Brit Tzedek had a deep a commitment not just to doing the right thing, but to doing the right thing effectively. After Brit Tzedek successfully merged into J. Street, I wrote an article for the journal Israel Affairs describing Brit Tzedek’s strategy, which can be downloaded here. That article captures a lot about Brit Tzedek, but misses what the organization meant for me personally. In my day job as an academic I study the psychology of love, but with a bit of an odd twist: I focus on love in non-interpersonal contexts, such as hobbies people love, places they love, products they love, etc. It’s not uncommon then, for people to ask me if there is anything, other than people, that I love? The truth is, the things I love don’t make for a very long list. But Brit Tzedek is on that list, right up towards the top. Brit Tzedek is a part of who I am that reflects my most deeply held values, identities and commitments. Working with Brit Tzedek was the first time I had experienced a volunteer driven organization where people were so good at what they did, and were willing to work so hard for so long. And when eventually peace comes, everyone who worked on this will have earned the right to feel some pride in knowing they had a hand in making peace possible.
Aaron Ahuvia