Does Judaism Need a Living Wage? March 27, 2007

In America today, 15% of homeless people and 40% of those who apply for emergency food relief are employed. The so-called “working
poor” make up an estimated 7.4 to 28 million people. In response to this situation, 140 cities have passed “living wages,” which seek to ensure that full-time workers need not resort to emergency assistance. Rabbi Jacobs will explore Jewish approaches to issues relating to low-wage workers, wages and unions, while attempting to craft a Jewish response.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs is the Director of Education for the Jewish Funds for Justice. She received rabbinic ordination and an M.A. in Talmud/Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she was a Wexner Fellow. Rabbi Jacobs also holds an M.S. degree in urban affairs from Hunter College and a B.A. degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University. Her writings have appeared in magazines, journals and Web sites, including Conservative Judaism, Tikkun, The Reconstructionist, Lilith, The Forward, Women in Judaism: A Multidisciplinary Journal and MyJewishLearning.com.

Rabbi Jacobs was recently named to the “Forward 50,” The Forward newspaper’s annual list of 50 influential American Jews.

Official Website: http://www.unca.edu/cjs