With the 2012-2013 academic year well underway, Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) is busy providing a range of educational programs. RHR operates two human rights yeshivot, teaches courses in 13 pre-army academies using RHR's Talmudic style commentary on Israel's Declaration of Independence, and runs a "Sister Citizens for Equality" program for Jewish and Bedouin Israeli women to learn about and take on issues of women’s rights and human rights together.
This year, the students in all of RHR’s educational programs will participate in human rights tours about African asylum seekers, guest workers, poverty, and prostitution in South Tel Aviv. Through each of these programs, the students will also meet with Palestinians and Bedouin in East Jerusalem, Hebron, the South Hebron Hills, and the Negev to learn about their struggles for land, property, civil, and political rights.
The pre-army academies are yearlong programs offered to young Israelis between high school and the army. Many students will go on to be officers. Therefore, RHR sees this as a chance to challenge these young people to think about Judaism and human rights at a critical juncture in their lives.
The Human Rights Yeshiva is entering its ninth year at Hebrew University, which RHR runs in conjunction with Hillel. This year RHR is offering its Human Rights Yeshiva program at Emek Yizrael College in the Galilee as well.
"Sister Citizens for Equality" is entering the third and final year for this cohort of Jewish and Bedouin Israeli women. These women study about the status of women and human rights in their various faith traditions, get the tools to be activists, and run projects together.
For all RHR updates at http://rhr.org.il/eng/index.php/category/newsletter/ or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RabbisForHumanRights
