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, July 6 2025
10 Tammuz 5785
-
Tuesday ,
JulJuly 8 , 2025Mindful Mornings
Tuesday, Jul 8th 8:30a to 9:15a
This twice-weekly gathering combines guided and silent meditation to develop our capacity for mindful awareness and to cultivate qualities of patience, gratitude, and compassion. -
Wednesday ,
JulJuly 9 , 2025Highlanders Visibility Brigade
Wednesday, Jul 9th 7:30a to 9:30a
A weekly stand-out for democracy on the Highland Street Bridge over the Mass Pike. Members display messages of dissent and resistance to galvanize activism. -
Thursday ,
JulJuly 10 , 2025Mindful Mornings
Thursday, Jul 10th 8:30a to 9:15a
This twice-weekly gathering combines guided and silent meditation to develop our capacity for mindful awareness and to cultivate qualities of patience, gratitude, and compassion. -
Saturday ,
JulJuly 12 , 2025NO SHABBAT SERVICES (Summer Schedule)
Shabbat, Jul 12th (All day)
Please note that we do not have weekly Shabbat morning services in July and August; we resume weekly Shabbat morning services in September. -
Saturday ,
JulJuly 12 , 2025Film Club Discussion: "Janis Ian: Breaking Silence"
Shabbat, Jul 12th 8:00p to 9:00p
-
Tuesday ,
JulJuly 15 , 2025Mindful Mornings
Tuesday, Jul 15th 8:30a to 9:15a
This twice-weekly gathering combines guided and silent meditation to develop our capacity for mindful awareness and to cultivate qualities of patience, gratitude, and compassion. -
Wednesday ,
JulJuly 16 , 2025Highlanders Visibility Brigade
Wednesday, Jul 16th 7:30a to 9:30a
A weekly stand-out for democracy on the Highland Street Bridge over the Mass Pike. Members display messages of dissent and resistance to galvanize activism. -
Thursday ,
JulJuly 17 , 2025Mindful Mornings
Thursday, Jul 17th 8:30a to 9:15a
This twice-weekly gathering combines guided and silent meditation to develop our capacity for mindful awareness and to cultivate qualities of patience, gratitude, and compassion. -
Thursday ,
JulJuly 17 , 2025Disability Justice Discussion Group
Thursday, Jul 17th 7:00p to 8:00p
The Disability Justice Discussion Group meets the third Thursday of every month to discuss disability Torah. Join us for any or every session! -
Saturday ,
JulJuly 19 , 2025Member-led Musical Shabbat Morning and Picnic Lunch
Shabbat, Jul 19th 10:00a to 12:00p
Zmanim
Alot Hashachar | 3:22am |
Earliest Tallit | 4:10am |
Netz (Sunrise) | 5:15am |
Latest Shema | 9:02am |
Zman Tefillah | 10:18am |
Chatzot (Midday) | 12:49pm |
Mincha Gedola | 1:27pm |
Mincha Ketana | 5:15pm |
Plag HaMincha | 6:50pm |
Shkiah (Sunset) | 8:24pm |
Tzeit Hakochavim | 9:16pm |
More >> |