Religious Action Center :: RACBlog: April 2010 Archives

New Bill Would be "Disastrous to the Unity of the Jewish People"

Israeli Knesset Member David Rotem, who has proposed a piece of legislation dealing with conversion in Israel, met earlier this week with leaders of the North American Jewish community to discuss the bill's possible ramifications. Following a series of discussions with Rotem in new York City, the Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements together issued a joint statement expressing our disapproval of the bill and our concern about its potential ramifications.

The statement is after the jump. Read more about this bill in this story or this one, both from JTA, and in this op-ed by Rabbi Uri Regev, president of Hiddush, a group that advocates for religious freedom in Israel.

We are appreciative of the substantial amount of time MK David Rotem devoted to meetings with us, individually and collectively, during his visit to the United States to discuss the legislation he has sponsored in the Knesset dealing with conversion and the Law of Return. We also welcome Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Daniel Ayalon's participation in many of our meetings.

It should, first, be emphasized that we deeply appreciate Mr. Rotem's stated goal in advancing the legislation - to ameliorate the bottleneck in the conversion process that currently keeps as many as 350,000 thousand olim (immigrants) from the former Soviet Union from converting to Judaism. The laudable goal of attempting to hasten the process of conversion for these individuals - who currently serve in the Israeli army and contribute positively to Israeli society - is one that deserves widespread attention and support. Together, we thank MK Rotem for his efforts in addressing this crisis.

MK Rotem believes his proposed legislation would rapidly open the door to a faster conversion process. We respectfully disagree. Not only would this legislation fail to achieve his forecasted result, the collateral damage to the 85% of world Jewry who are not Orthodox (and perhaps others who are) would be disastrous to the unity of the Jewish people in a number of ways.

The bill threatens to alter the Law of Return and consolidate conversion power into the hands of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Both of these results could have devastating effects on the relationship between Israeli and Diaspora Jewry and thus on the broader unity of the Jewish people. Such concentration of power in favor of Ultra-Orthodox Jewry effectively negates the roles of the non-Orthodox movements both within Israel and abroad, sending the message that only the Orthodox have a place within our Homeland.

Specifically, the current formulations of Article 1 would legislate the role and status of the Chief Rabbinate in a way not previously written into law. Such legislation would turn back the clock on 20 years of hard-won accomplishments in the Israeli High Court and complicate future efforts to appeal to the Court, which has been the single mechanism to counter religious discrimination in Israel.

This bill returns us to the destructive "who is a Jew" question, that has previously threatened to divide World Jewry, as it does today. To explicitly connect conversion to a single religious stream, while making no mention of other streams of Judaism, is by definition to compromise and jeopardize the Law of Return, as it places the decision for "who is a Jew" in the hands of one group. Such an action is inconsistent with the democratic ideals on which the State of Israel was founded and relies, and would detrimentally affect the worldwide Jewish community.

Further compounding our concern is the fact that the bill mentions no alternative method of conversion via non-Orthodox streams. We - and more importantly, our Israeli colleagues and their lawyers - believe that this language, if adopted as written, would further marginalize and hamper the Masorti and Reform movements in Israel. This would be a tragic consequence as we offer vibrant religious alternatives to a nation of Jews religiously alienated by the increasingly extreme positions of a minority religious establishment. We firmly believe that any conversion legislation must explicitly address these concerns.

We are additionally troubled by language that provides that any person who entered Israel while ineligible to receive Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return will remain ineligible following conversion. Though MK Rotem says this language exists to outlaw the possibility of illegal immigrants undergoing conversion solely to obtain Israeli citizenship and remain in the country, the reality is that this deeply troubling clause differentiates between those who are born Jewish and those who choose to be Jewish, amending the Law of Return to exclude those who have made a conscious decision to join the Jewish community. For 2,000 years, Judaism has treated Jews-by-choice the same as Jews-by-birth. We are taught "as soon as a convert emerges from the mikvah (ritual bath) she or he is Jewish for all purposes." (Talmud, Yevamot 47b) We see no justification now for differentiating between groups of Jews or including an article with such severe ramifications in the framework of a law purportedly dealing with easing conversion procedures.

While we recognize the goals Mr. Rotem is working to achieve and deeply respect his efforts, we cannot lend our support to a bill that will have such devastating ramifications. This moment, when Israel faces a great many challenges, both at home and abroad, is no time to enact legislation that has the potential to divide the Jewish community or to alienate Diaspora Jewry.

