Latest Calls to Action

The Haggadah translates to the telling of our story: the journey from slavery to freedom. The Mishneh Torah commands us, as Jews, to enact and relive, our experience as slaves.

In every generation, a person must present himself as if he, himself, has now left the slavery of Egypt, [Deuteronomy 6:23]. Our story of enslavement to freedom, through divine help and human struggle, has stayed with us through the millennia and is central to our identity, traditions, and legacy.

Download our resource here.

Before drinking the second cup of wine, let us spotlight the slavery that continues to happen around us.

While slavery is illegal anywhere, it still happens everywhere.

According to the latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery (2022), 49.6 million people live in Modern Slavery. In the UK, the number of people identified as victims of Modern Slavery has been rising year on year, with an estimated over 100,000 people survivors of Modern-day Slavery.

This year, we ask you to reflect on the enslavement and forced labour of hundreds of thousands of Uyghur Muslims.

Uyghur Forced Labour And Modern Slavery

The Uyghurs are a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority in the Western province of China, Xinjiang. In recent years, the Chinese state has been committing genocide against them.

The persecution of Uyghurs includes internment in camps, forced labour and enslavement, torture, forced sterilisation, and religious expressions and cultural practices have been banned.

Too many products, whether in the apparel, solar panel or agriculture industries, are tainted with Uyghur forced labour in their supply chains.

Up to 40% of solar panels used in the UK involve Uyghur forced labour in their manufacturing and supply chains.

It is therefore vital that the UK government and companies uphold the highest ethical standards and take all necessary measures to ensure that goods produced by UK companies and those imported to the UK are not tainted by forced labour.

This Pesach, We Invite You To Discuss…

1. As we tell our enslavement story, how can we face the uncomfortable truths about modern slavery?

2. ‘For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chain, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others’– Nelson Mandela. How can we ‘enhance the freedom of others’? and specifically of Uyghurs?

3. ‘And the stranger you shall not vex with words, nor distress him by taking his goods: Remember sons of Israel, My people, that you were strangers in the land of Egypt’.

During Pesach, we are asked to think of ourselves as ‘strangers of Mizraim’, who have personally been freed from slavery. How can we, as consumers or citizens, take personal responsibility for the choices made in national procurement systems?

4. Each year, we sing Dayenu- ‘enough’, acknowledging how much more there is to do. In the context of local councils, when do we say ‘enough’ to complacency in how they manage supply chains and resources for our communities? How can we push for greater accountability and action to ensure we do not consume those tainted by slave labour?

Take Action

1. Eat another portion of bitter herbs to show solidarity with those who remain bound in slavery.
2. Host a conversation, with the four questions above, to facilitate dialogue within respective communities about the reality of modern slavery and our national complicity.
3. Complete our Tomato Action.
4. Download our resource here.