Slavery & Human Trafficking

“Jewish tradition teaches us that every human being is created in God’s image. To degrade and enslave another human life is the ultimate denial of that reality.”

-Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster

Jewish Resources

• Resource collections
• Curricula
• Divrei Torah
• Fact Sheets
• Text Studies and Academic Papers
• Liturgy
• Video, Podcasts, and Lectures
• Public Statements and Press Releases
• Media Coverage
• Assorted Essays
• Films

 

Resource Collections

• The Jewish Anti-Trafficking Handbook – will be released in the spring of 2013.
• Slavery and Human Trafficking: Human Rights Shabbat 2012/5773 Resources by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster
• Passover Resources page: Includes “A Passover Taste of Slavery Footprint,” “A Tomato on the Seder Plate,” “10 Revolutionary Ideas to Explore at your Seder” and “Passover Resources from Fair Trade Judaica”

 

Curricula:

• Learning About Slavery and Human Rights: An Interactive Lesson Plan prepared by Lori Shaller
• Teaching Fair Trade Principles and Masekhet Zechuyot Ha’Adam Masekhet Zechuyot Ha’Adam: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights with Jewish Sources by Ilana Schatz, Fair Trade Judaica

 

Divrei Torah:

• My Trip to Immokalee, by Rabbi Louis Rieser, March 2013.
• Planting for a Different Future by Rabbi Jane Kanarek, PhD, February 2013.
• Desecrating the Kitchen Table/Restoring Its Sanctity by Rabbi Richard Litvak, Sh'ma, March 2011.
• The Ten Plagues of Modern Slavery by Rabbi Joshua Lesser 
• Hearing the Cry of Oppression by Rabbi Jarah Greenfield
• Sukkot without a Guilty Conscience by Rabbi Jill Jacobs 
• On Power, Hope, and Change by Rabbi Barbara Penzner 
• Slavery Sermon Talking Points by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster
• Slavery Then and Now by Rabbi Gordon Tucker. Rabbi Tucker discusses the problem of modern slavery and describes his experience visiting sites from the African slave trade.
• A Yom Kippur Sermon on Sex Trafficking by Rabbi Aaron Fine 
• A Passover Sermon by Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater 
• The Call of the Shofar: A Rosh Hashanah Sermon on Modern Slavery by Rabbi Charles Feinberg 
• A Rosh Hashanah Sermon on Slavery by Rabbi David Stern 
• Modern Slavery and the Jewish Commitment to Human Dignity by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster 
• Sermon on Slavery, Rosh Hashanah 2008 by Rabbi Charles Feinberg 
• Passover and Human Rights: Interfaith Perspectives
• D’var Torah on Slavery and Human Trafficking by Rabbi Jarah Greenfield

 

Fact Sheets:

• The Jewish Response to Slavery & Human Trafficking -- Resources to Learn More 
• A Slavery Fact Sheet prepared by Rabbi Abby Cohen

 

Text Studies and Academic Papers:

• Slavery in America Today: The Current Sitaution and a Jewish Response by Ron Soodalter. An article about modern slavery in America based on a talk given at Columbia University in November 2009. Rabbi Amy Eilberg offers a Jewish response to Soodalter’s article.
• Trafficking and Prostitution: Lessons from Jewish Sources by Naomi Graetz and Julie Cwikel.
• Trafficking and Prostitution in Jewish Sources: A Text Sheet  and a Study Guide prepared by Naomi Graetz. This text study and study guide look at the issue of prostitution in classic Jewish sources.
• Toward the End of Slavery: The Vision of Leviticus by Professor Jacob Milgrom
• The Dignity of Work and the Indignity of Slavery: Texts with Questions, Rabbi Gordon Tucker's text sheet from his session at the 2008 Conference on Judaism and Human Rights, “The Dignity of Work and the Indignity of Slavery,” along with discussion questions. Read a transcript of the session. For just the texts, click here.

