The Rabbinic Human Rights Hero Award 

 

Is your rabbi or cantor a Human Rights Hero? 

Each year, T'ruah honors a group of extraordinary clergy who demonstrate an unwavering commitment to living and working in accordance with a Torah of justice and human rights. And each year we turn to you, our supporters, to help us find these remarkable leaders. Does your rabbi/cantor deserve this honor?

Nominate your rabbi or cantor for the Rabbinic Human Rights Hero award 

Provided that it is safe to do so, we will celebrate our honorees in person at T'ruah’s annual gala on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 on Zoom AND in person in New York City. Selected rabbis/cantors must be available to attend the gala in person (as guests of T’ruah, including associated travel costs.) 

What does it mean to be a Human Rights Hero?

Nominees are those Jewish leaders working tirelessly to progress human rights issues in North America and/or Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. They have used their rabbinic moral voice to take up the fight for dignity, equity, and human rights for all people.  

Who is eligible to be nominated as a Human Rights Hero? 

• Rabbis and cantors who work within a Jewish community setting, such as a synagogue, school, camp, JCC or other related organization.

• They must live and work in the United States or Canada.

• They may be retired and may be an emeritus rabbi or cantor.

• Rabbis/cantors who work full-time for social justice or human rights organizations are not eligible.

• T'ruah board members and T'ruah staff members are not eligible.

• Selected rabbis/cantors must be available to attend the gala on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, currently scheduled to be in-person in New York City and on Zoom.

Who is eligible to nominate a rabbi/cantor? 

• Members of the nominee’s community, such as a synagogue member, a student, a parent of a student or camper, a JCC or Hillel member, or someone who participates regularly in activities organized by the nominee’s community.

• Rabbis/cantors may nominate their colleagues.

• Self-nominations will not be considered.

How do I nominate my rabbi/cantor? 

To nominate your rabbi/cantor, please complete this application. You may start your application now and return to it at a later date by creating a login at the top of this page. The deadline to submit completed applications is Thursday, November 10 at 11:59PM ET. This application will require you to:

• Share contact information for yourself and your nominee

• Write a brief statement (250-300 words) about what makes your nominee qualify for a Rabbinic Human Rights Hero Award

• Enter the name and email address of two additional members of your nominee’s community, both of whom will be asked to write a brief supporting letter of recommendation (250 words max). Please note, applications without two letters of recommendation are considered incomplete and will not be processed.

Once you submit your completed application, you will receive an email confirming that your nomination has been received. The two individuals whose emails you entered will receive an email from T'ruah with instructions about how to submit their supporting letters of recommendation. All applications must be received by Thursday, November 10 at 11:59PM ET. Please leave enough time for your recommenders to submit their letters. Incomplete nominations will not be considered.

How will rabbis/cantors be selected? 

A Gala Honoree Selection Committee of distinguished rabbis, previous honorees, and T’ruah board members will review the application pool and announce honorees in January of 2023. 

You can learn more about our Gala Honoree Committee members on the T’ruah website. 

Please do not contact the Gala Honoree Selection Committee members regarding this program. We disclose this information so that the selection process is transparent; any emails sent to the selection committee members will be deleted without review. Thank you for respecting this request.

Nominate your rabbi/cantor NOW for T'ruah’s Rabbinic Human Rights Hero award! Remember, if you don't have all the information you need for the application at this time, you can save your application by creating a login at the top of this page and returning to it at a later date.

We look forward to reviewing your application and hope you can join us for an unforgettable celebration of human rights, currently scheduled in New York City on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. We hope to see you there! You won’t want to miss it.