Naomi Greenspan is a Program Associate for the Commission on Interreligious Affairs. She holds a degree from St. Louis' Washington University.

Last week marked the first World Youth Assembly of Religions for Peace. Three hundred young adults from across the world and the religious spectrum gathered together in Hiroshima, Japan. We came together to discuss the role of conflict transformation, peacebuilding, and sustainable development in transforming violence and advancing shared security. As we explored these topics and the power of multi-religious cooperation in advancing the goals of the organization, we were empowered as young adults to work for change.

Representing the Union for Reform Judaism as a member of the North American delegation was an exciting and eye-opening experience. As we all know, Hiroshima is the city on which the United States dropped the atomic bomb just 61 years ago. While the atomic bomb and the devastation it caused is certainly something I had learned about as a child, the horrors of this tragedy are not something I fully recognized until being there and seeing it first hand. Walking through the Peace Memorial Museum, dedicated to educating about the atomic bomb and its victims, I couldn’t help but conjure up images of the Holocaust. While there are certainly clear distinctions between these two events, the completely inhumane and unimaginable devastation they both caused bare certain similarities. Men, women, and children wandering through the streets looking for family members, hoping they are not among the hundreds of thousands killed. The lunch box of a nine-year-old child filled with the charred ashes of the lunch he never had the chance to eat. Clothing burnt so badly that you can barely see the form it used to take. And the psychological and physical problems of the survivors continue to affect their lives today.

The city itself has been completely rebuilt. Upon my arrival I was surprised to see a bustling metropolitan area complete with a baseball stadium and shopping district. But the structures are not the only thing that was rebuilt over the last 60 years – its spirit has been revitalized as well. Hiroshima has come to represent a city of hope and peace. It has worked to show the horrors of nuclear war and petitions governments to end nuclear proliferation. The stories of the people of Hiroshima are an inspiration showing the importance of ending all forms of violence. The survivor we heard from spoke of the hatred he once felt towards the United States for the damage the atomic bomb has caused his life (in addition to the physical disabilities he suffered from the burns caused by the blast, he also deals with long term medical problems caused by the radiation). Instead of holding on to this desire for revenge, however, he has since come to realize that “hatred never destroys hatred.” He shares his story with others as a way make people aware of the horrors of nuclear war and as a call to never let such warfare take place again.

We have much to learn from this sprit of forgiveness and reconciliation. Violence is not necessarily the answer to violence. Sometimes it is necessary to put the past behind us, to learn from our mistakes so we can move forward and prevent a future calamity. Hiroshima, and the whole of Japan for that matter, are a model for us. In addressing the VIII World Assembly of Religions for Peace, Junichiro Koizumi, the Prime Minister of Japan, spoke of his country’s commitment to maintaining a policy of not becoming a military power regardless of its status as an economic power, and of solving all problems peacefully without resorting to the use of force. Even if we were to take just a piece of this lesson and use all possible means necessary before resorting to violence, all of humanity would be that much more safe and secure.

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Mark J. Pelavin is the Associate Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. He is one of the Jewish community's leading legislative strategists, and one of its senior lobbyists.

I received a very powerful press release from our colleagues at the Jewish War Veterans of the United States today. Their statement headlined “JWV Deplores Potential Budget Cuts for Treatment of War-Related Brain Injuries,” notes that the 2007 Defense Appropriations bill actually reduced funding for research and treatment of brain injuries. Brain injuries are one of the most significant causes of injury and death in American today; each year nearly 1.5 million Americans suffer a traumatic brain injury, and 50,000 of those die from their injuries.

Here at the RAC, we are very much aware of the issue. Not only did our friend, colleague, and Former RAC Associate Director Rabbi Lynne Landsberg suffer a traumatic brain injury; she has had a remarkable recovery. Remarkable enough that she now works on works as Senior Volunteer Advisor to the RAC and the Union for Reform Judaism’s Department of Jewish Family Concerns on disability rights issues.

