A recent article in the Washington Post describes how President Bush’s passion for ending the crisis in Darfur has not been sufficiently matched by action.  This problem of inaction plagues not only the White House but the global community as a whole.  Darfur Now, a documentary set to be released on November 2nd in select cities, chronicles the efforts of six individuals who have taken a different approach.  They have each devoted their lives to supporting the suffering people of Darfur.  This inspiring film, written and directed by Ted Braun and partially funded by the American Jewish Committee, tells the stories of people who have shown more than just passion.  They have taken action on many different fronts to combat these crimes against humanity. 

Adam Sterling co-founded the Sudan Divestment Task Force, which mobilizes grassroots to pressure state governments to divest from Darfur.  Hejewa Dam joined the Sudanese Liberation army and risks her life to fight against the Janjaweed militia.  Don Cheadle co-authored Not on Our Watch and has become one of Hollywood’s most outspoken advocates for action on Darfur.  Luis Moreno-Ocampo serves as the chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court at The Hague and is working to bring the political architects of the genocide in Darfur to justice.  Sheikh Ahmed Mohamad Abakar acts as the leader of a refugee camp in Darfur and provides food and shelter to hundreds of displaced families.  Pablo Recalde directs the World Food Program’s efforts in Darfur which send trucks to distribute rations to remote areas of the region.

We highly recommend this film to those who are already passionate about changing the situation in Darfur and are hoping to find ways to get involved.  In describing the stories of these six extraordinary individuals, Darfur Now takes for granted that the passion to end the genocide exists. Instead, it focuses on how to take action.  Most importantly, Darfur Now gives concrete ways to get involved and empowers its viewers to have a role in ending the genocide.  It encourages us all to participate, instead of simply being passionate.

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Dena Wigder is a former Eisendrath Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center.  She is currently a Public Policy Advocate for the Human Rights Campaign.  The views expressed are her own. 

ENDA enjoys broad public support – a May 2006 Gallup poll (http://www.gallup.com/poll/23140/Americans-Odds-Over-Gay-Rights.aspx) shows 89% of Americans are in favor of equal job opportunities for gays and lesbians, and already over 90% of Fortune 500 companies (http://www.hrc.org/issues/workplace/6989.htm) include sexual orientation in their equal employment policies.  Even the Chamber of Commerce, who consistently opposes new federal regulation on business, has said they will remain neutral on ENDA.

Despite this broad support, this week the White House issued a Statement of Administrative Policy (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/legislative/sap/110-1/hr3685sap-r.pdf) saying that “if the bill were presented to the President, his senior advisors would recommend he veto the bill.”   Why, you ask?  First, the White House claims that ENDA would substantially burden the free exercise of religion; and secondly that ENDA “is virtually certain to encourage burdensome litigation beyond the cases that the bill is intended to reach.”   Likewise, the Family Research Council, an ardent opponent of ENDA, claims:

• ENDA violates employers' and employees' Constitutional freedoms of religion, speech and association. The proposed legislation would prohibit employers from taking their most deeply held beliefs into account when making hiring, management, and promotion decisions. This would pose an unprecedented intrusion by the federal government into people's lives.

• It grants special rights to homosexuals while ignoring those of employers. The federal government should not force private businesses to abandon their moral principles. (http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=IF07I02)

These arguments are not new, unfortunately.  Take a look at the arguments below from the Senate floor during debate of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which banned discrimination based on race, sex, religion, and national origin.  Sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same.

·        "Will constitute a drastic intrusion into private business and will be unjust and coercive to employers and employees alike. This title will arbitrarily interfere with what would be otherwise the informed, considered, and sincere judgment of an employer as to how best to build and maintain the most competent, efficient, and harmonious working force possible." 110 CONG. R EC. 5, 5810 (1964)(statement of Sen. Stennis).

·        "The employer will no longer be responsible for conducting his own business. He will instead be shackled to the bureaucratic whims of an all-powerful and constantly present Federal Government that continually looks with suspicion upon every act of management involving personnel or procedure. The employer, already burdened with limitless Government forms and regulations will have to assume even more administrative burdens . . . In brief it would be a monstrous, unworkable, impractical, and unbearable burden on a major segment of the business and industry of the Nation." 110 CONG. R EC. 5, 5813 (1964)(statement of Sen. Stennis).