 

Liturgy:

• Passover Seder Readings on Modern Slavery (part 1) (part 2)
• A Passover Haggadah Supplement: Pesach and Slavery: Then and Now by Rabbi Gilah Langer 
• The Ten Plagues by Rabbi Abby Cohen
• The Four Children by Rabbi Gilah Lander and David Arnow 
• The Four Questions by Rabbi Abby Cohen 
• A Misheberach for Victims of Slavery by Rabbi Joshua Boettiger 
• Next Year May We Be Free: Discussion Questions for Your Seder by Rabbi Ed Feld and Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster.

 

Videos, Podcasts, and Lectures:

• “Created in God’s Image” by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster 
• Slavery, Trafficking, and People of Faith: In Our Own Backyards and Beyond, with Rabbi Simkha Weintraub, Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services; Ron Soodalter, Author, The Slave Next Door; Pamela Shifman, NoVo Foundation; and Nisha Varia, Human Rights Watch.

 

Public Statements and Press Releases:

• June 21, 2012 RHR-NA Congratulates Israel for Improved Human Trafficking Record
• May 24, 2012 Conservative Rabbis Support Justice for Tomato Pickers, End to Prolonged Solitary Confinement
• September 12, 2011 RHR-NA Leads Fact-Finding Mission of Rabbis to "Ground Zero" of Slavery in America.

 

Media Coverage

• August 31, 2012: Where Do Our Tomatoes Come From? By Larry Yudelson, New Jersey Jewish Standard.
• July 25, 2012: Integrity and Justice: Tell Chipotle to Go Deeper than Just a Slogan by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Huffington Post.
• June 19, 2012: From Egypt to Immokalee by Steve Lipman, The Jewish Week.
• May 19, 2012: In the Spirit: The Church and Human Trafficking by Alliee DeArmond, Pasadena Star News.
• May 12, 2012: Mike and David discuss Tomatoes on Seder Plates and the Issue of Modern Slavery, The People's Law Podcast.
• April 11, 2012: Doing Justice to the Passover Seder by Suzanne Pollak, Washington Jewish Week.
• April 10, 2012: Freedom for Tomato Pickers by Helen Chernikoff, The Jewish Week.
• April 10, 2012: On Passover, Thinking About Modern Slavery by Leah Koenig, Repair the World.
• April 6, 2012: Slavery Flourishes in Modern Times by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, The Jewish Daily Forward.  
• April 6. 2012: USDA Seder Puts Tomato on Seder Plate by JSpace staff, Jspace.com.
• April 5, 2012: Expanding the Lessons of Passover by Mira Sucharov, Haaretz.com.
• April 5, 2012: Let All Who Are Hungry Come and Eat: A Food and Justice Seder at USDA by Max Finberg, USDA Blog.
• April 4. 2012: How Many Slaves Produced Your Seder? by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Huffington Post.
• March 29, 2012: Groundswell: NY City Council Members, Prominent Clergy, Son of the Village Voice Co-founder, Activists Delivery Nearly Quarter Million Petitions to Village Voice Media by PR Newswire via Comptex, The Wall Street Journal. 
• March 28, 2012: New Symbols on the Seder Plate by Andrew Silow-Carroll, New Jersey Jewish News Editor's Blog.
• March 28, 2012: 10 Revolutionary Ideas to Explore at Your Seder by Rahel Musleah, Jewish Woman Magazine.
• March 28, 2012: The Tomato Finds Its Place on the Seder Plate by Steve Lipman, The Jewish Week.
• March 15, 2012: Obama Administration Accomplishments on Combating Trafficking in Persons as of February 2012, Office To Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Department of State.
• March 6, 2012: An Invitation for us all: The Coalition of Immokalee Workers' Fast for Fair Food by Arielle Rosenberg, State of Formation.
• February 28, 2012: Food Movement Leaders, Washington DC Clergy Latest to Offer Powerful Words of Encouragement to Farmworkers, Allies Preparing to Fast! CIW News
• February 20, 2012: Progress in Immokalee by Rabbi Jonathan Katz, Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
• February 16, 2012: Tomato Rabbis and a Fair Food Victory by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Pursue Blog.
• February 13, 2012: Modern Day Slavery and the Tomato Trade by Rabbi Jonathan Katz, HUC Continuing Education Blog.
• February 13, 2012: A Victory for Tomato Pickers by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, the Jew and the Carrot.
• February 10, 2012: Trader Joe's Agrees To Pay Tomato Pickers Extra Penny Per Pound by Garth Johnston, Gothamist.
• February 10, 2012: Tomato Worker Justice by Naomi Mindlin, Tzedek V'Shalom Newsletter.
• February 8, 2012:  A New Name--Tomato Rabbi by Rabbi Robert Dobrusin.
• October 28, 2011: Trader Joe's Locks the Doors to Rabbis and Ministers by Barry Estabrook, the Atlantic.
• October 21, 2011: Florida Farmworkers and Their Allies Demand Higher Wages at Trader Joe's by Brenda Gazzar, Pasadena Star-News.
• October 16, 2011: Students Protest Labor Conditions at Trader Joe's by Shelli Gimelstein, The Daily Pennsylvanian.
• October 16, 2011: In Search of a Just Tomato by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, the Jew and the Carrot, the Forward.
• September 15, 2011: Rabbis Pray for Humane Work Conditions for Tomato Farmers, syndicated by JTA.
• April 14, 2011: Boulder Symbolic Seder Highlights Human Trafficking by Susan Glairon, Intermountain Jewish News.
• February 2, 2011: Human Trafficking and the Sex Trade: Faith Groups Mobilize by ReligionLink.
• December 3, 2010: Naomi Graetz to Speak on Human Trafficking by Jeanette Friedman, New Jersey Jewish Standard.

