Behind the Labels
Behind the Labels
The “Behind the Labels” school-based Tikkun Olam project about sweatshop labor began in the fall of 2004. During school time, students watched films about sweatshop and child labor, participated in an activity where they began to think about the origin of their clothing by placing their own clothing labels on a world map, studied Jewish teaching about the protection of workers, and talked and learned about sweatshop conditions. At school assemblies, students heard talks given by Abe Riesman, a Harvard student and anti-sweatshop activist, and Adam Nieman, the founder of No Sweat Apparel. Kitah Zayin students attended a National Labor Committee speaking tour of Bangladeshi factory workers at Boston College in October 2004. In the fall of 2004, students and CDT families participated in an anti-sweatshop labor protest at Wal-Mart in Lynn, organized by Workman’s Circle. Moved by what they had discovered, students were readily engaged in a process of developing an educational program to share what they had learned with their parents, congregation, and larger community. The “Behind the Labels” event was designed to both educate the entire CDT community about the problem of sweatshops, as well as raise money for the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity (BCWS), an NGO in Bangladesh dedicated to facilitating achievement of labor rights by Bangladeshi garment workers.
Each religious school class developed their own project to contribute to the “Behind the Labels” event, which was held in March, 2005. Kitah Aleph made beautiful bookmarks for the student craft sale. Kitah Bet ran the admission table and handed out admission tickets indicating the hourly wage of a worker in a particular country, which then became the attendee’s admission charge. Kitah Gimmel ran the clothing label/map activity, displaying a chart showing the results of the school’s clothing map activity. They also ran a wonderful craft activity for younger children which involved making a nosweat bag. Kitah Dalet displayed information about, and ran a raffle of, Fair Trade products. Kitah Hay displayed information about and offered samples of Fair Trade chocolate. Kitah Vav displayed information about the history of sweatshops and a Fair Trade clothing company. Kitah Zayin distributed a sweatshop labor quiz, and transformed the Children’s Chapel into a poorly lit, guarded, fenced-in room of oppressed workers using sewing machines. Students who had attended Community Time, prior to the start of Religious School, sold a variety of crafts they had made during Community Time. “Stations” not run by students at the event included an interesting exhibit about the history of Jews and sweatshops, a CDT members Services raffle, interesting photos and articles about the Bangladeshi educational system, and a table where event speakers were stationed to answer attendees’ questions.
During the second half of the event, Religious School graduates modeled name brand, sweatshop-made clothing in a “fashion show” that informed attendees about the labor abuses of a variety of companies. A guest speaker, Chie Abad, a former sweatshop worker from Saipan and speaker with Global Exchange, spoke about her experience of being economically abused as a worker and her successful participation in a class action suit against 26 U.S. clothing retailers in 1999. An organizer from SweatFree Communities, Liana Foxvog, also spoke about her organizing efforts to get communities and groups to adopt “no sweat” purchasing policies. The program ended with song: Ora Gladstone led attendees in singing labor songs and Hankus Netsky sang “Arbiter-Froyen” (Working Women) in Yiddish.
Sun, January 24 2021
11 Shevat 5781
Upcoming Events
-
Sunday ,
JanJanuary 24 , 2021
Sunday, Jan 24th 12:30p to 5:00p
Join this Virtual Day of Learning with Reconstructing Judaism, including a panel discussion with Rabbi Toba. -
Wednesday ,
JanJanuary 27 , 2021Torah Study
Wednesday, Jan 27th 8:00a to 9:00a
Start your Wednesday mornings with Torah Study! Join Director of Congregational Learning Earnest Vener for a weekly hour-long study of the weekly Torah portion on Wednesdays at 8am. You are welcome to drop in or come weekly. All are welcome and no prior knowledge is required. Please email Earnest at e.vener@dorsheitzedek.org with any questions. -
Thursday ,
JanJanuary 28 , 2021Is The Talmud Racist?
Thursday, Jan 28th 1:30p to 2:30p
In this presentation, Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies director Professor Steve Weitzman will introduce the series and its goals. Following that, Mira Wasserman will explore concepts of race and racism as they relate to the foundational source of Jewish tradition, the Babylonian Talmud. This is part of a Reconstructing Judaism free online lecture series on Jews, Race, & Religion. -
Thursday ,
JanJanuary 28 , 2021Tu B'Shvat Seder & Celebration
Thursday, Jan 28th 7:30p to 9:00p
The holiday of Tu B'Shvat, the “new year of the trees,” is a time to celebrate the natural world and the diversity and abundance of the earth’s resources. Come celebrate the fruits of our Tikkun Olam labor this year at CDT, including the Voter Mobilization Project, GBIO and more. Bring your own figs, dates, olives, pomegranates, grapes, etc. -
Saturday ,
JanJanuary 30 , 2021
Shabbat, Jan 30th 10:00a to 12:00p
This "Shabbat of Song" we mark the Israelites' crossing of the Reed Sea and celebrating with the Song of the Sea. Our morning service will feature new recordings from CDT Sings, and song and Torah learning with special guest Arielle Korman of Ammud: Jews of Color Torah Academy. -
Sunday ,
JanJanuary 31 , 2021
Sunday, Jan 31st 10:00a to 11:15a
-
Sunday ,
JanJanuary 31 , 2021
Sunday, Jan 31st 12:00p to 12:20p
We need your help for the CDT Purim Shpiel! Sign up to work with CDT Purim Shpiel creator Sheree to create scenes for our first (and hopefully last) Zoom Purim shpiel. The first session, January 21st, will be a 20 minute info session. The following three sessions will be one hour on Sundays after Religious School and during February break: Feb. 7, Feb. 14, and Feb. 21. -
Sunday ,
JanJanuary 31 , 2021Adult Hebrew Part 2: Rooting In Hebrew
Sunday, Jan 31st 1:30p to 3:00p
A five session Hebrew class for anyone who has learned the letters of the Alef Bet, recently or years ago. We will focus on becoming more proficient at reading and pronouncing Hebrew while simultaneously growing our skills at making meaning of Hebrew words and relating personally to the language of the siddur (prayer book). Payment for this course will be on a sliding scale and participants will need to purchase a book. -
Wednesday ,
FebFebruary 3 , 2021Torah Study
Wednesday, Feb 3rd 8:00a to 9:00a
Start your Wednesday mornings with Torah Study! Join Director of Congregational Learning Earnest Vener for a weekly hour-long study of the weekly Torah portion on Wednesdays at 8am. You are welcome to drop in or come weekly. All are welcome and no prior knowledge is required. Please email Earnest at e.vener@dorsheitzedek.org with any questions. -
Wednesday ,
FebFebruary 3 , 2021
Wednesday, Feb 3rd 5:30p to 5:45p
All are welcome to join Rabbi Toba for a moment of calm each week. The content will vary - a brief teaching, a meditative moment, some music, or another contemplative practice. We will start promptly at 5:30pm each Wednesday, but feel free to drop in at any time. Each session will end with an opportunity for those in mourning or observing a yahrzeit to recite Mourners Kaddish. Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/97091443951?pwd=dVk4bFZIVitMcDViYllNQnRIdmhmZz09