquarters are in New York City
.
organization motivated by Judaism
's imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world
, regardless of race, religion or nationality. It operates in 35 countries. Through grants to grassroots
organizations, volunteer service, advocacy
and education, AJWS fosters civil society, sustainable development
and human rights
for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship
within the Jewish
community.
, formerly Manhattan
Borough President
and the Democratic
nominee for Mayor of New York City
in 1997. She has been at the helm of AJWS since 1998, and in late 2005, The Forward
named her in its annual "Forward 50" list of the most influential American Jews
. Messinger returned to the Forward 50 in 2009.
AJWS has received a Four Star rating from Charity Navigator
for seven years in a row.
, Massachusetts
, on May 1, 1985 when Larry Phillips and Larry Simon, together with a group of rabbi
s, Jewish
communal leaders, activists
, businesspeople, scholars and others came together to create the first American Jewish
organization dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among people across the globe.
The organization's first key achievement was its response to a volcano
disaster in Armaro, Colombia
, in 1986. That same year, AJWS helped the Tibetan government exiled in India
initiate an agricultural improvement project. In 1990, AJWS launched five new international development
projects in Mexico
, Honduras
and Haiti
, which provided training programs in sustainable agriculture
. In 1995, AJWS launched its first international service trips, including the International Jewish College Corps – now Volunteer Summer - which sent 10 young Jewish men and women to spend the summer helping villagers in Honduras build a potable
water system.
In the 1990s, AJWS's grantee organizations began to receive recognition for their work. In 1998, Ntataise Trust in South Africa
received an award from former South African President
Nelson Mandela
for "its exceptional contribution to education in South Africa." Its grantee Tostan
's campaign to ban female genital cutting
triumphed in Senegal
, when the Senegalese parliament
banned the practice.
Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, AJWS responded by receiving donations and making grants to groups that provide support to families of low-income workers. In 2004 the American Jewish World Service responded to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. In 2006, AJWS helped organize a rally in Washington, D.C.
against genocide
and has since conducted a series of other rallies throughout the country. In 2003 AJWS launched peer exchange programs in Southern Africa
that brought together community-based organizations from the region to exchange best practices in responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic
.
organizations working to promote health, education, economic development
, disaster relief, and social and political change in the developing world
. AJWS works with women, youth, ethnic, religious and sexual minorities, indigenous peoples
, refugees and internally displaced person
s and people living with HIV/AIDS.
, global health and poverty. In 2004 AJWS co-founded, along with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
, the Save Darfur Coalition
to end the conflict in Darfur
. In 2007, it became the first national Jewish
organization to promote targeted divestment by launching a divestment initiative against the government of Sudan
.
identity. The organization produces Torah
commentaries, holiday resources, curricula and other educational resources. These materials, created in collaboration with rabbi
and Jewish educators, are meant to challenge American Jews to think about how Jewish text and tradition can inspire action.
, Asia
and Latin America
for short and extended periods of time through AJWS. Students can volunteer through Alternative Breaks, Volunteer Summer or the World Partners Fellowship. Professional adults can volunteer for longer periods of time through the AJWS Volunteer Corps. AJWS also runs a semi-annual service trip for rabbi
nical students, to engage future rabbis to make global justice a priority for their future congregations.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
international development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
organization, founded in 1985, which supports community-based organizations in 35 countries in the developing world
Developing country
A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...
and works to educate the American Jewish
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
community about global justice
Global justice
Global justice is an issue in political philosophy arising from the concern that the world at large is unjust.-Context:The broader philosophical context of the global justice debate, in both its contemporary and historical forms, is the issue of impartiality...
. Its headquarters are in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Mission
American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is an international developmentInternational development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
organization motivated by Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
's imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world
Developing country
A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...
, regardless of race, religion or nationality. It operates in 35 countries. Through grants to grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
organizations, volunteer service, advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
and education, AJWS fosters civil society, sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship
Global citizenship
Global citizenship applies the whole world to bring world peace and the concept of citizenship to a global level and is strongly connected with the concepts of globalization and cosmopolitanism. World citizenship is a term which can be distinguished from global citizenship, although some may merge...
within the Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
community.
Leadership
AJWS's president is Ruth MessingerRuth Messinger
Ruth Wyler Messinger is a former political leader in New York City and a member of the Democratic Party as well as the Democratic Socialists of America. She was the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City in 1997, losing to incumbent mayor Rudy Giuliani. She is married to Andrew Lachman, her...
, formerly Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
Borough President
Borough president
Borough President is an elective office in each of the five boroughs of New York City.-Reasons for establishment:...
and the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominee for Mayor of New York City
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
in 1997. She has been at the helm of AJWS since 1998, and in late 2005, The Forward
The Forward
The Forward , commonly known as The Jewish Daily Forward, is a Jewish-American newspaper published in New York City. The publication began in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily issued by dissidents from the Socialist Labor Party of Daniel DeLeon...
named her in its annual "Forward 50" list of the most influential American Jews
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
. Messinger returned to the Forward 50 in 2009.
