Last month, Rabbis for Human Rights brought international students studying in Israel on a study-tour focusing on the socioeconomic justice and poverty within Israel. Participant Andrue Kahn reflects on the trip and the lessons learned.
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By Andrue Kahn
When American Jewish students think about inequality and social justice in Israel today, our minds go directly to issues of Arab oppression, aid for asylum seekers, and disparities facing new immigrants from less prosperous backgrounds. It is rare that we consider issues of basic institutional inequality due to socioeconomic class. In our trip to Rabbis for Human Rights’ Hadera Human Rights center, we were exposed to the challenges created by socio-economic injustices present within Israel’s social fabric.
The rabbis who work in the Human Rights center educated us on the deep divide in Israeli society for those in underserved communities. We were exposed to the challenges faced by the underemployed and those who rely upon the government for help due to social and physical challenges beyond their control through a walking tour of Hadera along with an interactive activity in budgeting based on social security-level income. Viewing Israel as a society that is based on Jewish values, it was particularly eye opening to see how those of disadvantaged status in society, be it people with psychological, physical, or class-based challenges, are so deeply alienated from the system.
To close the day, we met with two of the women involved in a women’s support group for those disenfranchised by the state. This meeting really drove home the lessons we had learned about Israeli society. To see two women who have gained in totally different ways through a support group designed to help them navigate the many difficulties of poverty in Israel illustrated the importance of community in resolving such issues. Those struggling in poverty are often meant to feel ashamed, judged, and outcast in society, and creating a support group as tight-knit and positive as that of the Human Rights center gives those who are voiceless a voice, and those who are without community a place to feel accepted. The greatest lesson taken away from this trip was that as a Jewish leader, I have a role to play in society as a community organizer for issues like those addressed through the Human Rights center, most of which are as present, if not more present, in American society.
The post Student Reflection: Learning about Socioeconomic Injustices in Israel appeared first on Rabbis for Human Rights.
