My Crusade Against Sweatshops Daniel Kurzrock

Two years ago I didn’t think twice about what brand name I was wearing, let alone where the article of clothing was manufactured. Mexico, Vietnam, China—until last year, they were little more than locations on a map to me. It was September, and I had been recently elected regional Treasurer of the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY), a non-profit Jewish youth organization. Among my broad responsibilities of leading the region, my job was to design and order merchandise for the couple hundred teens attending each event. I was preparing to place my first order, when my Regional Advisor asked me if I had considered ordering from a sweatshop-free manufacturer. I didn’t even know such an option existed.

After researching sweatshop practices, I decided to choose an ethical manufacturer. I realized that I was elected not to just design merchandise, but also to uphold the integrity of my organization as a leader, including its commitment to tikkun olam, the Jewish value of repairing the world. As leaders, we are expected to be role models, and our choices should reflect our values; I wasn’t going to let a slightly higher price tag stand in the way of justice.

We may not eradicate sweatshops, but I knew that we could at...