Jewish World Watch on Righteous Crowd this Week!
Jewish World Watch
Fight Genocide - Do Not Stand Idly By
In this week’s Torah portion, Bereshit, we read about the world’s first murder. Cain kills his brother Abel, then denies responsibility by saying “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (translated from Hashomer Achi Anochi). “Achi,” my brother, also forms the Hebrew word, achrayut, which means responsibility. As Jews, we feel a great deal of responsibility to fellow citizens, regardless of religion. Inspired by this idea of responsibility, we are featuring Jewish World Watch, an organization that “envisions a world that does not stand idly by while civilian populations are being attacked simply because of who they are; a world without genocide and mass atrocities.” Jewish World Watch work is primarily focused in Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria and Myanmar.
Read our interview below with Community Partnerships Coordinator Katie Perryman of Jewish World Watch (JWW).
What is the mission of JWW?
JWW is an expression of Judaism in action, bringing help and healing to survivors of mass atrocities around the globe and seeking to inspire people of all faiths and cultures to join the ongoing fight against genocide.
What are some of the tenets of JWW?
Based on our history in the Holocaust and our Jewish values, we believe that we must speak out and act in the face of genocide and mass atrocities. We believe education can create global citizens. We believe you can choose. You can act. You can transform the world. In order to bring our vision of a world free from genocide to fruition, JWW believes that we must be informed, raise our collective voices, and refuse to stand idly by while atrocities take place. These principles have formed the foundation of our organization’s work. Utilizing our organization’s programs in Education, Advocacy, and On-the-ground Projects that support affected communities, JWW believes that we can make great strides in the ongoing fight against genocide and mass atrocities.
Who has inspired you in the work that you are doing?
I am inspired by our co-founder, Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis (z”l). In 2004, after hearing of the slaughter and unrest in Darfur, Sudan, Rabbi Schulweis charged his congregation, Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California, with forming a Jewish “world watch” to raise awareness of the atrocities. From that beginning grew Jewish World Watch, initially a synagogue-based organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds to protest the first genocide of the 21st century and bringing vital assistance to its survivors. From Rabbi Schulweis sermon: “To be a Jew is to think big. To be a Jew is to think globally. To be a Jew is to act globally. To be a Jew is to love God, who is global.“
What’s a story about your organization that is meaningful to you?
At just 8 years old, Sidney Stern was inspired by JWW’s Walk to End Genocide to get involved in JWW’s work. To support the organization, Sidney created her own jewelry business, Jewels4Justice, from which she donates 100% of all proceeds to JWW. Sidney has sold her jewelry at multiple Walks to End Genocide since 2013, raising over $8,000 in total for JWW. She has also accompanied JWW staff to Congressional meetings, enthusiastically advocating, in particular, for Sudanese refugees.
What's the most meaningful part of your job and why?
As a Jewish organization fighting genocide, we represent a unique voice in the anti-genocide space given our people’s history. We are able to serve as an example of what it means to be a Jew who cares about justice and people of different backgrounds to communities that may not have ever met a Jew. By educating and activating our community members locally, we are helping them to develop the skills necessary to take action to help make change globally.
What are some non-monetary ways for others to get involved in your organization?
There are several ways for the community to be involved with our organization. The community can become volunteers, and/or attend events hosted by our organization, such as our Walk to End Genocide. JWW also organizes in-district meetings with elected representatives and their staff, so that our community members can get face time to advocate for our cause. We mobilize our network of grassroots activists to take meaningful actions in support of ending and preventing genocide and mass atrocities, providing opportunities to send letters to their representatives, sign petitions and take action on social media, all of which helps keep these issues in the forefront of our leader’s minds. JWW’s Teen Ambassador Program (TAP) uses JWW staff, educators and guest speakers to teach teens about leadership, critical thinking and activism in regards to present-day genocide and mass atrocities, transforming them into JWW Ambassadors with community organizing and advocacy skills they can use to take action for positive change.
To learn more about Jewish World Watch click here