Even as we expressed our concerns to Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon and MK Rotem, we also emphasized our steadfast love and commitment to the people and State of Israel. It is in this spirit of unity that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our colleagues in the Masorti and Reform movements in Israel and with one another. Indeed, it is our unconditional love for Israel as both a sovereign nation and a worldwide Jewish community that calls us to urge, in the strongest possible terms, upon MK Rotem, the Yisrael Beitenu party, and Prime Minister Netanyahu to withdraw this bill and introduce legislation that resolves the urgent problems of olim from the former Soviet Union without compromising either the core democratic values of the State or the Law of Return.

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Justices at a Cross(roads)

On Wednesday, the Justices released their opinions in Salazar v. Buono, a case that revolves around the legality of an 8-foot cross displayed as a war memorial on public property in the Mojave Desert. The case questions whether the transfer of one acre of land surrounding the cross to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (a private entity) was a sufficient remedy for circumventing Establishment clause concerns that the cross raises. (As you will recall, the URJ signed onto an amicus brief in this case, encouraging the Court to grant standing and to uphold the lower court's ruling that this land transfer was insufficient.)

The 5-4, fractured decision muddied the waters of Establishment clause jurisprudence, opening the door for more public displays of religious symbols on public property. The decision requires the lower court to reconsider the case and gives it the "go ahead" to deem land transfer an acceptable accommodation, specifically because of the long history that supposedly associated this cross with a secular meaning (memorializing the war dead). If the lower court moves forward with this reasoning, it would set a dangerous precedent that could result in other small pieces of government land being transferred to private hands solely so that religious displays could remain standing.

Precisely because the decision was so fractured, it does not make any new rules related to religious symbols on public property. It simply signals that the Court would have the five votes necessary to create such rules, should another case come before the Court. Although the strong voices of the dissenters made a powerful argument for a strict separation of church and state, where all religious displays on public land are considered endorsements of a religious message and therefore Establishment Clause violations, it does not seem like these dissenters will be in the majority any time soon.

Wednesday also marked the last day of oral arguments for the October 2009 term of the Court and by extension, likely the last day that Justice John Paul Stevens will ever sit to hear such arguments. However, Justice Stevens is not yet done with his responsibilities--he will still be crafting opinions and issuing decisions with the rest of the Court until the end of June.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A Social Action Mothers' Day

Ah, Mother's Day. I have wonderful memories of being dragged to nurseries to pick out new trees and annuals, of Mom's new Toro tractor, of cooking everything-and-the-kitchen-sink omelets with my dad and brothers. Growing up, I didn't have any idea why the second Sunday in May was the day we did all the chores, planted stuff, and cooked, nor, I'm sure, did the rest of my family. My dad's argument that "it's Mother's Day" sufficed.

Now that I'm a progressive, constantly looking at old institutions in new ways, I'm enjoying my ongoing exploration of ways to imbue Mother's Day with more meaning. I'll certainly find more as we get closer to the actual holiday (save yourself potential embarrassment and write it down now: it's May 9th this year) but for now, allow me to provide one thought: Let's stop calling it "Mother's Day" and make it "Mothers' Day."

Yes, maybe this seems like semantics, and focusing on each individual mom is certainly worthwhile and wonderful. But marking the holiday by doing something for all mothers shows yours that you respect her gender and the institution of motherhood in general.

We shouldn't forget the sacrifices women are sometimes forced to make to be mothers, the shared experiences and concerns of motherhood, and that we have an opportunity to shape what motherhood will mean next year, next decade, and next century. Mothers' Day can be a checkpoint, five months into the year, to ask if we've done enough in 2010 to improve our moms' lives, to ensure our sisters and daughters and we ourselves need make fewer sacrifices in the future when and if they choose to become mothers.

How many men actually believe their fathers are inherently better or more valuable than their mothers? How many would not stand up and fight to protect their mother's rights to equal pay, equal opportunity, equal privacy if given a chance?

How many women must pursue motherhood without adequate societal support, like day care, or sufficient family leave? What injustices need to be corrected before you need not make the same sacrifices generations of women made when they chose motherhood?

Now that I've got you thinking, here's some takeaway - more will follow.