 

Assorted essays:

• Aujourd'hui, nous sommes esclaves, Rabbi Robert Dobrusin.
• Inspiration in Immokalee, Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Winter, 2012.
• Who is Wise, Powerful, Wealthy, and Honored? by David Spinrad.
• Bound Together: Contemporary Slavery and Global Poverty by Rabbi Steve Gutow, President and CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs
• Fighting for Fair Food at The Trader Joe’s Headquarters by Rabbi Suzanne Singer
• Who Picks Your Food? by Rabbi Barbara Penzner
• Adas Israel Sponsors Program on Trafficking and Slavery by Rabbi Charles Feinberg.
• Building Bridges of Freedom: The Interfaith Movement to End Slavery by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster
• Israel: A State Wrestling with God and with Sex Slaves
• How Is This Chocolate Different from All Other Chocolate by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster
• Amplifying my ‘Still, Small Voice’ to Testify Against Human Trafficking by Rabbi Seth Goldstein 
• Hannukah, Human Rights, and the Revelation of the Hidden by Rabbi Jill Jacobs

 

Films:

• There have been many films made about modern slavery. They include:
•  Dark Side of Chocolate This film focuses on child labor and slavery in the chocolate industry.
• Dreams Die Hard, produced by Free the Slaves. This short film is about people enslaved in the United States. Many anti-trafficking organizations have produced short videos with discussion guides.
• Fatal Promises, directed by Katharina Rohrer. This film provides a comprehensive view on human trafficking juxtaposed to the rhetoric of today's political efforts in combating it. 
• The Whistleblower, starring Rachel Weisz, and inspired by actual events. This quasi-documentary depicts human trafficking in post-war Bosnia perpetrated by UN peacekeepers.
• A list of suggested films about the modern slavery, prepared for T'ruah by the organization Free the Slaves. Please be sure to preview any film in advance of showing it. 
• Films from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers:
  • One Penny More
  • (hi-res download | streaming)
  • PBS Now: "The Battle Fields" (hi-res download | streaming)
  • Harvest of Shame... Continued (hi-res download) Harvest of Shame Discussion Guide)

• • "With These Hands" (hi-res download | streaming)

 

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