More information about traumatic brains injuries is available from, among other sites, the Brain Injury Association of America. I also highly recommend Lynne’s article about her own inspiring recovery which was published in the Summer 2004 issue of Reform Judaism magazine.

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Jerry Wein was a participant on the Commission on SOcial Action of Reform Judaism' summer program, Tzevet Mitzvot: Adult Mitzvah Corps. They were in Mississippi helping with reconstruction efforts.

I spent July 4 th week in New Orleans and Southern Mississippi working with an “Adult Mitzvah Corps” engaged in hurricane relief efforts.  Eleven months after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the gulf coast region the revitalizing of the area has barely begun.  The mitzvah corps was sponsored by the Union of Reform Judaism, which gave us access to Jewish leaders and insights into what has happened within the Jewish communities there.   We also met, worked with and heard the agonizing stories of many other people who are still suffering from the effects of the hurricane.   The trip left me physically and emotionally drained and mad as hell at the incompetence of FEMA and the lack of support provided by our government.  My report, written with Wendy Cohen and Lisa Kollins, fellow Mitzvah Corps members, follows.

            During the week of July 4, twenty-three Reform Jews from all over the country came together to provide disaster relief in New Orleans and Jackson, Mississippi as part of the Union of Reform Judaism’s Adult Mitzvah Corps. We overcame “philanthropic paralysis” that can come when faced with so much need in the world-Darfur, global warming, conflict in the Middle East, etc. - and took one very small step towards tikkun olam.

            We were warned about the wreckage we would see on the “gloom and doom” tour of New Orleans, but nothing prepared us for the block after block of debris, abandoned cars and overturned trees. It is eerily silent in these neighborhoods.  It’s summer time, yet there are no people, no children playing , no dogs.  The occasional upright home, seemingly unscathed, gave us a flash of hope, quickly dashed as we discovered thick black mold covered the walls. The mold ruins everything it touches.  Before houses can be rebuilt everything within the house must be removed--down to the studs.  Furniture, family pictures, toys are all ruined.  Throughout these neighborhoods concrete steps lead up to emptiness—the homes they once served are gone or moved far from them.

The small white FEMA trailers that dot the devastated landscape are small and insignificant. FEMA regulations prohibit it from providing disaster victims with anything that is “permanent” in nature.   Their trailers cannot withstand winds of greater that 25 mph and those living in them will be among the first evacuated in the event of another storm.  Who thought that almost one year following the hurricane people would still be living in temporary trailers?  Why are they?

Katrina is a crisis that continues.   Over 400,000 people have still not been able to return to their homes.  The stress of lost loved ones, homes, jobs, and employment, coupled with continued displacement has led to a mental health catastrophe.  The suicide rate is up.  Care givers are too few in number and those available to care for others, need care themselves.  Many residents are mentally paralyzed, unable to think about their futures.  The elderly suffer as nurses and community aides are in short supply.  Housing shortages have driven rents up by as much as 20 to 50%.  An estimated 250,000 automobiles were destroyed by the storm further limiting the ability of residents to get to jobs.

The media had led us to believe that primarily poor people were the most dramatically affected by the hurricane. The lower 9 th ward where many low-income families lived is destroyed and no government efforts have been made to rebuild what was a vibrant community. Regardless of economic class, race, or religion, virtually no one in New Orleans is unscarred. Other neighborhoods, some middle class, had significant devastation occur.  The middle class, with greater resources, has a better chance of reconstructing their homes, but judging from what we saw it will be years before their community heals.

            At the Gates of Prayer, one of four Reform synagogues in the New Orleans area, we received a status report on the Jewish community.  The rabbi showed us pictures of the sanctuary which looked like a mikvah after the storm.  Gates of Prayer, along with the other Reform and Conservative synagogues in New Orleans have finished most of the reconstruction of their buildings and about 80% of their congregants have returned.  Will the remaining 20% return?  It seems unlikely unless the economy along with the city is rebuilt. And “returned” doesn’t mean congregants are back in their own homes.  Almost the entire staff and executive committee members of the Reform congregation and the New Orleans Jewish Federation are living in temporary quarters, not their own homes.  The cantorial soloist and her two children have lived with another family for over eleven months.  Her son “lost” his bar mitzvah year; a small loss perhaps in the face of what other’s endured, but it is small losses like this that continue to afflict the people in the area long after the hurricane itself.   The cantor lives in a FEMA trailer in the shul parking lot. A rabbi lives on the second floor of his home, his kitchen a microwave oven and a dormitory refrigerator, his family still living outside the area. No one complains, they are just trying to cope – and with a sense of humor.  This year’s Purim Megillah reading substituted “Katrina” for Haman.