Why should male-dominated professions be intrinsically more valued than female-dominated fields? Why should our fathers make more than our mothers just because they're men? Start to close the wage gap by taking action for the Paycheck Fairness Act!
Mother's Day has its early roots in anti-war, anti-violence women's movements. Honor this commitment by working to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons which indiscriminately kill mothers, fathers and children!
Motherhood should be a choice! How can it be without adequate, effective, comprehensive sexuality education, which teaches "safe sex" as well as abstinence and strategies for building healthy relationships? Support funding for these programs now!

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 4:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Arizona's Immigration Law: "An Affront to [Our] Ideals"

Rabbi Thomas A. Louchheim serves Congregation Or Chadash in Tucson, Ariz.

When I returned home yesterday afternoon, I spoke to my wife and a friend who told me of their conversations with Hispanic friends and co-workers about the Safe Neighborhoods Act (SB 1070), Arizona's egregious new immigration legislation. These US citizens are afraid and angry about how this law will possibly affect them and their families. No American citizen or Arizona resident should live in fear of state and local officials by the mere fact of being within state borders.

Yesterday, eight clergy representing different Christian, Sikh and Jewish denominations held a press conference at Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona, to denounce SB 1070. We all criticized the Governor and our state legislators for signing into law a bill that so apparently is discriminatory and dehumanizing. Many of those who spoke assured those present that they would continue to send their faithful into the desert to save human lives. They would continue to feed and care for those in need. Finally, that they would provide a sanctuary where these people could pray without the threat of arrest.

There was a call to resist this law, although no specifics were given. There will be a rally at Armory Park on Saturday and another gathering of Tucson clergy next Wednesday morning at Southside Presbyterian Church.

The following were my remarks:

I would like to begin my remarks this afternoon by telling you that I am a fifth generation American. As an American and as a leader of my faith community, I find this law reprehensible. For the past seven years in southern Arizona, the religious communities, the Border Patrol, and state, local, and federal authorities have worked closely to insure that human beings crossing our borders, through the harshest landscape they could imagine, are treated with respect, dignity and caring. Prior to 1995, this was not necessary -- no one died. Since our government has erected physical impediments in border towns in California, Texas and Arizona, thousands of human beings have lost their lives. Our job, as people of faith, is to support human dignity, support human life, support human rights from our teachings of love, justice and compassion. Seventeen times the scripture tells us, "love the stranger." Only once do we read, "love your neighbor." We are here today to answer the call of our God to insure not only that we love the stranger, but that our government and their agencies love the stranger as well!

On January 20, 1961 we heard these words, "We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans -- born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage -- and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world ... "To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge -- to convert our good words into good deeds -- in a new alliance for progress -- to assist free men and free governments in casting off the chains of poverty."

Nearly 50 years ago, President Kennedy reminded us of our commitment to human rights. Nearly 50 years ago that president reminded us of our national obligation to our neighbors to the south, to assist men and women there in casting off the chains of poverty.

Today, we are poor representatives of that call to action.

Today, we are witness to an atrocious attempt to cast off that ancient cry: to end tyranny, to end poverty, to stand and live in a country whose citizens support each other, our neighbors and the stranger in our midst. This immigration law is an affront to the ideals our ancestors fought and died for 234 years ago. It is an affront to the religious values established on Mount Sinai over 3300 years ago.

We should be standing here today in celebration rather than in protest. Today we should be celebrating that in a country that stands for liberty and justice for all, we have conquered slavery, we have conquered prejudice against blacks, Jews, women and individuals with disabilities. But it is not so. Sadly, today we protest a law that not only puts fear into the hearts of those who do not live here legally, but also puts fear into the hearts of citizens of the United States and fear into the hearts of any foreigner visiting this country. If you are black, or blond, an Asian with an accent, you should feel threatened by this law today.

According to my reading of the law, our law enforcement officials should be suspicious of any person who speaks with any accent: Why shouldn't a law enforcement official "reasonably" think an individual might be an undocumented alien? If you are blond and blue-eyed, from a Scandinavian country, and you can not properly identify yourself, then you will be detained and brought before a law enforcement officer who is authorized to verify or ascertain your immigration status. But of course, we know toward which "aliens" this legislation is really being directed.

The Prophet Micah demands in God's name that we "live justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God." This legislation is an affront to God's command. It is an affront to human dignity and to human rights. It fractures our sense of community, even those who are here legally, who now become afraid and unsure of just how equal they are in the eyes of this odious law, which is the embodiment of hubris and arrogance. As religious faithful we must stand up and say "No!" This piece of legislation is too close to having those who look Hispanic wear a badge, like the Jews had to wear in other countries prior to and during World War II. We fought (and won) that war to end such injustice and discrimination.