·        "Any time that you allow the government to come in and tell the people how they must conduct their private affairs, you are getting to the same state that exists in the Soviet Union at the present time. 110 CONG. REC. 6, 7758 (1964)(statement of Sen. Holland).·        "[U]der Title VII of the bill, the FEPC section, the employer would not have the right to choose the man he wanted, the one who was exceptional and well qualified, if some bureaucrat said, 'The other man applied 1 minute ahead of him; therefore, you must take him first." 110 CONG. REC. 6, 7766 (1964)(statement of Sen. Thurmond).

·        "I hope that the Members of the Senate will realize in time that the passage of this bill in its present form would indeed provoke a serious crisis in our country whenever any real effort should be made to enforce it." 110 CONG. REC . 6, 7746 (1964)(statement of Sen. Holland)

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As you well know, the rhetoric surrounding immigration reform has reached a fevered pitch in recent months. The Anti-Defamation League released a report yesterday showing that even mainstream groups opposed to immigration have begun to adopt the language of extremist groups.

A few years ago, the Interfaith Immigration Coalition (members listed below) was formed to call for an immigration policy that reflects our belief that all people are made in the image of God and to push hard for legislation that would enact comprehensive immigration reform. We can’t let those whose immigration rhetoric is tinged with hatred lead us to inaction on vital policy. We think most people would agree: “That Ain’t America.”

With the presidential campaign in full swing and immigration on the agenda, it’s time to send a message from the grassroots to the presidential candidates, calling on them to raise the level of debate. Therefore, the coalition has begun working with faith and community groups in a state that really matters to presidential candidates: Iowa.

Spearheaded by the Iowa Commission on Civil Rights, Iowa Justice for Our Neighbors, and the Iowa Interfaith Alliance, the new Iowa Interfaith Immigration Coalition and the national coalition are working to gather 10,000 signatures from Iowans of faith on a petition that injects civility into the immigration debate and that will be mailed to the presidential candidates of both parties.

The petition reads:

“We pledge ourselves as people of faith and goodwill to stand with our immigrant neighbors who have come to the United States from throughout the world. Recognizing the moral imperative to welcome the stranger in our midst, we commit ourselves to support laws that affirm their dignity, preserve their families, and acknowledge the value of their presence among us.”

If you are an Iowan and you agree with those sentiments, sign up. If you know Iowans who would agree with those sentiments, encourage them to sign up. Signatures are being gathered until November 26 and there will be a press conference in Iowa during the first week of December before the petition is mailed to the presidential candidates.

It’s time to raise the level of debate on an issue that affects the lives of millions. It’s time to prove that the rhetoric of hate is not only immoral, but also bad politics. We hope you’ll spread the word.

Cross-posted at Street Prophets

This is the opinion of Ben Weyl of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and does not necessarily reflect the views of the entire coalition.

Anti-Defamation League

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

American Islamic Congress

American Jewish Committee

American Jewish Congress

American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA)

B’nai B’rith International

Catholic Charities USA

Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC)

Church Women United (CWU)

Church World Service/Immigration and Refugee Program

Columbian Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office

Community of St. Francis, Province of the Americas

Conference of Major Superiors of Men

Episcopal Church USA

Gamaliel National Clergy Caucus Leadership Council

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)

Hindu American Foundation

International Catholic Migration Commission

Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas

Institute on Religion and Public Policy

Irish Apostolate, USA

Islamic Circle of North America

Jesuit Conference

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA

Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Jewish Labor Committee

Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

Jubilee Campaign USA

Justice for Our Neighbors Immigration Clinic Network

La Ermita - The Hermitage

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service

Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office

Mexican American Cultural Center

Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate

National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd

National Council of Jewish Women

National Ministries, American Baptist Churches USA

NETWORK--A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Presbyterian Church (USA), Stated Clerk

Shalom Center

Sikh Council on Religion and Education

Sojourners and Call to Renewal

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Union for Reform Judaism

United Jewish Communities

United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society

United Methodist Committee on Relief

United States Province of the Priests of the Sacred Heart

Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)

Wider Church Ministries - United Church of Christ

Women In Islam, Inc.

