About Us
Who are we?
Uri L’Tzedek is an Orthodox social justice organization guided by Torah values and dedicated to combating suffering and oppression. Through community-based education, leadership development, and action, Uri L’Tzedek creates discourse, inspires leaders, and empowers the Jewish community towards creating a more just world.
Pillars
I. Education
Since its launch, Uri L’Tzedek has positioned itself as a thought leader in the Jewish community. Our social justice education programs convene Jewish educators, scholars, and cutting-edge activists to create a new hermeneutic that integrates traditional textual study and contemporary social needs.
Uri L’Tzedek currently publishes a series of supplements and publications that tie Jewish wisdom into our business lives, our daily lives, and the rhythm of the Jewish calendar year. All of our publications can be found under our Learn tab.
II. Leadership Development
Uri L’Tzedek has created different fellowships that train emerging adults with the skills necessary to become community organizers, social entrepreneurs, and change-agents. The Uri L’Tzedek Summer Fellowship is a transformative leadership program that combines innovative social activism with leadership development and Torah, while the semester-long Amos Fellowship is a unique opportunity to take leadership roles in social justice campaigns. More info on our fellowships can be found under the Leadership Development menu.
III. Action
The Tav HaYosher, Uri L’Tzedek’s ethical seal for kosher restaurants, weaves advocacy for worker rights with kashrut in a manner that creates a new paradigm for ethical living, empowers lay leaders to become social justice advocates, and initiates a dialogue about the effects of consumption, globalization, and community in the Jewish public sphere.
Uri L’Tzedek’s leadership has led a community-wide advocacy campaign on behalf of workers exploited and unjustly fired by Satmar-owned Flaum’s Appetizing, which has created immense pressure for their management to agree to an equitable agreement.
Values
Derekh Eretz (Being Decent)
We will conduct our organizational and operational duties with positive leadership exemplified by open communication, creativity, dedication, and compassion. We will conduct ourselves in all our activities with full respect for others, and for each other.
Emet (Committing to Truth)
We will strive to the highest standards of personal integrity, truthfulness, and honesty in all our activities in order to inspire confidence and trust in Uri L’Tzedek and its mission.
Zrizut (Alacrity)
We accept as a personal duty the responsibility to keep up to date on emerging issues, internal to the organization and in the broader world, and are prepared to act with alacrity when necessary.
Mishpat (Justice)
We will conduct ourselves with professional competence, fairness, partiality, efficiency, and effectiveness.
Arevut (Responsibility)
We will strive for personal and professional excellence and encourage the professional development of others. We will encourage working together in partnerships wherever appropriate in order to advance our mission.
Kavod (Honor)
We will respect the structure and responsibilities of the board of directors, staff and volunteers respectively, providing them with facts and advice as a basis for their making policy decisions, and uphold and implement policies adopted by the board of directors.
Shkifut (Transparency)
We will strive for transparency among the board, staff and public, and we will make known any ethical violations or conflicts of interest to the fullest extent appropriate, within the limits of both our confidentiality policy and the prohibitions related to rechilut and lashon harah.