I believe that every citizen of the United States on the day this law is to be enforced should wear on our clothing a badge that reads: "I am an alien and I am undocumented."

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Toward True Energy Independence

After a massive Earth Day rally on the Mall and high hopes for a comprehensive climate bill this week, key Senators are still negotiating and bickering behind closed doors. We are waiting for comprehensive climate legislation and stand ready to get to work here in Washington. But despite the hold-up on the Hill, the need for a clean energy future - for our health, our environment, and our national security - is clearer than ever this week.

The new "Don't Fund Terror" project, launched today by a coalition of major Jewish organizations (including the four major North American denominations, JCPA and nearly a dozen others) reminds us of one of the most important reasons to develop the clean energy economy here at home: our current fossil fuel economy sends billions of dollars overseas each day, much of it to dangerous regimes like Iran. That's why the Jewish community is joining together to call for energy independence now; sign the petition to remind your Senators that we need comprehensive clean energy and climate change policy to end our foreign oil addiction.

The danger of our dependence on fossil fuels - regardless of where they are produced - is more obvious than ever after a disastrous spill off the Gulf Coast that began last week and continues despite attempts to stop the spill through controlled oil burns. As up to 5,000 barrels of oil pour into the Gulf each day, and the spill reaches dangerously close to the shore, we see once again that there is no such thing as clean, safe offshore drilling. With the Obama Administration planning to open more of our coastline to drilling in the coming years, we must speak up against shortsighted non-solutions like offshore drilling and call for real clean energy alternatives.

And clean energy solutions are available, from rooftop solar panels to massive wind farms. That's why yesterday's announcement that the Cape Wind project was finally approved, after nine years of study, is so timely and exciting. Cape Wind is not a perfect solution to our energy woes, but developing wind and other truly clean energy solutions is an important step in the right direction.

We need clean energy for our health and security and, of course, for the future of our environment. As evidence of accelerating global warming pours in from EPA, NASA and others, we cannot wait to act. We know we have a religious mandate to protect our planet, and that people of faith from diverse background - from the Christian Coalition to the Church of Latter-day Saints - are going green to fight climate change and reduce our dirty energy dependence.

By joining with the scientists who insist that climate change is accelerating, the veterans calling for clean energy for our national security, and the business leaders (such as T. Boone Pickens and the We Can Lead coalition that includes Nike, eBay and others) demanding a cap on carbon pollution for our economy, we can get climate legislation back on track. Because despite this week's abundant evidence of the dangers of fossil fuel dependence and the promise of clean energy solutions, it will only be through truly comprehensive energy and climate legislation that we jumpstart a clean energy revolution that will make our world cleaner, healthier, and more secure.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fact: Legal Discrimination STILL Exists

I am proud to say that I am from Wisconsin: not only for its phenomenal state fair, its beer and cheese producing fame, the Wisconsin Badgers, or Milwaukee's summer festivals, but because Wisconsin was the first state, in 1982, to ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Yet 28 years later, it remains legal in 29 states to discriminate against workers based on sexual orientation, and in 38 states to do so based on gender identity or expression (including Wisconsin). There is no federal law that consistently protects LGBT individuals from employment discrimination, even though legislation that would instigate these protections has been introduced in nearly every single Congress since 1994. The first bill ever on the subject of sexual orientation discrimination was introduced in Congress in 1974.

In the 111th Congress, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)(H.R. 3017/S. 1584) was introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) in the House and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in the Senate and would supplement the Civil Rights Act of 1964. ENDA would make it illegal to fire, refuse to hire, demote or refuse to promote a person based on his or her real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. The House Committee on Education and Labor held a hearing in late September 2009, and House leadership has indicated that ENDA would be scheduled for mark-up before the end of this floor session and quickly brought to a floor vote.

ENDA has 45 cosponsors in the Senate and 202 cosponsors in the House. According to a 2008 Gallup poll, 89% of Americans believe that gay and lesbian Americans should have "equal rights in terms of job opportunities." In the business world, hundreds of companies have enacted policies protecting their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees. As of September 2009, 434 (87%) of the Fortune 500 companies had implemented non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation, and 207 (41%) had policies that include gender identity.

So what's all the fuss? How has this bill been introduced in nearly 10 Congressional sessions, have widespread support, yet still not signed into law? What is the landscape of support like for ENDA in Congress at this exact moment?