Women’s League for Conservative Judaism

World Relief

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It’s hard to know where to begin a discussion of the appearances of the GOP presidential candidates at the Family Research Council’s “Values Voters Summit.”  For now, here are some links.  My own analysis will follow tomorrow.

From the Left, great coverage, speech-by-speech, over at Faith in Public Life.  Almost as comprehensive coverage from the Right is available at Town Hall.  If you like your coverage a bit more down the middle, Mark Ambinder had a great series of posts at his blog on the Atlantic’s website.

The speech texts I could find are here (McCain, Romney, Thompson, Giuliani).  The straw poll results are here. 

American’s United has its take here including, as always, a great Barry Lynn quote: “This may be the biggest collection of theocrats in one room since the Salem Witch Trials.”

More soon.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jacob Feinspan is a former Eisendrath Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. He coordinates grassroots organizing and advocacy at American Jewish World Service (www.ajws.org), an international development organization motivated by Judaism’s imperative to pursue justice, and sits on the board of the Jubilee USA Network, an alliance of more than seventy-five organizations dedicated to cancellation of debts that cripple impoverished nations around the world.

Earlier this week, I attended the same prayer breakfast that Ben blogged about, focused on debt cancellation for impoverished countries around the world and calling on Congress to pass the Jubilee Act.  Every year, the world’s poorest nations spend billions of dollars on debt service, money that would be better spent invested in education or health care for their people.

This week’s event is part of a year-long national mobilization calling for a Sabbath Year.  The effort, organized by the Jubilee USA Network, an alliance of more than seventy-five organizations dedicated to the cancellation of debts that cripple impoverished nations around the world, is inspired by biblical texts.

In the Torah we find a liberating and just vision of community life governed by cycles of seven or Sabbath cycles—the Sabbath Day, the Sabbath Year, and the Jubilee Year.  These cycles are a powerful reminder of God’s intent that all creatures enjoy fullness of life and partake in the abundance of God’s world. Just as Shabbat is a palace in time for weekly individual spiritual renewal, so too was the Sabbath Year a time for communal renewal—to fortify the land and renew interpersonal relationships. In biblical times, the Israelites were forbidden from planting or harvesting every seventh year in order to allow the land to replenish itself. For the people living on the land, it was also a time of replenishment: every seventh year debts were cancelled.

The Marshall Plan of its time, this seven-year cycle of debt cancellation was a structural mechanism designed to address one of the biggest ethical challenges of all time—the cycle of intergenerational poverty. By canceling debts every seven years, and returning lands to their ancestral owners every fiftieth year— the Jubilee Year—the Torah instituted an economy where wealth was redistributed regularly. By living out the Torah’s words, our ancestors prevented the rich from accumulating yet more wealth at the expense of the poor.  (For more about the Sabbath year click here.)

Our ancestors’ actions inspired the worldwide Jubilee movement to lift the excruciating burden of debt that continues to siphon resources from impoverished countries that should be used for health care, education, and clean water.  Today, we have the opportunity to bring justice to generations of our own descendants by calling on Congress to pass the Jubilee Act, a bill that would cancel the debts of 67 of the world’s most impoverished countries so that they can reach the Millennium Development Goals.  I hope you’ll join me in taking action.

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This past Wednesday, I was lucky enough to be in attendance at the Capitol Rotunda when His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.  The event was a truly remarkable experience. Not only did the Dalai Lama speak in one of America’s most hallowed halls about the need for greater international religious freedom and a renewed commitment to the environment, but even more inspiring, every member of the congressional leadership, Republican and Democrat alike, as well as the President of the United States -- people who so often disagree with one another -- spoke with one voice telling the story of the Dalai Lama’s bravery, persistence, and promotion of a “middle way” approach to peace with China. 

The most powerful speech, however, was the one delivered by former Congressional Gold Medal winner, Elie Wiesel.  Professor Wiesel spoke in his remarks not only of the remarkable achievements of the Dalai Lama, but also of the importance of Congress’ choice to bestow to this humble Buddhist monk the highest civilian award our country has to offer. In making this point, Wiesel explained that upon receiving his own Congressional Gold Medal he called on all Americans to speak truth to power, this time he applauded the United States Congress for “speaking power to truth.”

