Torah Study > Chapter 7: Universalism and Particularism > Case Studies
Case Studies
Whose Holiday?
You are a member of the local school board. Currently, county schools
close the last week of December for “Winter Vacation.” But everyone
knows that the last week in December was chosen so Christians can
celebrate Christmas.
The Jews in your community come before you to petition the closing of
the public schools on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. On
the one hand, many of the school teachers are Jewish and 10% of the
students are Jewish. On the other hand, if the school closes it will have to
pay school staff for this official holiday. As it currently stands, the teachers
have to use personal days when they miss work because of these
holidays and the students miss valuable learning time and accumulate
additional absences on their record.
Divide into two groups and debate whether the schools should close.
Consider the following:
• Who benefits from the closing? [Facilitator: remind the participants
to consider not just immediate beneficiaries but also the social and
political message that is conveyed by the decision.]
• The price of closing or not closing
• The justification for their decision either way
• Are there additional alternatives aside from closing the schools or
ignoring the needs of the Jewish students?
• A twist on the problem: There is a growing Muslim population in
America that is increasingly petitioning local school boards to close
the schools for two Muslim holidays: Id al-Fitre and Id al-Adha.
Should the school board close the public schools on these holidays
as well? Why or why not? Would it ever be appropriate to close for
them? If so, when?
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Where to Give?
A nation in sub-Saharan Africa suffers from persistent poverty and famine
due to a combination of drought, poor land management, and civil strife.
After months of escalating tensions and increasing mortality rates, the
international human rights community has prioritized this region as one of
the world’s neediest.
A number of relief organizations have mobilized to build a stable presence
in this war-torn country. Their goal is to earn the trust of the native
community so that they can work together to begin to alleviate some of
the worst poverty by stimulating the ailing economy. Two of these organizations
are the American Jewish World Service and C.A.R.E. (see missions
below). You have received requests for donations from both of these
organizations.
“The American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is an international development
organization motivated by Judaism’s imperative to pursue justice.
AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the
people of the developing world regardless of race, religion or nationality.
Through grants to grassroots organizations, volunteer service, advocacy
and education, AJWS fosters civil society, sustainable development and
human rights for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities
of global citizenship within the Jewish community.” (from the AJWS
website)
“C.A.R.E. International’s mission is to serve individuals and families in
the poorest communities in the world. Drawing strength from our global
diversity, resources and experience, we promote innovative solutions
and are advocates for global responsibility. We facilitate lasting change
by: strengthening capacity for self-help; providing economic opportunity;
delivering relief in emergencies; influencing policy decisions at all levels;
addressing discrimination in all its forms.” (from C.A.R.E.’s website)
1. As an individual, which one would you give to and why?
2. As an officer in a Jewish organization, you are asked to look into
organizations that respond to poverty around the world. You discover
AJWS and C.A.R.E. Which do you recommend your youth group support
and raise money for? Why?
3. You are an officer on the board of a campus-wide social action organization.
There has been an earthquake in India and hundreds of thousands of people need help. Your organization will be holding a fundraiser for the victims of the earthquake, but the board must decide which aid organization to donate the money to. You know the United Jewish Communities has set up an emergency fund and that AJWS is already in India assisting locals with their economic and hunger needs. Others have suggested the Red Cross, the United Nations,
and Catholic Relief Services. What would you recommend that your
board do?
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