Joining the Fight to Protect Human Rights
“During my time at the JCRC, I have been able to work on projects that have affected me on a personal level and that I feel passionately about. I’ve helped pass legislation to protect some of the most vulnerable and marginalized religious communities in the state of Arizona with the passage of Senate Bill 1713, the Nonprofit Security Grant Program bill, in early 2023.
I learned how to properly de-escalate and neutralize threats against innocent people protesting on behalf of human rights. I have had the privilege of working with other faith leaders in the Phoenix, and greater Arizona community, to address issues that impact the most vulnerable people in our communities. Issues like homelessness, immigration rights, and poverty.
Not only had I never worked for a Jewish organization before, but I had also never worked at a job where my LGBT identity was respected, protected, and supported. I had worked at jobs that, of course, followed federally mandated guidelines for anti-discrimination laws (and a few that did not). But the difference was stark between my identity being protected at a job because it was legally mandated by the federal government, and my identity being respected at a job because the people involved knew it was simply the right thing to do.”
JCRC Communications and Public Diplomacy Fellow Zillah al-Kahiyah has a terrific oped in The Copper Courier: Joining the Fight to Protect Human Rights
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