Beth El, New Orleans’ only Orthodox synagogue, (and Lakeview, the middle class neighborhood surrounding it,) was destroyed. All eight of its Torahs sustained water damage and were buried.  The congregation has lost it’s building, its Torahs, even its yarzheit records. Volunteers scour cemeteries taking digital pictures of cemetery stones, hoping to reconstruct the records.  

The Reform Jewish congregation in Baton Rouge, who worked day and night assisting Katrina evacuees, experienced their own synagogue roof collapse from Hurricane Rita (so far their insurer has refused to pay the $500,000 needed to rebuild the sanctuary, arguing that the damage was caused by flooding, rather than the hurricane winds and rain.)

            What we saw and the personal stories of rescue and loss that we heard every day, strengthened our resolve to work hard to help rebuild. The work was varied.  In New Orleans, at the St. Augustine Church, the oldest African-American Catholic parish in the U.S., we scrubbed and cleaned, helping the church to pass health inspection as a food distribution center. In Jackson, Mississippi we helped two organizations by picking up and delivering needed items, sorting donations, answering phone calls, and serving food at a soup kitchen. Although Jackson itself had not sustained much storm damage, the influx of evacuees--the city more than doubled its population in the months following Katrina-- has strained the social service system. Our help was greatly appreciated, but much more is needed.

            We left the program with two overwhelming impressions – the first was disillusionment with our government and its agencies.  Over and over we heard New Orleans residents refer to all the damage brought on by Katrina as “a man-made disaster.”  Man-made, what did they mean?  The Army Corp of Engineers now acknowledges that the levees were not built to specification, that graft and corruption weakened their ability to hold back the waters. Questionable decisions to evacuate personnel at pumping stations in New Orleans lead to much of the severe flooding the area experienced.  Throughout the week, we heard one disappointing tale after another about the inadequacies, lack of compassion and general incompetence of FEMA and the government.  The bureaucratic mistakes and slow responses can be directly linked – without question – to drowning deaths, crimes and crises in New Orleans, and increased (unnecessary) destruction to homes and infrastructure throughout the region.  Equally distressing are the struggles homeowners are facing with the insurance and mortgage companies, neither of which seems willing to accept their responsibility and fulfill legitimate claims.  Congress recently passed a large appropriations bill, promising a tremendous amount of money to affected citizens – and then went on summer recess before actually writing any checks.

            The second major impression from the week was of a tremendous admiration for the inspiring work of individuals, churches/synagogues and private agencies.  These were groups of people who saw a dire need and stepped up to fill it – without a middleman, without a mandate from above, without prior experience in disaster management.  There were people who rented trucks and brought water to the convention center in New Orleans in the days immediately following the storm, while government officials were on television denying that evacuees were gathered there.  We met people who put out a call to their neighbors and were able to fill giant U-hauls with diapers and drinks within hours, and who then drove those trucks south to shelters overwhelmed by the sheer number of desperate people at their doors.  The rabbis from the congregation in Baton Rouge simply called each one of their members to ask them how many evacuees they could house – and the only congregants who said “no” already had extra friends or family staying with them.  