AJWS has received a Four Star rating from Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator is an independent, non-profit organization that evaluates American charities. Its stated goal is "to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of America's largest charities."-About:...
for seven years in a row.
History
AJWS was established in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, on May 1, 1985 when Larry Phillips and Larry Simon, together with a group of rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s, Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
communal leaders, activists
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
, businesspeople, scholars and others came together to create the first American Jewish
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
organization dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among people across the globe.
The organization's first key achievement was its response to a volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
disaster in Armaro, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, in 1986. That same year, AJWS helped the Tibetan government exiled in India
Central Tibetan Administration
The Central Tibetan Administration , is an organisation based in India with the stated goals of "rehabilitating Tibetan refugees and restoring freedom and happiness in Tibet". It was established by the 14th Dalai Lama in 1959 shortly after his exile from Tibet...
initiate an agricultural improvement project. In 1990, AJWS launched five new international development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
projects in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
and Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, which provided training programs in sustainable agriculture
Sustainable agriculture
Sustainable agriculture is the practice of farming using principles of ecology, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment...
. In 1995, AJWS launched its first international service trips, including the International Jewish College Corps – now Volunteer Summer - which sent 10 young Jewish men and women to spend the summer helping villagers in Honduras build a potable
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
water system.
In the 1990s, AJWS's grantee organizations began to receive recognition for their work. In 1998, Ntataise Trust in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
received an award from former South African President
President of South Africa
The President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africa's Constitution. From 1961 to 1994, the head of state was called the State President....
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
for "its exceptional contribution to education in South Africa." Its grantee Tostan
Tostan
Tostan is a US-registered 501 international nongovernmental organization with operations in over 500 communities in Senegal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Mauritania, Somalia, and Djibouti...
's campaign to ban female genital cutting
Female genital cutting
Female genital mutilation , also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, is defined by the World Health Organization as "all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons."FGM...
triumphed in Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, when the Senegalese parliament
Parliament of Senegal
The Parliament of Senegal is the country's bicameral national parliament. It was unicameral before 1999 and from 2001 to 2007; between 1999 and 2001 and since May 2007, the otherwise unicameral National Assembly of Senegal was only the parliament's lower house, with the indirectly elected Senate...
banned the practice.
Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, AJWS responded by receiving donations and making grants to groups that provide support to families of low-income workers. In 2004 the American Jewish World Service responded to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. In 2006, AJWS helped organize a rally in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
against genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
and has since conducted a series of other rallies throughout the country. In 2003 AJWS launched peer exchange programs in Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
that brought together community-based organizations from the region to exchange best practices in responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
.
Grantmaking
AJWS currently funds 388 grassrootsGrassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
organizations working to promote health, education, economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
, disaster relief, and social and political change in the developing world
Developing country
A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...
. AJWS works with women, youth, ethnic, religious and sexual minorities, indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
, refugees and internally displaced person
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
s and people living with HIV/AIDS.
Advocacy
AJWS works to promote awareness and influence U.S. international policies and funding in relation to human rightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, global health and poverty. In 2004 AJWS co-founded, along with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history...
, the Save Darfur Coalition
Save Darfur Coalition
The Save Darfur Coalition is an advocacy group calling for international intervention in the Darfur genocide in the Eastern African state of Sudan...
to end the conflict in Darfur
War in Darfur
The Darfur Conflict was a guerrilla conflict or civil war centered on the Darfur region of Sudan. It began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and Justice and Equality Movement groups in Darfur took up arms, accusing the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arab Sudanese in...
. In 2007, it became the first national Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
organization to promote targeted divestment by launching a divestment initiative against the government of Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
.
Education
AJWS seeks to make the pursuit of global justice an integral part of American JewishAmerican Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
identity. The organization produces Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
commentaries, holiday resources, curricula and other educational resources. These materials, created in collaboration with rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
and Jewish educators, are meant to challenge American Jews to think about how Jewish text and tradition can inspire action.
Service
Individuals and groups can volunteer in AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
for short and extended periods of time through AJWS. Students can volunteer through Alternative Breaks, Volunteer Summer or the World Partners Fellowship. Professional adults can volunteer for longer periods of time through the AJWS Volunteer Corps. AJWS also runs a semi-annual service trip for rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
nical students, to engage future rabbis to make global justice a priority for their future congregations.
External links
- American Jewish World Service official website
- Jewish Service and Global Citizenship: Transforming Experience into Action, by AJWS president Ruth Messinger, on the goals and impacts of AJWS and AVODAH, 2008.
- Extending the Boundaries of Justice, an AJWS experience in El Salvador, by Penina Podwol, 2006.