In speaking to Metro Weekly, Rep. Frank "promised" a quick floor vote once the bill leaves committee, with a committee mark up to hopefully occur next week. Why should the LGBT community not be afforded the same exact workplace protections as are afforded based on race, religion, age, country of national origin, gender and disability? Not a thing sets them apart from any other Americans: ENDA does not allow for quotas or preferential treatment based on sexual orientation or gender identity, or even allow for the imposition of affirmative action for a violation of ENDA. It solely affords the same rights and protections to LGBT Americans as standing civil rights law does for others.

A truly despicable editorial in the Washington Times last Friday entitled "Discrimination is necessary: Subjecting Kids to Weirdos Undermines Standards of Decency" outlines some of ENDA's opponents' concerns about its enactment, but in a less than constructive manner. To refer to ENDA as a "direct attack on common sense" and a "threat" is both appalling and factually inaccurate. ENDA would not afford any extra protections to the LGBT community that are not in place for other groups that have historically been victims of discrimination. "Common sense" is to not discriminate against a human being because of who they are.

With a floor vote in the House on the horizon, it is more important than ever to let your members of Congress know that you support ENDA, and it must be passed this year. Send an email, or call them using the Capitol switchboard number: 202.224.3121.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's Time to Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Twenty-nine religious organizations wrote to Congress yesterday to express their (our!) support for immediate repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the discriminatory law that currently prevents gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals from serving openly in the United States military. The coalition wrote, in part, "We write because we strongly believe this policy of government-sanctioned discrimination is morally wrong and entirely contrary to the teachings and values of our faith communities." Read the entire letter here in PDF.

Jewish signatories to the letter include the Union for Reform Judaism and the Reform Movement's American Conference of Cantors, Central Conference of American Rabbis, and Women of Reform Judaism, along with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the National Council of Jewish Women, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and the Rabbinical Assembly.

You can show your support for repeal, too. Use our easy, pre-written (but customizable!) action alert to send an email urging your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1283 / S. 3065), which would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Firing crucial and trained soldiers is not only unjust, but is costly and a threat to our national security. Overturning this discriminatory law will finally allow gay, lesbian, and bisexual military members to be honest about their identity, and ensure our nation is able to be served by the best trained and qualified personnel.

Posted by Religious Action Center at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A Dangerous Endgame in Sudan

To the surprise of precisely no one, Omar al-Bashir, Sudan's president since ascending to the position in a military coup in 1989, and a convicted war criminal, was re-elected by a landslide in the war-scarred nation's first elections in 24 years. I say that nobody was surprised because the European Union, the Carter Center, and the Sudan Troika (United States, United Kingdom, and Norway), among many human rights groups, have been saying all along that these elections had neither the infrastructure nor the internal motivation to be free or fair. They were right. And now the Obama administration, whose stance on Sudan had been anything but clear in the run-up to the elections, is being called out for not taking a strong enough stance on the obviously rigged elections.

The end game in all of this is the January 2011 referendum in which Southern Sudan will vote on whether or not to secede and become its own independent country. The White House's statement on the elections notes that the priorities of "pressing for progress for the civil and political rights of all of the Sudanese people...will not expire with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and all parties should draw on this experience to improve preparations for future elections and referenda." Not exactly an outright rejection and public condemnation of the corruption that marred this last election.

It is somewhat understandable that the Obama administration may be trying to avoid making waves with the irascible Sudanese government in the hope that the 2011 referendum, in which it is a foregone conclusion that the Southern Sudanese will vote to secede, will take place without a return to violence. Politically speaking, this may turn out to be a wise move.

However, recent fighting between rebels and government forces that left nearly 60 dead does not do much for anybody who had built confidence in the continuation of a largely violence-free status quo in Sudan. As the country prepares to split up, with most of the oil fields (read: revenue) located in what could be a newly-formed Southern Sudanese state, a return to violence, especially in Darfur, is dangerously possible. I hope President Obama will have stronger words and consequences for al-Bashir should the situation reach that point, because political nuance has nothing on moral obligation when lives are being lost.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What Did You Do for Earth Day?

Last Thursday was the 40th annual Earth Day, and Reform Jewish communities from coast to coast are celebrating!

At Temple Emeth in Teaneck, New Jersey, congregants gathered for an Environment Day focused on e-cycling (recycling electronic equipment), cleaning a local park, and bringing together generations of synagogue members around the common goal of environmental stewardship.