Unfortunately generous, even heroic efforts by volunteers and private donations will not rebuild the area without an extensive government response.  The rabbi from one of the Reform Jewish congregations in New Orleans urged us to consider the situation in this way.  When we watch a disaster unfold on television, he explained, we tend to see the people affected as being different from us.  He reminded us that facing a natural disaster is something communities everywhere may deal with – earthquakes in California, hurricanes in the South and occasionally in the Northeast, tornadoes in the Midwest – and the governmental response to Katrina and Rita is indicative of what the government response will be in our own cities if something should happen.  He asked us to advocate for them – to pressure our own congressmen and senators to visit the region and provide funds to rebuild – since we never know when it may be our turn to ask for help.  It is a sobering thought to consider.

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Mark J. Pelavin is the Associate Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. He is one of the Jewish community's leading legislative strategists, and one of its senior lobbyists.

The Genocide Intervention Network, which does powerful and important work on the crisis in Darfur (first among their many concerns), has compiled the first congressional “scorecard” measuring – by their own standards – how well every Member of Congress stood up to demonstrate concern about the horrific situation in Darfur.

The report, posted on a special website, DarfurScores.org allows you to see what “grade” your representatives in Washington earned. It is interesting, and offers some reason for optimism, that the top two “Senate Champions” are men who stand as far away from one other ideologically as any two Senators – Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL).

Were you surprised by your Member’s grade? Disipointed? Check Genocide Intervention Network’s suggestions for action.

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Sam Karol, left, was a Machon Kaplan participant the summer of 2006. Her work with the Religious Action Center has been invaluable.

As I stood in the sweltering heat that is Washington in July, I marveled at the size of the line in which I was waiting. Hundreds of young adults were waiting to enter the Warner Theatre for an intern event sponsored by The Partnership for Public Service. The event opened with remarks from Max Stier, President and CEO of Partnership for Public Service. The program was entitled “Making a Difference Through Public Service,” and Stier expressed how reassuring it was that so many young people were in attendance. The theatre was filled to its capacity of 1850 seats, and Stier remarked that the attendance of this event was double that of an Ashlee Simpson concert that had occurred in the same venue the previous week. After the applause and laughter had died down, Stier introduced Tim Russert who gave the opening remarks.

Russert told the story of his work in public service, and explained how it has helped him in his journalistic career. He introduced Senator Barack Obama who received a standing ovation. Obama told of his journey to become a Senator, including anecdotes from his campaign for state legislature. The Senator expressed the difficulty of being away from his family, but was sure to stress that it is because his job is so fulfilling that he is willing to make the sacrifice. Both Russert and Obama discussed the importance of our generation to take on leadership roles in public service. Russert mentioned how much technology has changed and how we can use that to our advantage in the future. Both speakers mentioned that half of the nation's 1.8 million federal employees may be eligible to retire in the next 5 years, leaving many jobs open for college graduates.

As a journalism major, I was intrigued by Russert’s manner in what was called a “Town Hall Style Interview,” but Obama’s demeanor struck me as well. It did not seem like there was a politician speaking on the stage, but someone personable who truly cared about the thoughts and opinions of others. Coincidentally, Obama spoke of the bad reputation that the government has acquired and urged those in the audience to help change that image in the future. The number of those in attendance who actually end up working for the government is anybody’s guess. However, the fact that this event was held is a gesture of good faith that will certainly leave an impression on those who attended.

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Mark J. Pelavin is the Associate Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. He is one of the Jewish community's leading legislative strategists, and one of its senior lobbyists.

People for the American Way, the NAACP, and the African Americans Ministers Leadership Council today released a frightening report documenting how, in the report’s words, “A new generation of Religious Right leaders is turning conservative churches into political machines for far-right Republican candidates with rhetoric that might make Pat Robertson blush.”

The report, “The Patriot Pastors’ Electoral War Against the ‘Hordes of Hell,’” highlights the role played by Ohio’s Pastor Rod Parsley (typical quote: “Let the Reformation begin! Shout it like you’re going to carry the blood-stained banner of the cross of Christ the length and breath of the Buckeye State”), the well-developed network of such pastors in Texas, as well as developments in Pennsylvania, Missouri, and other states.

It’s difficult, but important, reading.

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Mark J. Pelavin is the Associate Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. He is one of the Jewish community's leading legislative strategists, and one of its senior lobbyists.

