The Huffington Post
January 12, 2011
By Marcia G. Yerman
January 11 was Global Human Trafficking Awareness Day. The statistics are overwhelming. Sexual trafficking makes up a significant percentage of these numbers. No country is immune. It happens in Germany. It happens in Thailand. It happens in the United States and the United Kingdom. It happens in Israel.
The exact numbers of sexually trafficked persons, including children, varies from organization to organization. Sexual trafficking is now the world’s second top crime, tied with the illegal sale of guns and arms. The drug trade is number one.
Individuals are taking personal steps to get involved and lobby for change. Some are coming out of the faith-based arena. One of them is Peggy Sakow, the U.S. Outreach Coordinator for Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, a Canadian Reform congregation. The synagogue has partnered with the Israeli group ATZUM, and their Task Force on Human Trafficking (TFHT). Jointly, they have launched a North American letter writing campaign directed to prominent cabinet ministers of the Israeli Government. It urges the leaders to pursue tougher measures against human trafficking and sex slavery in Israel. [Read more…]