I think it is important not to overlook Wiesel’s comments.  He is right that all too often the United States chooses the diplomatic expediency over pure morality  in questions of international relations.  We must look no further than the current debate regarding the House resolution on the Armenian Genocide which looked prime to pass almost 15 years after it was first introduced but has been derailed by the large number of members withdrawing support based on worries that it would strain US and Turkey relations.  A vote may now never even reach the floor.

While I recognize the importance of diplomacy and maintaining strategic relationships, Congress’ bold step to stand in the face of China (and do not be fooled, China was very unhappy) and award the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal is an important reminder that we must not assume that deferring to such relationships is always the better option.  Sometimes, it is necessary instead for the United States to stand as a world superpower for a higher moral calling in international relations.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 9:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Today, October 18, 2007, is a very important birthday for a very important friend of mine, and yours.  While this mutual friend is often overlooked as we go through our daily lives, its support cannot be undervalued whenever we do drinks. So, on occasion of your 35^th Birthday, here’s a toast to you…

HAPPY 35^th BIRTHDAY CLEAN WATER ACT!

 
That’s right, today is the birthday of one our most important pieces of environmental legislation.  The Clean Water Act has helped reduce and prevent pollution in our nation’s waters since 1972 helping to keep all of us nourished and healthy.  Today, the EPA certifies that 90% of our tap water is safe for drinking. Who could ask for a more giving friend than that?!

I’ve spent the past week thinking about what kind of birthday gift I give to such a devoted friend but after many sleepless nights I finally figured it out.  It’s kind of cheesy and very cheap but none-the-less appropriate for the occasion. My gift is my pledge to our nation’s water sources that I will take a new step each month to reduce my personal water consumption until these behaviors become second nature.  I hope you too will join me in this pledge. And for those who do, here is a starter list of easy ways to conserve water:

1. Believe it or not, it is ecologically better to use a dishwasher rather than hand washing.  Whenever possible, do not pre-rinse, just scrape your dishes and place into the dishwasher.  By running your dishwasher only when it is full you could save 10-20 gallons of water a day.  (Likewise, only run your washing machine when it is full)
2. Showers account for 20% of total indoor water use. Installing Low-Flow Showerheads reduces water consumption by 50%, saving roughly 2.5-gallons-per-minute. And, they can cost as little as $5!
3. Most household cleaning products contain oodles of toxics which pollute our used water.  That pollution later gets mixed in and pollutes larger bodies of water requiring extensive treating systems. But we can minimize our toxic output by switching to eco-friendly products such as Seventh Generation or BioKleen.  There are also many cheap and natural alternatives to use as household cleaners.
4. Bottled water is a dirty habit that must be curbed (especially since US waters really are safe).  Supplying our bottled water addiction requires 900,000 tons of plastic, 17 million barrels of oil, and emits more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide each year – excluding the trucking requirements. Additionally, bottling water is a surprisingly water-intensive endeavor. It requires an average of three liters of water to produce just one liter of bottled water!
5. I shouldn’t have to state the obvious, but some people simply haven’t seen the memo (wink, wink parents): Don’t leave the water running!!!   When you are brushing your teeth, washing your face, doing dishes, or shaving simply shut it off. And if you have leaks, get them fixed promptly.  These small steps will save thousands of gallons of water each year.

For lots more fun tips see: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100ways/ne.shtml

Water is our most valuable natural resource so we must all do our part to conserve and ensure that the CWA indeed has a happy birthday and a bright future.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Romney campaign has posted excerpts from his RJC speech here, and Thompson campaign as done so here.  The Giuliani website does not offer the text of his remarks, but they have posted, just in time for the RJC event, an extensive fact sheet, “Rudy Giuliani: Friend of Israel” which collects some of his statements on Israel and related concerns.

The Forward’s story leads with the news that “all five Republican presidential candidates expressed skepticism about the Bush administration’s current push for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.”

The Jerusalem Post’s report notes that “Speaking to a Jewish audience and focusing overwhelmingly on national security issues, the candidates sought to use Iran - and their willingness to talk and potentially act tough on the issue - to demonstrate why the Republicans would be the best to protect Jewish and Israeli interests.”

