As a teenager, Emma Mayerson volunteered with her local
temple to teach bar and bat mitzvah students about the importance of tzedakah.
In Judaism, the concept of tzedakah refers to righteousness or charity. Unlike
the secular concept of philanthropy, tzedakah is not an option or voluntary,
but is rather required by all members of the Jewish community, regardless of
their means. Now, as a twenty-something activist, Emma Mayerson calls on the
same ideas in her pursuit of social justice through a variety of means.
For Emma Mayerson, social justice
and community buildings were never an option for her, but rather the right
thing to do. For that reason, she began donating her time to the Jewish
Coalition for Literacy of San Francisco while she was in junior high school,
tutoring younger students and starting programs that helped increase literacy
while building connections between elders and youth in the Jewish community.
Inspired by her family of activists and her grandparents’ foundation to further
social justice around the world, Emma Mayerson embarked on a lifelong pursuit
of making the world a better place.
Emma Mayerson has received much recognition for her service,
including a Youth Leadership Award from the Youth Leadership Institute in San
Francisco and induction into the Honos Civicus society, but maintains that
personal growth and gain are only an added bonus of her community service.
Refusing to choose just one issue to campaign form, Emma Mayerson has successfully
lead and participated in initiatives ranging from labor rights to literacy to
gender equality to bridging gaps within communities. Currently, she is the
Program Director of the Alliance for Girls, a Bay Area based organization that
is invested in building a coalition of local groups to improve the lives of
girls and help them grow into successful, strong, and empowered women.
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