It turns out that Nicole Kidman and I agree on the need to fight terrorism, and Hezbollah and Hamas in particular. I know this from interesting report out of Los Angles today. An interesting cross-section of entertainment types came together to sign a full page ad in the Los Angles Times, the Hollywood Report, and Variety. The letter – which was signed by, among others,Dennis Hopper, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Don Johnson, James Woods, Kelly Preston, Patricia Heaton, William Hurt – said:

  “We the undersigned are pained and devastated by the civilian casualties in Israel and Lebanon caused by terrorist actions initiated by terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas,”

The ad, and the full list of signatories, can be seen here.

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Naomi Greenspan is a Program Associate for the Commission on Interreligious Affairs. She holds a degree from St. Louis' Washington University.

Immediately following September 11, 2001 there was a tremendous increase in interfaith activities in the United States. After this initial period of increased cooperation, however, there was a sense that people retuned to the pre-2001 levels of interfaith involvement. An important recent study, however, proves otherwise.

Faith Communities Today (FACT) recently released the results of a far-reaching study showing that interfaith activity has more than tripled since 2000. Non-Christian congregations have the highest rate of involvement in interfaith worship (40%), followed by mainline Protestant congregations (30%), Catholic and Orthodox congregations (28%), and evangelical Protestant and historically black churches (17%). A significantly higher percentage of congregations are involved in interfaith community service activities, ranging from 30 to 64%.

The results of this study are incredibly telling of the changing dynamic of American religious life and have repercussions for how we interact with our neighbors of other faiths. Interfaith relationships have increased dramatically over the last five years and may continue to do so. We each have a role to play in this important process so that we can create a pluralistic society based on cooperation and respect.

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Rabbi Fred Guttman, of Temple Emanuel in Greensboro, NC is a member of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism

The ongoing violence in the Middle East is deeply troubling for all of us who wish to see peace between Israel and its neighbors.

Unfortunately, the Jewish state’s enemies have forced it into yet another defensive war following two unprovoked attacks by terrorist organizations. While the media continue to report on the daily fighting, it is important to remember how this conflict started.

On June 25, members of Hamas, the ruling party of the Palestinian Authority, illegally invaded sovereign Israeli territory, kidnapped an Israeli soldier, and killed two others. Less than a month later, on July 12, members of Hizballah invaded sovereign Israeli territory and kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others.

These unprovoked cross-border attacks killing and kidnapping soldiers came despite Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza last summer and its withdrawal in 2000 from Lebanon, a move certified by the United Nations.

Both Hamas and Hizballah, which are backed financially and morally by Iran, would like the world to believe that this war is about land and occupation. However, the facts indicate otherwise. Rather, the conflict is about the desire of Israel’s enemies to drive it into the sea. They oppose not what the Israelis do, but who they are and their very existence.

If the unprovoked attacks on Israeli territory are not enough evidence to demonstrate their true intentions, then the words of Israel’s enemies should prove them definitively.

Hizballah terrorists are trained by Iranian Revolutionary Guards and use Iranian supplied rockets to attack Israel. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has referred to Israel as a “rotten, dried tree” that would collapse in “one storm.” “We say that this fake regime (Israel) cannot logically continue to live,” he said in April. And in November 2005, at a conference entitled “The World Without Zionism,” he spoke even more starkly: “Israel must be wiped off the map.”

Long before the current war, Hizballah’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah spoke out against peace with Israel and boasted of Hizballah’s ability to fire rockets at Israel. In July 2005, he stated, “Disarming Hizballah will lead to a situation where Lebanon could sign a peace agreement with Israel. This is a very negative thing as far as we are concerned.” In May 2005, he claimed, “I acknowledge that for many years – since 1992, to be precise – the resistance has had a significant and respectable missile capability, both in quantity and quality. Therefore, I can tell you that the north of occupied Palestine is entirely within the range of the missiles of the Lebanese resistance.”

