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Putting Ethics into our Celebrations: The Launch of “Just Simchas!”

[additional-authors]
December 21, 2012

Jewish celebrations are not merely about throwing a party but rather can be transformational events that express our core values. For this reason, “>Just Simchas to educate, inspire, and empower others to include more social justice into their lifecycle celebrations. Whether one is celebrating the birth of a child, a wedding, or a bar or bat mitzvah, one can now learn how to add more meaning and impact with a “Just Simcha.”


When making decisions about the caterer, the food, the venue, the gifts, the invitations, and the apparel among many other decisions, one should inquire about social justice enhancements. One’s celebration should attempt to honor the dignity of workers, the sentience of animals, the impact on the environment, the problem of slave labor, and the power of giving.


Just Simchas offers a welcome response to the astounding consumerism that dominates American culture in the holiday season (the months of November and December), almost exclusively for holiday gifts. Consumerism has exploded in the U.S. at all times in the year and in all communities but most especially during holidays. The amount of money spent, and pressure put on consumers to spend, is enormous. During the 2012 holiday season, the following predictions have been made:


“>Macy’s will remain open for 48 consecutive hours during the days leading up to December 24). Despite the long hours, about 1.5 million retail workers remain at or slightly above the poverty level.
“>Just Simchas as a resource, we can use our life cycle celebrations as stimuli for our own growth and the growth of simcha attendees. We can also make sure that our simcha not only avoids harm but also serves as a model for leading and giving.

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz is the Founder and President of “>Jewish Ethics & Social Justice: A Guide for the 21st Century.” Newsweek named Rav Shmuly

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