The New York Times’ report (“G.O.P. Candidates Court Jewish Voters,” on their “political blog’) says that “The Crowd Favorite Award went, hands-down, to Mr. Giuliani, who has had perhaps the most direct experience with the Jewish community as mayor of New York.”

“In addition to standing with Bush on foreign policy, Republican Jews also have emerged as one of the few constituencies willing to touch what has become a third rail in congressional politics: Bush's determination to roll back parts of the popular State Children's Health Insurance Program, which reaches children from families that earn above the Medicaid threshold but still cannot afford insurance.

[RJC Executive Director Matt] Brooks said such loyalty is natural for a president that has proven second to none in his backing for Israel. "Bush has earned it," he said. "Here's a president who in very difficult and challenging times, especially on core issues like Israel, was there for us and was one of the only world leaders standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel."

The RJC’s own coverage, including links to press coverage and, coming soon, a “webcast” of the event  is available here.

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For the last 40 days, a 79 year-old man has been starving in hopes that others might not have to.

Rev. David Duncombe led the Cancel Debt Fast, sponsored by Jubilee USA, a network of development and faith-based organizations (including the Union for Reform Judaism), to highlight the need for debt relief for some of the world’s poorest countries. During the fast, Rev. Duncombe walked the halls of Congress, urging legislators to support the Jubilee Act for Expanded Debt Cancellation and Responsible Lending, or Jubilee Act of 2007, which would expand debt cancellation to more poor countries and establish policies for future responsible lending. The fast ended yesterday at an inspiring prayer breakfast on Capitol Hill, with religious leaders and elected officials speaking about the ravages of global poverty and the hope that is within reach.

At the prayer breakfast, leaders of faith spoke of our obligation to justice. 2007 is a Sabbath Year, Imani Countess of the American Friends Service Committee, said: a time when the Torah and the New Testament calls for an end to debt and slavery. Rev. Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson reminded us that the prophet Micah said “…what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” We live in the richest country in the world; because much is given, much is required of us.

Ruth Messinger, president of the American Jewish World Service, spoke next. Coincidentally (or not!), she said that her grandson, who just had his bris days ago was named Micah. Ms. Messinger said she had fasted for a day as part of the Cancel Debt Fast and that she had also fasted recently for Yom Kippur. Jews fast on Yom Kippur, she noted, for the sins of commission but also for the sins of omission, like not standing up for those who need our help. Denying oneself food isn’t enough, she said. We must fast, as Isaiah urged us, “to loose the chains of injustice.”

The event climaxed as Rev. Duncombe prepared to speak. Weakened from his fast, the old man was pushed to the podium in a wheelchair. He stood up slowly, but purposely. He held a loaf of bread up and tore it in half, then passed it around the room until all of us had a piece of bread. “Let us be filled with the strength of God,” he said, “and the purpose of God.” He placed the bread in his mouth and after a moment said “Mmm!”

After Rev. Duncombe sat down, four strong advocates for debt relief spoke: Maxine Waters (D-CA), Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Donald Payne (D-NJ), and Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO). These members of Congress, who had all fasted for one day, spoke passionately about their faith and their commitment to ending global poverty. That Maxine Waters and Spencer Bachus are both champions of debt relief says a lot about the issue. The American Conservative Union gives Congressman Bachus a 93 percent lifetime conservative rating; Congresswoman Waters gets a 3.8 percent lifetime rating. But this issue goes beyond left and right, beyond Democrat and Republican.

At the breakfast, it was announced that the Senate version of the Jubilee Act would be introduced that day by Bob Casey (D-PA), Dick Lugar (R-IN) and Chris Dodd (D-CT). Advocates for debt relief are spending the week urging their senators and representatives to support the Jubilee Act. Call your congressmen today in support of HR 2634 and S 2166.

Debt relief by itself won’t end global poverty; but it’s a huge step in the right direction, and it means poor countries will be better able to feed their hungry. As Congressman Bachus commented after Rev. Duncombe broke his fast, “Because of Rev. Duncombe’s weakness, there are little boys and girls who are stronger. … We need to make a choice [that will mean] life or death for people all over the world.”

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Even more ink has been spilled over the war in Iraq than blood has been shed (and that’s saying a lot).  So it is not a small thing when I say that a recent essay by Christopher Hitchens in Vanity Fair magazine is the most interesting, most provocative, most powerful piece I have read about the war in some time.  (Second, probably, only to Martha Raddatz’s amazing book, “The Long Road Home.”)

