Hazon’s friends and partners in Food Justice, Uri L’Tzedek, have been busy. They’ve just  launched a new website Utzedek.org. You can find Torah sources and articles, activist resources, hundreds of volunteer and campaign opportunities, social justice events, opportunities to contribute, and much more!

Among Uri L’Tzedek’s important work is the Tav HaYosher (ethical seal) – a local, grassroots initiative to bring workers, restaurant owners and community members together to create just workplaces in kosher restaurants.

You may already be familiar with the campaign in Israel through B’Maaglei Tzedek and their hugely successful Tav Chevrati campaign — this is a version of that based here in New York. Mazal tov to Uri L’Tzedek on all their great work.

For your reference, I include these excerpts from this note from Rabbi Ari Weiss,
Uri L’Tzedek’s Lead Professional:

As we enter the new year of 5770, we can reflect upon some of Uri L’Tzedek’s successes from the past year. This past summer, Uri L’Tzedek launched its first summer fellowship with great success.  I would like to share with you a reflection from one of our fellows.  Laura Berger graduated from NYU with degrees in Journalism and Latin American Studies and is currently a first year law student at Fordham University School of Law.

Explaining her activism to build the Tav HaYosher, Laura wrote the following:”In fact, many owners of restaurants that we talked to openly confessed that they didn’t pay minimum wage or overtime and furthermore, didn’t see a point.  ‘It’s not Jewish law,’ they would say.  It is true there is no specific law about overtime pay in the Torah, but for people to be so machmir (strict) about washing their lettuce and so negligent about sustaining their workers made me really upset.  One thing I learned this summer is how incredibly important it is that Uri L’Tzedek is doing this work.  Kosher restaurants in this city are by no means above the terrible corruption and abuse implicit in New York restaurants.”

Laura is one of the many college students who have been deeply impacted by Uri L’Tzedek’s transformative programming:

In May, Uri L’Tzedek launched the Tav HaYosher, an ethical seal affirming a kosher restaurant’s commitment to uphold U.S. labor laws and create just workplaces and practices.  Since its launch, fifteen kosher eating establishments have been awarded the Tav HaYosher.  The full list can be found here.

In the 2008-2009 academic year, Uri L’Tzedek led programming attended by over a thousand students at over fifteen university campuses.  I believe our program alumni will serve as a model for creating Orthodox communities committed to social justice that can be replicated across the country.

In the past year, Uri L’Tzedek has hosted thirty social justice Batei Midrash across the country that have been attended by over seven hundred participants. Guided by innovative scholars and educators, each Social Justice Beit Midrash layers textual study and discussion together with cutting edge activism.

In the coming year Uri L’Tzedek will:

-Expand the Tav HaYosher to five new cities.

-Run programming for Jewish activists at twenty different university communities, and

-Play a leading role in the Jewish public square through writing op-eds, speaking at conferences, and teaching across the country.

I would like to take this opportunity to bless you with a year full of health and joy in which we continue to “awaken to justice.”

Learn more about the important work of Uri L’Tzedek by visiting their new website. The Hazon Food Conference will be a great chance to learn more about food justice work within the Jewish communty and now is a perfect time to register before our early registration discount ends on 10/16 — visit www.hazon.org/foodconference for more info.

Chag sameach and shabbat shalom!