Labor on the Bimah is a program that weaves together labor issues, social justice, and Judaism in an effort to bring meaning and reflection back into Labor Day. The program is a part of Labor in the Pulpits, an annual nationwide program of Interfaith Worker Justice that takes place on Labor Day Weekend. Each year, JUFJ supports dozens of local synagogues in reflecting on Judaism's commitment to justice and workers' rights.

Congregations and local Hillels get involved by having speakers at Shabbat services, incorporating labor issues into sermons and Divrei Torah, and participating in community-wide Labor on the Bimah events such as an Interfaith Forum and Havdalah ceremony organized by JUFJ in conjunction with the Labor Day program. The effort is made possible every year through the dedication of JUFJ volunteers!

The 2009 theme was wage theft -- when when people work but are not paid by their employers. This is a crime that robs from those with the least -- the working poor, many of whom either do not know their rights or are afraid or unable to assert them. Day laborers and other contingent workers are more vulnerable to this type of exploitation because they have less formal working arrangements and therefore less recourse when they are not paid.

This past September, local rabbis, JUFJ volunteers and other community leaders educated congregations and gave them the tools they need to take action. Read about the Jewish connection to workers' rights and wage theft in our 2009 Labor on the Bimah Resource Packet!

Thank you for your help! Labor on the Bimah was a success because of our outstanding volunteers and those who were eager to hear about our local labor issues. Want to learn more? Contact Shira Dickler, our Labor on the Bimah Coordinator at shira@umd.edu.

For more information on wage theft, see Interfaith Worker Justice's analysis of the issue .