The first Bea Zucker Social Justice course by Rabbi Dr. Meesh Hammer Kossoy is a women’s response to the refugee crisis.
The Torah commands us “Do not stand idly by your neighbor’s blood” (Lev. 19:16) We will be judged as a society on our response to this crisis. At the same time, we need to respond with our heads as well as our hearts. While the imperative to help is clear, to avoid being overwhelmed is also a moral imperative. Four questions we should ask in light of Jewish tradition are: 1. How does this crisis impact women specifically? 2. Is it possible to help without being overwhelmed by the 21 million refugees who would like to travel Westward? 3. How can we address the fears of some Jews that Arab refugees absorbed in the West might turn against us in the future? 4. Is there/should there be a uniquely female response to the crisis? This course will examine each of these concerns in separate discussions before proposing general conclusions.
Click on these links to download the 4 study units for this course in English:
- Gender-Based Violence and the Unique Plight of Women
- Demographic Fear and the Refugee Crisis
- The ISIS Trojan Horse
- Women Hear the Cry (including suggestions for action)