I was very happy to see the successful rescue of Qaid Farhan al-Qadi. He is a father of 11 from a Bedouin Arab community near the southern city of Rahat. He was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen on October 7 when he was abducted by Hamas terrorists. As we celebrate his safe return, let us also remember the 108 hostages who remain in Hamas captivity. They must come home.

A quick follow-up on three things I wrote about last week.

In regard to the Portland Association of Teachers, a community member wrote a response to their comment about “multiple points of view within the Jewish community” (which I recognize there are) on the current Hamas-Israel war.

He wrote, “Do you also believe that multiple points of view exist in the Palestinian community? And if multiple points of view do exist, do groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah allow the free expression of these viewpoints, especially ones critical of their governance and rule? Are Palestinians who oppose their policies free to demonstrate on the streets of Gaza and the West Bank much as tens of thousands of Israelis have marched in opposition to the policies of the government with respect to its conduct of the war and treatment of Palestinians?”

As for university campuses, we have already seen issues arise across the country. This article from USA Today has an excellent line about campus protests – “If you have a space of expression and not intimidation, it should be encouraged. If it veers into a space of intimidation or harassment… it is the responsibility of the university to shut it down.”

And for those children heading back to school, here is additional information for parents and students. Please know we are here to help and support you.

It is Labor Day weekend. I had a colleague who used to always say Labor Day was the quintessential Jewish holiday and the one most worth celebrating.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated in 1882 in New York City, organized by the Central Labor Union. On that day, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square. New York was also the first state to introduce a bill recognizing Labor Day, but Oregon was the first to pass such a law in 1887. President Grover Cleveland officially declared Labor Day a national holiday on June 28, 1894, following advocacy efforts of labor unions across the country. They advocated for fair wages and safe working conditions.

Jews have been heavily involved in labor organizing since the early years of the U.S. labor movement, especially in the garment industry. The industry had long hours and unsafe conditions. On May 1, 1886, unions in Chicago called for a general strike to demand an eight-hour workday, and workers across the country walked out of their jobs. In Chicago, the protest and accompanying parade were largely peaceful, but another strike on May 4 led to a violent crackdown on protesters by police and culminated in a bomb being thrown into a crowd. The incident became known as the Haymarket Affair. 

These workers were responding to the realities of a brutal labor situation in which people — men, women and also children (this is a period before regulations on child labor) — were working 12-16 hours a day or more.

In 1909, more than 20,000 mostly Jewish women garment workers organized a strike that lasted 11 weeks. The International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) sought higher wages and better working conditions.

Thanks to these efforts, American workers have protections, including child labor laws and paid sick leave.

The Torah and Talmud both famously outline an ancient form of a “Fair Labor Standards Act,” which dictates that workers not continue labor at night. It goes on to indicate a limit on the amount of work an employee can do by designating a day of rest each week, Shabbat.

In this article, we learn more about the Jewish perspectives on Labor Day. As Jews, we have a particular responsibility to uphold the rights of all workers. From Leviticus 13:19, we learn that “Thou shalt not oppress thy neighbor, nor rob him: the wages of a hired servant shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.” In Deuteronomy 5:14, we learn that just as the Israelites were commanded to rest on the Sabbath, they were also told to provide a chance for their servants to rest. 

The Mishnah teaches us: One who hires workers and tells them to start early or stay late – in a place where the custom is not to start early or stay late, the employer may not coerce them. In a place where the custom is to feed the workers – the employer must feed them, to provide sweets – the employer must provide sweets. Everything goes according to the custom of the land. (Bava Metzia 7:1)

Labor Day is a reminder that any service or product we partake in requires an enormous amount of human effort and work. Whether getting food at a restaurant or a delivery from the postal service, we should think about all the people behind the scenes in the supply chain who make that happen. Let us commit ourselves to supporting, fairly compensating, and caring for all workers in appropriate ways.

Finally, Sunday will be my 14^th anniversary as President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland (time flies when you are having fun). I am grateful to the volunteer leadership, professional colleagues, and community for this most rewarding professional opportunity.

Shabbat shalom and have a safe and wonderful holiday weekend.



PS -- Two congratulations are in order. First, congratulations to Asaf Asur on winning Israel’s first gold medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games. Asaf lost both hands in a tragic accident at just 13 years old and is now the world’s top-ranked taekwondo fighter.

Also, congratulations to the Lake Mary, FL Little League World Series championship baseball team. Lake Mary is the city next to where I grew up in Florida.