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has also spoken in favor of violence against Israel. In January 2006, in the wake of Hamas’ landslide electoral victory, he asserted his unwavering commitment to Hamas’ founding principles: “The constants and the strategy of Hamas do not change according to circumstances. Hamas will stay faithful to jihad, to resistance, to guns, to Palestine and to Jerusalem. … Hamas will enter the Palestinian legislative council on the platform of resistance.” He also claimed, “Hamas will be active in the resistance as well as in parliament in the political domain. There is no contradiction.”

The words spoken by these terrorist leaders need to be taken seriously.

Unfortunately, today Israelis in northern Israel and along the border with Gaza are bearing the brunt of these words of hatred. It should be clear that these terrorist groups are not interested in land, but the destruction of Israel. Like any sovereign country, Israel has the right to defend itself against aggressors who threaten to destroy it.

The world should expect nothing less.

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Rabbi Eric Yoffie is the President of the Union for Reform Judaism. He delivered the following comments at a community gathering last week.

We are grateful for the analysis that we will hear tonight. It is important for us to understand as best we can the terrible conflict that rages on Israel’s northern border.

Still, as much as we appreciate analysis and commentary, it seems to me that the distinguishing feature of this conflict is the utter clarity of the issues and of the moral choices that it presents.

This is a war in which the rights and wrongs are beyond all doubt.

Southern Lebanon is taken over by Hezbollah after Israel’s withdrawal. Supported by Syria and Iran, Hezbollah amasses an arsenal of 13,000 missiles and rockets. Over a period of 6 years, it launches dozens of unprovoked attacks into Israeli territory— striking at military installations or launching rockets at civilian targets. All the while, Hezbollah’s leaders proclaim their genocidal intentions: Israel is to be wiped off the map.

And then, after it attacks again, kidnapping and killing Israeli soldiers, Israel finally strikes back. After 6 long years, it has had enough. But without hesitation, Hezbollah unleashes a barrage of 2500 rockets against Israel’s northern cities, each and every rocket aimed at civilians, each and every rocket intended to kill, or to maim, or to terrorize.

And terrorize they have. A half million Israelis have been driven from their homes; nearly a million pass most of their days in bomb shelters. Life in the northern half of the country has come to a standstill. And not only that. Hezbollah intentionally operates from civilian areas, knowing that this will increase civilian deaths, no matter how precise Israel’s weaponry. And these deaths in turn will be used to ratchet up the violence and the hate.

Could the rights and wrongs of this conflict be any clearer? If Israel’s cause is not just in this war, then no cause can ever be just.

But, of course, there are those in Europe, and here too, far from Hezbollah’s rockets and terror, smug in the physical safety of their own homes, who accuse Israel of overreacting and of failing to exercise “proportionality.”

To my fellow Americans who speak in this way, here is my question: if you were living in Houston, and if a terrorist body that the Mexican government refused to disarm were firing deadly rockets into your neighborhood night after night, endangering your life and terrorizing your children, would you be talking of restraint and proportionality? Or would you be demanding an immediate response from your government to assure that not a single additional missile threatened your family’s well-being?

This is not an abstract question. We know what President Roosevelt did when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. We know what President Kennedy did when the Russians put missiles in Cuba. And we know what President Bush did in Afghanistan, when it gave refuge to those who attacked us on September 11. Americans then did not talk of proportionality; they talked about providing security for their country and stopping those who wished to do us harm.

But let us not think for a moment, God forbid, that we can be indifferent to the death of innocents. The death of any child, Israeli or Arab, Muslim or Jew, is an unspeakable tragedy that rends the heart.

When Abraham argued with God about the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, his plea was: “Ha-af tispeh tsaddik im rasha? Will you indeed sweep away the innocent with the guilty?” (Gen 18:23). And Abraham knew the answer, of course. Because you cannot turn your back on the innocent and still be God.

And so, what do we say about the children who died in Jana? We say that it was terrible beyond words.

But then we look at what happened afterward, and we see once again where justice resides in this terrible war.

