Rabbi Moshe Margaretten

AIVF Chairman and President, Rabbi Moshe Margaretten is an American humanitarian advocate, and the founder and president of the Tzedek Association. He is known for his significant contributions to prison reform, international humanitarian aid efforts, and advocacy for in vitro fertilization (IVF) access and treatment. Rabbi Margaretten studied at Yeshiva Chernobyl in Bnei Brak, Israel, and has dedicated his career to various philanthropic and social justice causes.

<br><br>Margaretten’s career has been dedicated to humanitarian advocacy. He founded the Tzedek Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing international humanitarian needs and advocating for social justice issues in the United States, where he currently serves as President. Under his leadership, the Tzedek Association has been instrumental in championing significant legislative reforms, including criminal justice reforms, leading a broad coalition to pass the First Step Act, which established incentivized recidivism reduction programs, job training, and educational programs in every Bureau of Prisons facility across the United States. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Tzedek Association, under Rabbi Margaretten’s leadership successfully worked to pass a provision in the Cares Act that helped elderly and sick federal inmates, allowing for early release to home-confinement for nonviolent individuals vulnerable to Covid based on CDC guidelines. Additionally, the Tzedek Association assisted New York hospitals in obtaining critical medical equipment that was in short supply.

<br><br>Rabbi Margaretten has received several accolades for his humanitarian efforts. In October 2021, Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE) praised him on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for his efforts in saving high-risk individuals in Afghanistan. In 2022, he was awarded the Medal of Valor by the Simon Wiesenthal Center for his humanitarian work in Afghanistan. He was also recognized at the Jewish Heritage Celebration in Congress for his contributions to humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan and Ukraine​.