T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

T’ruah supports a variety of left-of-center political positions, including increased access to abortion, and has been critical of both President Donald Trump’s and former President Joe Biden’s support for Israel, especially during the Israel-Hamas war. T’ruah has also been critical of the Israeli government’s prosecution of the Israel-Hamas war, calling Israel’s government “far-right” and “extremist.” T’ruah also opposes Trump administration immigration policies. ^{2 3 1 4}

Background

T’ruah was founded in 2002 as Rabbis for Human Rights-North America (RHR-NA) and acted as Rabbis for Human Rights’ sister organization. In that capacity, RHR-NA partnered with RHR on human rights campaigns in Israel and raised millions of dollars to support RHR’s work. In January 2013, RHR-NA became an independent organization under its current name. ¹ The organizations announced that the name change and financial separation were an attempt to distinguish the institutions and address confusion among supporters. ⁵

Since becoming an independent organization, T’ruah has expanded its advocacy efforts. The group opposed President Donald Trump‘s immigration policies during his first administration, including child separation for asylum seekers, and helped shut down the Homestead detention center in Florida. T’ruah has expanded its online work by hosting virtual training and educational settings to promote a left-of-center view on “immigration, working in a red state, (re)thinking Zionism(s), racial justice, and more.” ¹

In 2022, T’ruah founded the Emor Institute for Bold Jewish Thought, a Jewish intellectual and political center dedicated to defending “racial justice, feminism, LGBTQ rights, and immigration.” ⁶

Initiatives

T’ruah has several initiatives and engages in various political activities. It operates a year-in-Israel program for rabbis and cantors attending “liberal Jewish seminaries.” ⁷ T’ruah also sponsors tours of the West Bank to present the pro-Palestinian perspective to its rabbis and advocates. ⁸ T’ruah hosts various other educational and training sessions, both in-person and virtually. ⁹

Issues

Some of T’ruah’s priority political issues are immigration, race, antisemitism, and mass incarceration. ^{10 11 12} T’ruah has penned open letters to the Trump campaign and administration accusing it of spreading violent rhetoric about immigrants and calling for an end to policies that enforce United States immigration and customs laws. ^{13 4} T’ruah has also expressed its support for Black Lives Matter and a race-first policy view based on critical race theory. ¹⁴

In 2022, T’ruah expressed its opposition to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision which returned abortion regulation to the states, overturning Roe v. Wade. T’ruah claimed abortion is a Jewish value. ²

Israel-Palestinian Conflict

Related to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, T’ruah claims to support Israel and the Palestinians, opposing Israel’s military operations in the disputed Palestinian territories and the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The group calls for an end to what it calls “the occupation” of Palestinian territory by Israel. Although T’ruah itself does not participate in the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, it affirms the right of other groups to support the anti-Israel movement. ^{15 16 17}

Chaverim Network and Affiliated Groups

T’ruah maintains a network of over 2,300 Jewish rabbis and cantors whom it claims to train in human rights advocacy. This network travels throughout North America, Israel, and the disputed territories advancing T’ruah’s left-of-center, pro-Palestinian position. ¹⁸

T’ruah is also a member of the Evacuate Our Allies coalition, a network of organizations advocating for the relocation and resettlement of at-risk Afghans to the United States. ¹⁹

T’ruah lists several partner institutions that oppose anti-BDS legislation and policies, including J Street, Americans for Peace Now (APN), the Progressive Israel Network, the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy & Protection at Georgetown Law School, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Israel and Antisemitism. ¹⁷

Leadership

Jill Jacobs, a rabbi, is the CEO of T’ruah. She is the author of Where Justice Dwells: A Hands-On Guide to Doing Social Justice in Your Jewish Community and There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice through Jewish Law and Tradition. Jacobs has been named three times to The Forward’s list of 50 influential American Jews, to Newsweek’s list of the 50 Most Influential Rabbis in America, and to the Jerusalem Post’s 2013 list of “Women to Watch.” She holds rabbinic ordination and a master’s degree in Talmud from the Jewish Theological Seminary, a master’s degree in Urban Affairs from Hunter College, and a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University. She is a graduate of the Mandel Institute Jerusalem Fellows Program. ²⁰ Jacobs publishes op-eds regularly in major American news outlets, often sharing criticism of President Donald Trump and his support for Israel. ²¹

William Plevani is co-chair of the board of directors at T’ruah. He is a visiting assistant professor of contemporary Jewish thought at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Plevani is the former president of Matan, an organization devoted to promoting special needs Jewish education. He received rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in religion from Princeton. ²²

Daniel G. Zemel is co-chair of the board of directors at T’ruah. He has been the senior rabbi at Temple Micah since 1983. Zemel is a graduate of Brown University and received his rabbinic ordination from the New York campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He is the founder of Micah House, a group home for formerly homeless women in recovery from addiction. ²³

Finances

In 2022, T’ruah reported $3,349,239 in revenue, $3,154,567 in expenses, and $1,790,655 in total assets. ²⁴

In October 2024, T’ruah received a $200,000 grant from the Ford Foundation. ²⁵ In 2023, T’Ruah received a $139,320 grant from the New Israel Fund. ²⁶ T’ruah has also received grants from the Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP), the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, and the Lodestar Foundation. ^{27 28 29 30}