Kavod Boston, a fiscally sponsored program of the Social Good Fund, was established in 2005 as a spiritual and political home for young left-of-center Jews. ^{1 2}

The group calls for an end to Israel’s “occupation” of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and an end to the blockade of Gaza. ³

Kavod Boston has advocated for left-of-center criminal justice policy, affordable housing, solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, a tenants’ rights law in Boston, raises to the minimum wage, and building Muslim young adult communities in Boston. ⁴

Background

Kavod Boston says it is driven by Jewish values to pursue justice through strategic, multifaceted organizing and actions. ⁵ It is a completely volunteer-led Jewish community for young adults. It says it focuses on “transformative social justice organizing” as well as Jewish spiritual practice, ⁶ as well as “racial equity,” “disability justice,” and “gender justice.” ⁷

The group has about 130 dues-paying members, many of whom participate through open events. The group elects new leaders each year. ⁸

Rabbi Margie Klein Ronkin founded Kavod in 2005. The organization was named for a verse in Pirkei Avot, a collection of Jewish teaching, “Who receives honor/Kavod? The one who treats all beings with Kavod.” ⁹

Six months after it formed, Kavod became a member of the Moishe House network, and was known as the Moishe Kavod House Boston. ¹⁰

Kavod Boston offered subsidized living arrangements to allow young Jewish adults in their 20s and 30s to work on social justice issues and explore their Judaism. The house is part of a non-profit network of 86 similar residences around the world. ¹¹

However, in 2018, it split from the Moishe House, which made up 70 percent of its budget. The Moishe House restricted funding against partnerships with pro-Palestinian organizations. Kavod Boston determined it would not accept funding that came with restrictions.  ¹²

Advocacy

Kavod Boston was among other groups that championed legislation for the state of Massachusetts to subsidize free phone calls for prisoners in county jails and state prisons. Gov. Maura Healey (D) signed the measure into law in 2023. ¹³

Kavod has organized partnerships in the greater Boston area with the Boston Ujima Project, City Life/Vida Urbana, the Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BJIAN), and the Muslim Justice League. ¹⁴

Israel and Palestine

Kavod Boston calls for an end Israel’s “occupation” of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and an end to the blockade of Gaza. ¹⁵

The group contends that terms such as “complexity” and “nuance” are used by the mainstream Jewish community to “silence righteous dissent about violence in Israel/Palestine.” Instead, the group says “we commit to using a sharp analysis of systemic power differences between Israelis and Palestinians.” ¹⁶

The group says it shares the stance of the Boston Workers Circle, a secular leftist Jewish community, on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. ¹⁷

The group says that not all members support the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel, but Kavod argues BDS is not inherently antisemitic. On this front, the group says: “We commit to fighting antisemitism. Full stop.” ¹⁸

Kavod developed an anti-racism curriculum for Jewish institutions. The organization says this grew in response to white nationalism. The group partnered with IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace. ¹⁹

Leadership

Lily Ritter is the operations chair of Kavod Boston. ²⁰

Liora Silkes is the finance chair of the group. ²¹

Aviva Herr-Welber is the spirituality chair of the organization. ²²

Rachel Drucker is the accessibility chair of the group. ²³

1. “Israel/Palestine Principles.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/israel-palestine
2. “Current Projects.” Social Good Fund. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.socialgoodfund.org/fiscal-sponsorship/current-projects/
3. “Israel/Palestine Principles.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/israel-palestine
4. Bolton-Fasman, Judy. “Boston’s Moishe Kavod House Sustains Major Damage in Three-Alarm Blaze.” Jewish Boston. August 5, 2016. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.jewishboston.com/read/bostons-moishe-kavod-house-sustains-major-damage-in-three-alarm-blaze/
5. “Current Projects.” Social Good Fund. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.socialgoodfund.org/fiscal-sponsorship/current-projects/
6. “Current Projects.” Social Good Fund. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.socialgoodfund.org/fiscal-sponsorship/current-projects/
7. “Our Principles.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/our-principles
8.  “Who We Are.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/who-we-are
9.  “Who We Are.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/who-we-are
10. “Moishe Kavod House Boston.” Datanyze. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.datanyze.com/companies/moishe-kavod-house-boston/108577634
11. Bolton-Fasman, Judy. “Boston’s Moishe Kavod House Sustains Major Damage in Three-Alarm Blaze.” Jewish Boston. August 5, 2016. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.jewishboston.com/read/bostons-moishe-kavod-house-sustains-major-damage-in-three-alarm-blaze/
12. “Israel/Palestine Principles.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/israel-palestine
13. Press Release. “The Keeping Families Connected/No Cost Calls Coalition Celebrates Governor Healy and the MA State Legislature Putting Families Over Prison Profiteering.” November 16, 2023. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://plsma.org/the-keeping-families-connected-no-cost-calls-coalitioncelebrates-governor-healey-and-the-ma-state-legislatureputting-families-over-prison-profiteering/
14. “Who We Are.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/who-we-are
15. “Israel/Palestine Principles.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/israel-palestine
16.  “Israel/Palestine Principles.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/israel-palestine
17. “Israel/Palestine Principles.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/israel-palestine
18.  “Israel/Palestine Principles.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/israel-palestine
19. Kavod Anti-Racism Workshop. Accessed March 26, 2024. https://sites.google.com/view/kavodantiracismworkshop/home
20. “Leadership.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/leadership
21. “Leadership.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/leadership
22. “Leadership.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/leadership
23. “Leadership.” Kavod Boston. Accessed March 13, 2024. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.kavodboston.org/leadership