Evely Laser Shlensky

Evely Laser Shlensky "works at the interface of social justice and Judaism. She served for 7 years as chairperson of MAZON’s grants advisory committee and is currently the Secretary of the MAZON board. For 6 years, Ms. Shlensky was the chairperson of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism on which which she continues to serve. She is a member of the National Board of the Union for Reform Judaism, a Governor of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, a Vice President of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, and was a founding board member of Interfaith Worker Justice.

"Ms. Shlensky has spoken and written extensively on the linkage between Judaism and social justice, authoring Lifdof Tzedek: A Guide to Synagogue Social Action, published by URJ Press.

"Ms. Shlensky’s interest in human rights and social justice has taken her to places of hardship and hope. In past years, she has traveled to Argentina Haiti, Israel, Kenya and Ethiopia, where she explored the needs of the Jewish community there. On each of these trips, she observed the effects of and the possibilities for MAZON grantmaking.

"In 2002, Ms. Shlensky received the International Humanitarian Award of the World Union for Progressive Judaism."


 * Director, U.S. Interreligious Committee for Peace in the Middle East