Tzelem Annual Report to AGM 23[rd] October 2023
At last year’s AGM we were privileged to hear a talk by Prof. Sir Michael Marmot. He detailed the devastating impact of inequality on health. He also told us that he saw rabbis and cantors as having an important role to play in educating and campaigning about social justice.
Tzelem’s main focus this year has been on training rabbis and cantors in the work of social justice. The training was led by Charlotte Fischer. Eight fellows completed the course, which demanded a considerable commitment from them. They are taking back the skills into their communities and will also continue their work with Tzelem.
As most of the trustees also undertook the training as well as full time congregational work, there was little capacity for additional work. Before Yom Kippur, we organised an online session with Dr. Edie Friedman about food poverty and were glad that rabbis who attended made it the focus of one of their sermons on Yom Kippur.
Sadly, Rabbis Robyn Ashworth Steen and Richard Jacobi have resigned as trustees of Tzelem. Robyn was a founder and Richard joined soon after so both have been involved for several years and we are grateful to them for all the time and inspiration they have given to Tzelem.
We are glad that Rabbi Dr. Barbara Borts has offered to become a trustee and we hope she will be appointed at the AGM. She has a wealth of experience in social justice which she will bring to Tzelem.
We still need other trustees, as well as help in other roles, so please volunteer if you can.
In the coming year, we plan to work with our Fellows on Social justice projects. We will also explore working with other organisations, particularly HIAS-JCORE and René Cassin. We hope to strengthen our voice for social and economic justice in the year to come.
Margaret Jacobi Interim Chair
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