Hitchens’ article (available here) is only partly about the war.  It reports the story of a young man, Mark Daily of Irvine, California, who was inspired, in significant part, by something Hitchens wrote to enlist in the army in order to serve in Iraq.  Daily was killed in action in Mosul.

Whatever you might think of Hitchens and his other writings, including his controversial indictment of religion (God is Not Great), it is hard not to be moved by his recollection of hearing about Daily’s death, and, especially, by his encounter with Daily’s family.

Too often, war, and death in wartime, are an abstraction.  All the more so for those of the commentating class.  The power of Hitchen’s Vanity Fair article is in forcing us to come to grips with the implications of our own statements and opinions.  It should be required reading not just for policy makers, but for those of us who play other roles in the public debate as well.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sammie Moshenberg is the Director of Washington Operations for the National Council of Jewish Women. The views expressed are her own.

Last week Mark Pelavin blogged about Toobin’s new book The Nine. Mark reminded us of the importance of paying attention to who is confirmed to a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court as well as other federal courts.

That was exactly what motivated the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) to launch its BenchMark campaign back in 2001. Since then we’ve faced two contentious Supreme Court confirmation battles over the nominations of John Roberts and Samuel Alito – both of whom won lifetime seats on the highest court. And the narrowly decided decisions handed down by the Supreme Court with these two new members, notably on reproductive rights, workplace discrimination, and school integration; sadly proved NCJW’s point that the career records of these two nominees could jeopardize key constitutional rights. 

But it’s not just the Supreme Court that protects our rights. Most cases don’t reach the high court. They are decided in the circuit courts of appeal around the country that often get the last word on important issues. Anyone who cares about the future of our rights and freedoms needs to pay attention to these courts as well.

Right now, the alarm bells are sounding over the nomination of Leslie Southwick to a lifetime seat on the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The Senate may vote on this nomination as early as next week. This circuit includes Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, boasting the largest minority population of any circuit. It’s also a circuit that hears many civil rights cases, so knowing in advance that a nominee has an extreme record on civil rights should raise red flags. Leslie Southwick is just such a nominee. As a judge on the state court in Mississippi where there are few civil rights laws, he’s only had a few cases in that realm but, across the board in those cases, his views stood out as exceptionally extreme. You can read more about Southwick on www.benchmarkcampaign.org and a variety of other civil rights organizations’ websites.

It does indeed matter who sits on the federal bench, and the impact outlives the President who makes the nomination and the senators who vote on confirmation. As far as NCJW is concerned, Leslie Southwick is not someone who should be rewarded with a lifetime seat on such an important appeals court.

Posted by Religious Action Center at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have a secret to tell you.

Are you ready for it? It’s a big one, one that sometimes causes people to change their opinions of me, either for better of for worse. It’s a secret that can be divisive, political and downright controversial, but I’m not backing down. If you’re sure you’re ready, my secret is this:

There, I said it. And because today is National Coming Out Day, GLBT folks and their straight allies everywhere are coming out in support of equality. To celebrate, the Human Rights Campaign is asking people to submit their own video stories of coming out and of allied support, and the Washington Blade is asking for written blurbs.

So what’s my story? My interest in GLBT equality began in 1999 when I learned my aunt was a lesbian, and again in college when a close friend nervously admitted his sexual orientation for the first time. As a Reform Jew, I’ve been taught that all God’s people are created in the image of the Divine – not just God’s straight people. And above all, I am an ally because I believe with my whole heart that it is truly the right thing to do.

I’m straight, but that doesn’t matter – without the strong support of an allied majority, no minority in history would have achieved the rights they have today, and the same is true of the GLBT equality movement. Gay or straight, we’re all in this together – and although full equality sometimes seems like a distant goal, we’re getting closer every day.

Today, whether you’re new to this or a seasoned equal rights advocate, make today the day you tell someone your story. As HRC’s Coming Out Day Web site says: “Whether it’s for the first time ever, or for the first time today – coming out is the most important thing you will do all day.”

