Tzelem was founded in 2014 to organise
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
clerical
Clerical may refer to:
* Pertaining to the clergy
* Pertaining to a clerical worker
* Clerical script, a style of Chinese calligraphy
* Clerical People's Party
See also
* Cleric (disambiguation)
Cleric is a member of the clergy.
Cleric may a ...
voices on
social
Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not.
Etymology
The word "social" derives from ...
and
economic justice
Justice in economics is a subcategory of welfare economics. It is a "set of moral and ethical principles for building economic institutions". Economic justice aims to create opportunities for every person to have a dignified, productive and creativ ...
issues in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. It is unique in its conception as a clerical, cross-communal, campaigning organisation. It is founded on the Jewish principle that people are all created ''b’tzelem Elokim'' – in the image of God. Tzelem seeks to continue the Jewish
social activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
tradition by taking action and providing a critique to the problems at the root of society, economy and treatment of the vulnerable.
As an
activist organisation, Tzelem provides education and training for its
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
nic and
cantorial members by bringing in outside speakers and their expertise. It also provides educational material for the wider community on issues of social and economic justice. Tzelem has access to skilled advisors who are experts in their field and guide the organisation in their campaigning and work with other organisations.
Tzelem acts as a point of contact between clergy and provides a space for them to communicate, share resources, and join together in campaigns, actions, and other
social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...
activity. It acts as a virtual network allowing conversations and problem solving between Jewish clergy who would not otherwise have the opportunity to discuss these issues, with physical meetings as members see fit. It also provides support for congregations, if they so wish, in linking them with social justice initiatives and activists. It helps direct rabbis to useful resources and has a strong bank of such resources on issues of working towards social and economic justice.
Over 100 Tzelem UK Rabbis asked the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
to accelerate and expand its refugee program during the
Syrian Refugee Crisis
References
External links
* {{official website
Jewish organisations based in the United Kingdom