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Confronting Violence and Injustice Against Women
Because women close to me had never confided their experiences of sexual violence, I was shocked when they began to tell me – first one, then another, and another– that they had been raped, sexually harassed, touched without permission, or abused in other ways. Listening to their stories, trying to absorb their pain while controlling my rage, I felt guilty about my own ignorance and inaction. Why was I shocked at a truth that has been true for so long? Why had I never spoken out before?
Social Justice in My Bones
This week’s parashah deals with all forms of justice: establishment of courts, rules for bearing witness, laws of military engagement, and treatment of captives. Its most quoted line, particularly in the Reform Movement, is Deut. 16:20 - “Tzedek, Tzedek tirdof” (Justice, Justice shall you pursue).
Identity and Ethics: Knowing Who and Whose You Are
If someone tells you that Judaism is X or Y, you should never believe them. Judaism is such a complex civilization — it is made up of religion and culture, language and land, and a particular kind of peoplehood. ... The Israelites’ preparations both to enter the Land and to create an ideal society are central motifs of Deuteronomy, and a particular focus of the extensive Parashat R’eih.