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The visual is stunning. Thousands of men, dressed in red robes, walking through the streets calling in solidarity for the return of their basic human rights. It is a peaceful protest of the most peaceful kind and it has caused many around the world – both politicians and journalists alike – to call for an end to the 19-year old tyrannical practices of the junta in power as well as for the release of former Nobel Peace prize winner Aung San Sun Kyi. Yet, we can be reminded of something else very powerful by these brave monks of Myanmar: the ideal of democratic hope.

The Economist made this point particular clear in a recent article in which it explained,

“[All] taking part were enormously moved by the defiance they achieved, as if that were an end in itself. Yet no one The Economist spoke to believed the government would yield...‘I don't think we can defeat the government; I can't imagine what will happen,’ said one young woman, “But we hope. We hope for the success of our revolution.”

At first glance this viewpoint of pre-determined failure is troubling.  Why march, one might ask, if the end is a forgone conclusion?  Why try to demand freedoms from a government who you know is being backed by China, one of the most powerful countries in the world?

Yet, upon deeper reflection this viewpoint that the people of Myanmar do not actually think they can defeat the government yet they continue to march on should serve as a reminder that the democratic process should not always be judged by its success, but rather by its belief in the possibility of success. 

This is a message which goes far beyond the plight of the Myanmarese people.  This is what democracy is fundamentally about. It is what my former Professor, Cornel West, called in his 2004 book Democracy Matters, “tragicomic hope.”   A hope which he described was embodied by African American fighting to be free,  a group which “all knew that even if the tears of the world are a constant quantity and that air is full our cries, we can and should still embark on a democratic quest for wisdom, justice, and freedom…This kind of tragicomic hope is dangerous—and potentially subversive—because it can never be extinguished…it is a form of elemental freedom that cannot be eliminated or snuffed out by any elite power (217).” 

If those of us who live in democracies and fight for them everyday can only remember that, we are reminded not only of the fact that we should fight for the people of Myanmar, but that we should continue more broadly to fight for the promise of a stronger future despite the seemingly up-hill battles occur each and everyday. We cannot have democracy if we do not have hope.  And we must remember Dr. King’s powerful teaching that “the arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice.”

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The former Senator Bill Bradley once said, “trying to take money out of politics is like trying to take jumping out of basketball,” and for better or worse he is right.  Specifically, in the case of the war in Iraq the “price” is not pocket change, it is about $14-$16 billion dollars a month, a fact which House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. David Obey is tired of, so tired that he has proposed a fix to our leaking budget – a war tax.

Though I am unsure whether the idea of a war tax, the first of its kind since the Vietnam War, represents a realistic or constructive policy proposal, I am impressed by Obey’s bold attempt to exercise the congressional power of the purse. This is one way of making average Americans recognize that wars are not free and that in paying for the war we are forced not to pay for other important programs. The genius of such a move, as E.J. Dionne explained in the Washington Post is that 

"[It is a] way to test the seriousness of those who claim that the Iraq war is an essential part of the 'global war on terror.' If the war's backers believe in it so much, it should be easy for them to ask taxpayers to put up the money for such an important endeavor."

Certainly it is unlikely that such a measure will ultimately pass—the House leadership has already said it will not support Mr. Obey’s efforts—however the reminder that wars cost more than lives is an important one which all Americans and elected officials should take to heart.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Wednesday October 10th marks the 16th World Mental Health Day—a day sponsored by the World Health Organization to raise awareness about contemporary mental health issues.  According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), nearly 27 percent of the American population, or 58 million people, suffer from a diagnosable mental illness in a given year. (For more statistics on mental illness in America from NIMH, click here.)  So, mental illness has a widespread affect on America’s population—especially when you consider the family members, coworkers, and friends who experience the secondary effects of mental illness. 

 This weekend, I attended the URJ Disability Summit, where leaders from the URJ and its affiliates gathered to discuss and reflect on the steps that the Reform Movement should take in order to make our synagogues, camps, and offices more accessible to the disabled—including those with hidden disabilities, such as mental illness.  The conversations focused not only on how to modify architecture but also on how to change our attitudes and behaviors to allow for a welcoming and inclusive environment. 

