AJL magazine - Asian Jewish Life

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Best of AJLby Erica LyonsFeeding the Worldwith Jewish WisdomA look atAmerican JewishWorld ServiceAJWS grantee8 ASIAN JEWISH LIFE ISSUE 11
Best of AJLby Erica LyonsThere seems to be an implicitunderstanding that ourplanet is divided into twoentirely separate worlds,there is an ‘us’ and a ‘them’. The thirdworld is the ‘them’, which we can tuneout, address or not address, engagewith or ignore. But Ruth Messinger,CEO/President of American JewishWorld Service (AJWS), an internationaldevelopment organization motivated byJudaism’s imperative to pursue justice,does not divide the world in that way. Asshe explains, as Jews we simply can’tdo this. “Jewish texts are very clearabout this. Jews have a clear obligationto work towards global justice, to helpboth Jews and non-Jews.Everyone has been made in God’simage (b’tselem elohim).”AJWS granteeListening to Ruth Messinger of AJWSespouse Jewish wisdom and Talmud,on the surface the way her messageis expressed sounds different fromthe Ruth Messinger of New York Citypolitics where she first made a name forherself. But even though her diction ismuch more haimisha, the message isvery much the same. As she explains,it was her years of experience andadvocacy within New York City thatpaved the way for her pursuit of globaljustice. Many of the skills she relies onin doing international development workfor AJWS, came directly from her yearsworking in government. Messingermade a seamless move from citydevelopment to global development,seeing the former as more of acontinuation of her raison d’être but juston a different scale.“A big piece of what I did in New York Citypolitics was to look at pockets of povertyin a rich city and try to understand howgovernment could empower thesepeople to do for themselves.”While the phrase tikkun olam might nothave been included in her New YorkCity campaigns, her core values havecarried through.Often though it is not only about thework that is being done but also howit is approached. Messsinger, and theorganization as a whole, approach theirwork with some of the world’s neediestand most marginalized people with asense of true humility. “Don’t go and telleveryone what they need,” seems to beMessinger’s mantra.AJWS granteeAnd everyone is their focus. “Whenone billion people go to bed hungry,we need to talk about ethics. This is aglobal issue.” So AJWS thinks globally,operating in countries throughout theAmericas, Asia and Africa but effect realchange in small communities throughgrassroots efforts and by working withover 200 local NGOs in a diverse rangeof projects.Asia is of course a large focus for them.Regionally, they are primarily focusedASIAN JEWISH LIFE ISSUE 119
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Page 5 and 6: EditorMissionDear Readers:Happy 201
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Page 15: Writer’sDeskby Sophie Judah“Tha
Page 20 and 21: Travel Diaryby Irene Orleanskycommu
Page 22 and 23: CoverStoryby Erica LyonsFive Star R
Page 24 and 25: CoverStoryby Erica LyonsHong Kong f
Page 26: CoverStoryby Erica LyonsHigh Holida
Page 29: Lo Mein to Laksaby Yardena Ben-Isra
Page 32 and 33: Featureby Gedaliah GurfeinDuring my
Page 34 and 35: Viewpointby Tiberiu WeiszBiblical I
Page 36: Viewpointby Tiberiu WeiszIncidental
Page 40 and 41: Interviewby Susan Blumberg-KasonKon
Page 42: BookReviewsby Susan Blumberg-KasonV

AJL magazine - Asian Jewish Life

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