Jewish Labor Committee

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, a time for self-examination and renewal, is upon us. For people around the world, this has been another challenging year. As the season changes, and as we enter a New Year, we are still confronting threats to democracy, including assaults on voting rights.

The COVID-19 pandemic, still a serious health threat, has raised the curtain on inequalities and injustices that have always existed but have now been exacerbated: the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on minority communities and vulnerable populations is starkly visible.

Our work continues, whether it's working with and for people who are bakers, teachers, hospitality workers, domestic workers, museum workers "¦

This summer, we reached out to rabbis across the U.S., encouraging them to devote part of a D'var Torah - a sermon - before Labor Day, to the challenges facing working people today, and what Jewish tradition, history and faith have to say. And rabbis have done just that, from California to Massachusetts. We've spoken to congregations not only on the historic Jewish labor movement, but on what we are doing today to help working men and women, locally and across the country.

The US Department of Justice is investigating more than 1,000 hostile threats or instances of harassment against election workers and officials. And so, working with the Jewish Partnership for Democracy, we've reached out to hundreds of lawyers to provide a few hours of pro bono legal support for election officials and volunteers who continue their vital work despite the strain of such threats.