As mental illness is often left out of conversations about disabilities, I was pleased to hear Reform Jewish leaders making an effort to consider the needs of our community’s mentally ill.  This essential and significant step displays the Reform Movement’s continuing commitment to fighting stigmatization and ignorance.  The Disability Summit happened in the same week as World Mental Health Day, but for the Reform Movement, this commitment to advocating for the mentally ill is year-round. 

We must continue the conversations begun at the Disability Summit and make mental health a priority in our communities.  We should consistently ask how we can use our programs, schools, texts, etc. to promote mental health and stability.  And, we must continue to ask how to make our communities more accessible to those who are already afflicted with mental illness.  We, both the URJ and the American public, have taken some essential steps, but we still have a long way to go.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

In many ways, “The Nine” is the best of a small but crucial series of books (including, and perhaps limited to, Bob Woodward’s “The Brethren”  and former Supreme Court clerk (and former RAC LA!) Edward Lazarus’ “Closed Chambers”) which offer a look behind the Supreme Court bench.  Each book, however, covers different time periods, and each is an invaluable

What makes “The Nine” so compelling is Toobin’s skillful weaving together of tidbits about the day-to-day work of the court with clear explications of the Court’s recent jurisprudence.  He provides intriguing portraits of the Justices as individuals, and, at the same time, illustrates how their own unique backgrounds influence their approach to cases. 

And then, after 338 pages of great reporting and analysis, Toobin offers us his stark conclusion:

When it comes to the incendiary political issues that end up in the Supreme Court, what matters is not the quality of the argument but the identity of the justices.  There is, for example, no meaningful difference between [Justice Anton] Scalia and [Justice Ruth Bader] Ginsburg in intelligence, competence, or ethics.  What separates them is judicial philosophy – ideology – and that means everything on the Supreme Court.  Future justices will all likely be similarly qualified to meet the basic requisites of the job.  It is their ideologies that will shape the Court and thus the nation.

To which I can only add this – if Toobin is right (as I think he is) it makes the work we do in reviewing nominees for the Supreme Court (and the lower Federal Courts as well) absolutely critical.  It is hard to imagine a domestic policy decision which can have as much impact on our community, and on our country, than the choice of who becomes a Supreme Court justice.  It’s a debate we ignore at our peril.

Posted by Religious Action Center at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rabbi Sue Ann Wasserman is the Director of the Union for Reform Judaism's Department of Worship.  The views expressed are her own. 

Later this month, the Joint Commission on Worship, Music and Religious Living (a partnership of the ACC, CCAR, HUC and URJ) will meet in NY. In addition to our ongoing work the Commission will study with three wonderful teachers. On Sunday we will study with Rabbi Jonathan Slater of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and on Monday with Rabbi Jonah Pesner and Lila Foldes of Just Congregations. To some this might seem like an odd combination: spirituality and social justice.

Somewhere along the way we developed an either/or mentality: either you are involved with social action or you go to services and value ritual. This view of Jewish life was evident as I was growing up in our Movement and it persists today. The clearest evidence of this either/or perspective is the unease expressed by some Reform Jews about the increased interest in ritual and observance by other Reform Jews. There is a concern that we are abandoning the core values of Reform Judaism. Truthfully I’ve never understood this division.

What is so brilliant about Judaism is that it is a closed circle. The true intent of most Jewish rituals, celebrations and worship is to help us embody the values that will lead us to pursue justice and live ethically in the world. One of the best examples is the celebration of Shabbat. Shabbat menuchah—rest is more than just taking a nap. A day away from work reminds us that a living wage should include being able to afford to take a day off. We need to push our society to make this possible for all workers.

Each Shabbat ritual has the potential to teach us about our role in the world if we open ourselves to their messages. By the act of lighting and blessing candles on Friday night we transform the night into Shabbat. We have the power to effect change through our actions and our words. As we bless the wine on Shabbat we are reminded of our liberation from Egypt—a call to us to end the slavery that exists in our own day. The blessing over the challah refers to God as “the one who brings forth bread from the earth.” We know that bread doesn’t come out of the earth whole. It takes a partnership between God and human labor to create bread. God gives us the raw ingredients to create food that will sustain us all but it’s up to us to distribute it.    

We can be lead in the path of righteousness if we enact the ritual mitzvot with the kavanah—the intention of hearing their call to tikkun olam—repairing the world.  

Posted by Religious Action Center at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)