Because immediately after the tragedy, Israel’s government said: this was an awful mistake and we are deeply sorry. And the next day, Israel’s papers and airwaves were filled with anguished debates about the moral implications of Israel’s actions. In Yediot Aharonot, Israel’s largest daily, the lead editorial proclaimed: “In a national sense, we are all guilty, because small nations are nations of collective responsibility. This killing is on the head of all of us.” And it went on to say that what Israel must do is take responsibility and ask forgiveness.

Do not misunderstand me. No one was arguing that the war was wrong. Overwhelmingly, Israelis believe that this is a just war, that it must be fought, and that Hezbollah is a threat to their very existence. They know that morality begins with security, and that the first responsibility of any government is to protect its citizens. But Israelis also want to know that everything that can be done to avoid civilian casualties is being done. And they were sending that message to their leaders, loud and clear.

And now let’s ask ourselves: Can we imagine this conversation taking place in the ranks of Hezbollah? As Jewish children continue to die, can we imagine Hezbollah taking responsibility and apologizing? Can we imagine them pledging to do everything in their power to put an end to civilian deaths? No, we cannot. Because Hezbollah is fascist in its politics and fanatic in its religious zeal; and it dreams not of peace but of death—death to Israel, death to Jews, and death to America. Once again, even amidst the tragedy of innocent lives lost, we see with utter clarity who shares our values and who is worthy of our support.

What is our task? It is four-fold.

First, to support our government, which has been a voice of reason and good sense, and to thank our president, who has been a true friend of the Jewish state.

Second, to work for peace—real peace. And peace can come. If the attacks stop, and if Hezbollah is disarmed, peace can come tomorrow. So let us strengthen the hand of all who will join with us in making such a peace a reality.

Third, to make clear that we are not declaring war against another religion. Yes, we will oppose extremism with all our might. But remember: our adversaries are the angry and hating minority in the Moslem world who embrace radical Islam. Surely most Moslems want to live in peace, and with them we must engage in honest dialogue.

And finally, to embrace Israel in her hour of need. Because Israel is a cause for thanksgiving and rejoicing; a bastion of democracy in a very bad neighborhood; a friend of America and an enemy of terror; and an inspiration to Jews and to Christians everywhere. Israel is not a perfect country. It is a contentious country that is as complicated and as difficult as the Jewish people themselves. But it is also a country where most of the time, and certainly now, the best impulses of her leaders and her people determine her direction and give us hope.

And so where do we stand at this moment? We stand proudly with Israel.

And as always, we ask for God’s guidance. And we pray that evil will be overthrown and reason will prevail. And that peace and redemption will come to Israel’s border, and that harmony will hallow Jerusalem’s gates—bi’meheira u’viyameinu, speedily, and in our day.

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Jane Wishner is the Chair of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism (CSA). The CSA is the Religious Action Center's governing body.

Yesterday, I had one of the most moving and inspiring social justice experiences of my life. I watched as more than 100 9th and 10th graders from URJ’s Camp Newman in Northern California came to San Francisco and gathered over 800 signatures on petitions supporting comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform. The highschool students are participating in Hevrah, a three-week social action program at Camp Newman. They have studied together, written essays and poetry, performed street theater, written a worship service and prepared packets for each of them to take home to their congregations to raise awareness of the plight of undocumented workers and their families in our nation today. One group went to advocate at the offices of Representative Nancy Pelosi, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and Senator Diane Feinstein of California. They later joined the street theater performers and signature collectors in downtown San Francisco.

The students encountered every conceivable response to their petition efforts. Most people who were spending their lunch hour on a sunny day outdoors in downtown San Francisco waved them off. A very small number of those lunchgoers said hateful and insulting things about immigrants. Many refused to sign the petitions, but over 800 did. The students supported each other and learned over the course of two hours how to better approach and speak with total strangers about immigration reform. They learned to ignore the rudeness they occasionally encountered and were empowered by the many success stories they experienced and retold to one another. Many people thanked them for the work they were doing. They changed minds on that plaza, convincing many people to sign petitions they were initially reluctant to sign.