Across the country in Walla Walla, Washington congregations came together for a Green Days of Worship program that included exploring low-carbon transportation options, environmentally-themed worship services, and a community-wide Earth Fair. Reform Congregation Beth Israel, as part of the Walla Walla Valley Faith Communities for Sustainability, has participated in Green Days of Worship since the program began several years ago.
Others throughout the faith community are celebrating too. On the eve of Earth Day, Northland church in Florida hosted a town hall conversation with Matthew Sleeth, founder of the evangelical environmental organization Blessed Earth. The event was simulcast to tens of thousands of people in over 40 countries, making it one of the largest outpourings of Christian support for environmentalism ever.

These are just a few examples of fun and sustainable Earth Day programs, and we'd love to hear what you did or will do to celebrate. And while Earth Day is an important rallying point, its just one day in an ongoing movement to guarantee a safe, healthy environmental future for all people. This Earth Day is a great time to get started by pledging your support for climate and energy action and calling on Congress to pass climate legislation this year. Stay tuned for more ways to celebrate and take action on future Earth Days and every day!

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Oklahoma! You're NOT doing fine!

"The Haters" are at it again. Today the Oklahoma legislature enacted two crazy anti-abortion anti-woman measures. In the first instance they've voted to compel women to undergo an ultrasound and listen to a detailed description of the fetus before having an abortion. Of course, the idea behind this is to make a woman too guilt-ridden to go through with the procedure.

The second measure protects doctors from malpractice suits if they decide to not inform a family about an unborn child's birth defects. Of course, this ensures that doctors who withhold information that might have led a patient to have an abortion cannot be held accountable for that action.

The Oklahoma State Senate has 48 members, 43 of which are men. The House has 101 members, 89 of which are men.

The Governor of Oklahoma considered the measures "unconscionable" and vetoed the laws last week. Two other measures are still in the legislature and they would force women to fill out lengthy questionnaires about their choice, and the other restricts insurance coverage. The only measure the Governor signed into law was one requiring signage indicating abortion must be voluntary and that procedures based on the sex of the fetus are illegal.

The Center for Reproductive Rights has already filed a lawsuit against the ultrasound requirement. They argue "the ultrasound requirement profoundly intrudes upon a patient's privacy."

What do you think?

Posted by Religious Action Center at 5:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Naked Torah

The following D'Var Torah was presented to the Spring Meeting of the Commission on Social Action on Sunday, April 25.

Our Torah is a great repository of euphemism. Read any sentence of Scripture and you will learn numerous interpretations of its meaning, for the words themselves are the first of countless levels of nuance and connotation. Euphemism is, in fact, a cherished device in the narrative toolkit of our tradition. Providing a linguistic veil over the most sacred expressions of our faith, euphemism is our lexical armor, the invisible fence guarding the soul of our people. In Proverbs we read the maxim of the wise King Solomon, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in vessels of silver" (25:11). Writing on this passage to his student R. Joseph Ibn Aknin, Maimonides expounded,

"It shows that in every word which has a double sense, a literal one and a figurative one, the plain meaning must be as valuable as silver, and the hidden meaning still more precious; ...Just as a golden apple overlaid with a network of silver, when seen at a distance, or looked at superficially, is mistaken for a silver apple, but when a keen-sighted person looks at the object well, he will find what is within, and see that the apple is gold."

My concern today lies in both realms: with the superficial, or more precisely the obvious concepts that constitute our silver apples and with the more recondite ideas, those cleverly disguised golden apples.

This week's Torah reading, Acharei Mot Kedoshim, is dense, to say the least. Had I checked the parsha before offering to compose this D'var, I would have asked my colleagues to reschedule. In this week's double portion, God not only limns the Yom Kippur ritual, but imparts the Holiness Code as well (all in a day's work).

Before a captive audience of Jewish leaders, one might focus on any of a dozen relevant points of departure from the death of Nadav and Avihu to Aaron's expiation ritual, to the parsha's dozens of commandments, but it is the seemingly less pertinent commandments that we will consider this afternoon.

If I were to choose one signature word from Acharei Mot Kedoshim to serve as synecdoche for the portion, it would be nakedness. More so than sin, sanctify, statutes or sanctuary, the word nakedness, erav, appears 32 times in this week's portion.

