Also: Rabbi who visited Immokalee in September
wins Human Rights Hero award…

The Modern-day Slavery Museum keeps quietly chugging along, carrying its invaluable cargo — the history and analysis of centuries of farm labor exploitation in Florida, and the story of the new day that has begun to dawn for the state’s farmworkers with the Campaign for Fair Food — from town to town, opening eyes and hearts across the state one person at a time.

The museum was visiting north Florida last week, with stops at Stetson University in Deland and Santa Fe College in Gainesville, and a visit to the St. Augustine Presbytery meeting. It was well received throughout the tour, and received strong coverage in the local press. Here’s an excerpt from the Daytona Beach News-Journal (“Traveling exhibit on plight of field workers stops in DeLand,” 10/7/11):

“… The coalition’s next mission is to spur the grocery chain Publix to agree to pay the extra penny per pound and only purchase from growers that abide by the code of conduct. [right: Visitors signing postcards to Publix after visiting the museum.] Some students who saw the exhibit said they had no idea slave-like conditions still exist in Florida, while others said the display fits in with their studies. Victoria Irizarry, a Stetson student taking a seminar on race and immigration, snapped pictures of many of the displays with her iPhone. ‘I’ve never seen anything like this,’ she said. ‘They should have more of these around campuses.'” read more

Also… Just a quick note of congratulations to a new friend of the Campaign for Fair Food, Rabbi Barbara Penzner, who was just last week recognized with the Rabbis for Human Rights – North America Human Rights Hero Award!

Rabbi Penzner was part of a RHRNA delegation to Immokalee last month and participated in an exciting pray-in at Publix during the day-long visit. She was singled out for her leadership in the rabbinic campaign to support workers at Hyatt hotels, and for her work with the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, of which she was one of the first rabbinic members.

We consider ourselves fortunate to have come to know Rabbi Penzner through the Campaign for Fair Food and look forward to many more years of working together for economic justice and human rights.