You Shall Love the Stranger: Human Rights and Democracy in Israel Today 

Join us for a powerful and timely conversation with Anat Hermann-Aharoni, Executive Director of the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants (HRM), one of Israel’s leading human rights organizations. Founded in 1999, HRM defends the rights of refugees, migrants, and survivors of human trafficking in Israel through direct advocacy, litigation, policy change, and public education.

Over the past 25 years, HRM has played a pivotal role in shaping Israel’s legal and policy landscape around migration and trafficking, grounded in Jewish and democratic values. In her presentation, Anat will speak about HRM’s vital work during one of Israel’s most complex and challenging periods.

Topics may include the rising wave of anti-migrant legislation, the ethical and legal dilemmas surrounding refugee protection and detention, the effects of war and instability on vulnerable communities, and the broader struggle to protect democratic institutions in Israel. She will also explore the Torah’s enduring call to “love the stranger” and the ways in which Israeli society is both struggling with - and rising to - the challenge of caring for its most marginalized.

This event offers an opportunity to hear directly from a leading voice in Israeli civil society and deepen your understanding of how human rights and Jewish values intersect in today’s Israel.