It is widely accepted that the phrase, "uncover the nakedness" means "to know", you know, in the Biblical sense. Oh, I'll just say it - sex. In the third and seventh portions of this week's reading, God proscribes a series of sexual offenses that include incest, bestiality and homosexuality. The language of sex being perhaps, too profane or explicit for the Torah, we learn, therefore, through euphemism. Taking into account the implicit meaning of these commandments, however, we must not disregard that which is given to us on the surface.

Though defining sexual boundaries for the Children of Israel, this part of the Holiness Code is by no means limited to sexuality. These rules establish a code for human relationships that honor the community, the family and the individual. God says, "Like the practice of the land of Egypt, in which you dwelled, you shall not do, and like the practice of the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you, you shall not do, and you shall not follow their statutes" (Lev 18:3). Instead, Moses shall instruct the people Israel to follow a separate code, one that surpasses the morality of all other nations.

As we gather today in order to evaluate and determine the direction of our Reform community, let us consider these commandments. We all come to this meeting with a certain level of nakedness or vulnerability and in the process of learning about and debating new policy, we will likely uncover more. In heeding God's commandments, however, we must tread carefully in measuring our responses. For when God enjoins, "No man shall come near to any of his close relatives to uncover [their] nakedness" he is marking a boundary beyond which individuals violate the sanctity of their family members. And those boundaries exist as much in the way we interact and debate with one another as they do in the confines of a sexual relationship.

This week we will discuss issues ranging from food security and safety to global Internet freedom, from usury to homelessness and hate crimes. These issues are contentious and complex and our responses to them will be deeply informed by our individual experience and perspective. Whether in task forces, plenary sessions or working meals, we must not forget the sanctity of both the project before us and those with whom we are working. No matter how passionately we feel, no matter how convinced we are of our own moral rectitude, let us never lose sight of our own and each other's nakedness. To ensure an environment that welcomes honest and thoughtful debate, we must each promise to engage in a dialogue that adheres to these hallowed boundaries.

The significance of vulnerability as a "veiled apple" of this parsha is best demonstrated by the sequence of God's commandments. First he addresses sexual impropriety, a euphemistic allusion to the delicateness of human relationships. Further on, in Leviticus 19, the commandments become more explicit. God admonishes,

"You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger... You shall not commit robbery. The wages of a laborer shall not remain with you until morning. You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind..." (Lev 19:9-14)

In the fourth portion of the reading, God delineates vulnerability in its most obvious forms: the impoverished, reliant on the fallen fruits of his neighbor, the laborer dependant on the fair and timely compensation of his employer, the blind and the deaf, more exposed to the potholes and put-downs of life that others can easily avoid. Here we have our silver filigree, the conspicuous guidelines for interactions among the Israelites. Whereas the silver apples enumerate distinct categories of vulnerability, a peek through this gossamer reveals the gold, and more importantly the universal - that vulnerability is a human trait that cannot be differentiated by class status, physical limitation or any other condition.

Perhaps the greatest irony of this week's parsha is that so many of the explicit commandments are now obviated. We no longer practice animal sacrifice, replacing it instead with prayer. Outside of Orthodox circles, it is no longer forbidden to wear garments made of wool and linen. Men today shave their beards and homosexuality is not a civil crime worthy of a death sentence, it is no crime at all. The euphemistic commandments, however, still provide essential guidance in the navigation of human relationships. We are all capable of being uncovered or uncovering another, nothing has changed about human vulnerability.

The Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca wrote, "To see you naked is to recall the Earth." In other words, to uncover one's vulnerability is to stare directly into God's most magnificent creation.

At this vital moment, the potential for our achievement has been highlighted by the passage of health insurance reform and the depth of our failure is evident in a seemingly perpetual newsreel of political and religious corruption. Both of these extremes expose our human vulnerability. I would argue, however, that the greatest promise of our community lies in embracing this nakedness, not as a thing to be revealed , but rather as a condition to be cherished. In nakedness, we are earth; we are God's magnum opus. Let this code of holiness - both in euphemism and perspicuity - continue to engender for our community the sanctity of all human intimacies.

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Cleaning Up Jerusalem

We're cleaning up Jerusalem - one case at a time.

Last week, on the eve of Yom Ha'atzmaut, IRAC won a major case in the Jerusalem District Court. We put an end to the Jerusalem municipality's practice of providing exclusive additional funds to religious schools controlled by ultra-Orthodox political parties.

