Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

Second North American Conference on Judaism and Human Rights Conference 2008

The conference is for Rabbis, Cantors, Rabbinic Students and all who are committed to human rights. Sunday, Dec. 7 - Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008 Adas Israel Congregation 2850 Quebec Street, NW Washington, DC www.adasisrael.org. Mark your calendars for December 7th and register now for a conference that will inspire and reinvigorate you!

For conference details and registration go to:
http://www.rhr-na.org/story/registration-is-now-open-for-the-second-north-american-conf

Among the highlights of the conference are the following plenaries:

"Zionism, Israel and Human Rights" with Avram Burg, author and former Speaker of the Knesset, Paula Hyman, Lucy Moses Professor of Modern Jewish History, Yale University, and Sari Nusseibeh, President of Al Quds University. This panel will be moderated by Kathleen Peratis, Board Member Emerita of Human Rights Watch.

(Sunday night)
"The Abrahamic Religions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" with Dr. Arnold Eisen, Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Dr. David Gushee, founder of Evangelicals for Human Rights, and Imam Yahya Hendi, founder of Imams for Human Rights and Dialogue, moderated by Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer, Director, Religious Studies Program, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.

(Monday)
"Renewing America's Commitment to Human Rights" with Linda Gustitus, Chair, National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Sammie Moshenberg, of the National Council of Jewish Women, and Michael Posner, President of Human Rights First, moderated by Mary Ann Stein, President, Moriah Fund.

(Tuesday)
Other highlights include:
Special Concert with musical sensation Pharaoh's Daughter, a band that brings world beat fusion to traditional Jewish and Middle Eastern melodies. Find out more at www.pharaohsdaughter.com.

(Monday night)
A Land Twice Promised: A compelling piece on Israeli and Palestinian women's stories with Noa Baum. For more information see www.noabaum.com.

(Sunday afternoon)
A Luncheon honoring the 20th anniversary of Rabbis for Human Rights-Israel

(Monday)
Study Sessions with leading Jewish scholars and teachers on Jewish texts and values related to human rights
Study Sessions with human rights experts on issues in Israel and North America. Opportunities for communal prayer and song and modeling ways to incorporate human rights concerns into prayer in your community

For conference details and registration go to:
http://www.rhr-na.org/story/registration-is-now-open-for-the-second-north-american-conf

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From the archives of the 1st Conference in 2006:

Image of the RHR Conference GraphicOver 200 rabbis representing demoninations across the Jewish spectrum are gathering in New York City for the first ever North American rabbinic conference on human rights. The Dec. 10 - 12 conference is sponsored by Rabbis for Human Rights, North America, a sister organization to Rabbis for Human Rights in Israel.

During the conference the government demolished the home of East Jerusalem resident Ahmed Dari, a previously demolished home which had been rebuilt, in part, by a number of the rabbis attending the conference. Stopping home demolitions is one of Rabbis for Human Rights core missions. RHR Israel's Executive Director Rabbi Arik Ascherman protested in front of the Dari home in 1993. Read Ascherman's call-to-action and report on this latest demolition.

Roughly 50 of the 200 rabbis attending the conference were members of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association or studying at RRC. At a lunchtime gathering, he RRA rabbis raised $15,000 of the $30,000 needed to rebuild a demolished home.

JRF's Director of Outreach and Tikkun Olam Rabbi Shawn Zevit said, "It made us angry to think that the those who ordered the demolition took advantage of so many RHR rabbis being in New York for the conference. But we rallied together across denominational lines to respond to the situation on the ground."

RRA member Rabbi Brian Walt is the North American Director of Rabbis for Human Rights. Other Reconstructionist rabbis in the leadership of RHR-NA who were present included Sharon Kleinbaum, Mordechai Liebling, Sheila Peltz Weinberg, Sid Schwarz, and Liz Bolton. Students who represent RRC to RHR North America attending the conference were Jara Greenfield and Isabel deKoninck.