The Sapir Center has joined the Poalei Tzedek initiative developed in theBeit Midrash for Israeli Rabbis of the Hartman Institute and Hamidrasha at Oranim. The project was initiated and led by a graduate of the Beit Midrash for Israeli Rabbis, Tzipi Huri, and has subsequently attracted many other partners.
The project’s goal is to arouse awareness, responsibility, and commitment to construction workers in Israel, many of whom are injured in work accidents caused by disregard for safety regulations by contractors and construction companies.
The project seeks to highlight the commitment of Jewish tradition and halacha to social justice and the concern for workers in general and, particularly, for “transparent” workers such as construction workers.
Several steps were undertaken to advance the project’s goal:
- A wall mural that uses a Jewish text to convey the project’s message – a large mural on a wall in the Talpiot neighborhood in Jerusalem that raises awareness of construction workers’ rights and of the obligation of society at large to safeguard these rights.
- Educational study sessions are held around the wall mural for varied groups. During these sessions, Jewish sources and news reports are used to convey the message to the participants.
- Source pages and study books on workers’ rights, civilian responsibility for preventing accidents, and human dignity were prepared. These materials emphasize the commitment of Jewish tradition to workers, human dignity, mutual social responsibility etc. The study materials were prepared for different audiences including rabbis from Israel and North America, high school students, social activists, and the general public.
- The project team worked directly with construction workers to safeguard their rights.