Yesterday, the members of Hevrah learned the power of knowledge and advocacy. They learned how to transform rejection into determination to work harder for what they believe in. And, over three weeks, they learned why Jews care about social justice and how we can make a real difference in the world. Yesterday, the 120 members of Hevrah and their staff served the reform movement with courage, determination and compassion. And I couldn’t help wondering what we would do, in turn, to support them. After spending three weeks studying and working hard on one of the most complex and daunting policy issues of our day, what will they experience when they come home next week? Will they have opportunities in their youth groups, religious schools and congregations to share what they have learned, not only about immigration, but also about social justice advocacy? Will they have an outlet for their passion and commitment to social justice? Will we – the adults who surround them – thank them for what they did and encourage them to do more? Or will we, too, like many adults they met yesterday, wave them off? It is our obligation to create opportunities for them to continue their work and build on their commitment when they return home.

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David Morrill Schlitt is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. He is a graduate of Columbia University in New York City.

Though I don’t always agree with Alan Dershowitz (a fact that is no doubt keeping him up nights), I thought his Op-Ed in this past week’s Boston Globe was spot-on. The piece was a clear-eyed and reasonable argument of why democracies should stand behind Israel during the current crisis. It’s definitely worth checking out, no matter where you stand on the last weeks’ events.

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Deb Michaels was a Machon Kaplan participant the summer of 2006. Her work with the Alliance for Children and Families has been invaluable.

Working as an intern at the Alliance for Children and Families I have become familiar with many non-profit organizations that provide much needed services to at-risk youth and help restore communities. Two weeks ago my supervisor asked me to attend a Child Care NOW coalition meeting.

During the course of the meeting some concerns were raised over legislation that while has been considered by Congress before has never had such widespread support and the ability to pass. The meeting was brief and very little was actually said about the “sunset commissions”, but that would not be the last time I heard about them. Yesterday I went to an emergency Sunset Commission meeting to discuss what action needed to be taken to prevent the acts from passing. Contrary to a friend of mine’s belief that the “sunset” legislation were based on Congress’ debate on the actual time of sunset, these two acts give an unprecedented amount of power to a commission with the purpose of analyzing spending.

There are currently two acts, HR 5766 (Tiahrt Bill) and HR 3282 (Brady Bill) on the floor of the House. Shortly before that emergency meeting a remarkably fast mark-up of the bills had taken place, and conservative Republicans had quickly voted to bring the bills to the floor. The bills pose a threat because they would create a bipartisan committee that would have the power to get rid of necessary government programs. These commissions take power away from Congress and do not allow enough time for programs to be analyzed by Congress before they are destroyed (one of the acts says that if Congress does not reauthorize the programs within 30 days of getting it from the commission, the program is terminated). The meeting I attended was arranged with the sole purpose of deciding on an agenda of how to proceed. A list of targeted House members was created and different organizations agreed to call Congressman to try to sway their votes and prevent this legislation from passing.

With only a week till this legislation comes to the floor, me and other organizations have been making calls to House offices trying to predict the outcome of these two bills. Next Tuesday I am doing a mail drop on the hill, and hopefully will do a small part in protecting non-profit programs from being destroyed by these acts.

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Naomi Greenspan is a Program Associate for the Commission on Interreligious Affairs. She holds a degree from St. Louis' Washington University.

The recent violence in Israel and Lebanon has opened up many lines of communication between the Jewish community and other religious organizations in the United States. As people of faith we are all equally concerned about the recent events and the most appropriate way to interpret them. Even at times where there can be disagreement about such matters, it is important to keep these conversations open.

Rev. John Pawlikowski and Rabbis Ruth Langer and Michael A. Signer provide an example of such open dialogue. On July 17-18 they exchanged a number of emails regarding the current events in the Middle East. In their thought-provoking discussion we are able to see an exemplary model of interreligious dialogue. The Boston College Center for Christian-Jewish learning posted this Informal Catholic-Jewish Dialogue on the Israel - Hezbollah Conflict and provides an opportunity for others to get involved in the conversation as well.

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