The Jerusalem municipality's allocation of millions and millions of shekels to Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) schools - at the expense of all other Jerusalem schools, especially when there are so many in dire need of financial support - was yet another example of how the Haredim use political power to secure government resources and win disproportionate benefits for their own communities.

We argued that such funding was undeniably discriminatory, violated the principle of equality, and was designed to appease a narrow interest group. The Jerusalem municipality disregarded the legitimate needs of hundreds of schools around the city, and instead gave preference to two religious political parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, who are influential both within the Jerusalem city council and the national government coalition.

The misuse of city funds was also - and we argued as such - a blatantly illegal move, so much so that the city council's own legal advisor refused to represent the case; instead, Mayor Nir Barkat's council had to hire a private lawyer.

As Tali Aviv, a lawyer on IRAC's excellent legal team, put it, "while other schools suffer from under-funding, the Haredi schools get extra. And in a city like Jerusalem, where there is so much diversity, it's even worse for the city council to favor only one kind of school - there's no pluralism in that."

IRAC's victory is an important one. It will narrow the gap between privileged and underprivileged schools; other municipalities across Israel will use the Jerusalem District Court's decision for guidance with similar cases of their own - and it is now more difficult for other authorities to set discriminatory criteria that favor ultra-Orthodox schools.

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Condemning Hamas' Gilad Shalit Video

Today marks the 1,400th day that Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit has spent in Hamas captivity. Today is also the day Hamas released an animated video depicting Gilad in a coffin, his father Noam looking on. Our Associate Director, Mark Pelavin, issued a statement this evening condemning the video, saying, "As we yearn for Gilad's freedom, this anniversary should be observed with grief - and never with mockery and morbidity."

His full statement is after the jump.

We are disgusted and appalled but sadly, not surprised, by the animated video that the terrorist organization Hamas released today that depicts the Israeli hostage solider, Gilad Shalit, in a coffin. On June 25, 2006, terrorists broke across the Gaza-Israel border, killing two Israeli soldiers and taking Gilad captive in Gaza; today marks his 1,400th day in captivity. As we yearn for Gilad's freedom, this anniversary should be observed with grief - and never with mockery and morbidity.

Further, adding personal insult to injury, the video portrays Gilad's father, Noam, witnessing his son's coffin. Our thoughts are especially with Gilad's family and friends, as we pray that he will be speedily reunited with them.

We hope that this action by Hamas will force the world to focus on their lack of response to humanitarian agreements proposed by the Israeli government that would ensure Gilad's freedom. We call on the United States, Canada, and all nations of the world to pressure Hamas to resume and conclude these agreements, recognizing the Talmudic injunction that "whoever saves a life, it is as if he saved a world entire."

As we commend the efforts of the Obama Administration to relaunch proximity peace negotiations in the weeks to come, we again ask our leaders to remember Gilad's plight and do everything in their power to help ensure his release.

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There is No Place Like Home

I was born and raised in Arizona and even though I moved away nearly seven years ago, I have always considered it my home. I love the beautiful sunsets, the sweeping desert landscapes, and the delicious Mexican food, and I have always counted down the days until my next visit.

Last week, Governor Jan Brewer signed SB 1070 into law, a bill that gives local police the authority to request immigration papers from any individual they believe might be in this country illegally.

My pride in being an Arizonan was severely shaken. Arizona, once defined by its sunshine and saguaros, is now instead defined by its hateful policies and aggressive treatment of its immigrant community. My home has become a place that legally sanctions racist behavior, prioritizes deporting illegal immigrants over of making their neighborhoods safe places to live, and treats "loving your neighbor" as a metaphor instead of a value that truly dictates how we behave in our community. That is hardly something to be proud of.

I empathize with the desire to impose fiscal sanctions on Arizona lawmakers for enacting such a retrogressive and immoral policy, but I can't boycott home. I can't shed my allegiance to Arizona, just as I could never shed my allegiance to the United States, no matter my disagreement with federal laws and policies. And even though there is pressure to punish the state, I certainly don't want to punish my family and friends who live there, especially since many of them are as repulsed by this law as I am.

And these people give me something to be proud of. I am proud that my Rabbis and others in the Jewish community asserted their political will and encouraged Governor Brewer to veto this legislation. I am proud that President Obama took a strong stance against the bill. I am proud that there are fearless advocates working together to ensure that this law is repealed or successfully struck down by the courts.

Ultimately, I hope that my state and my country will adopt compassionate immigration policies that recognize the dignity and sanctity of every human being. And perhaps there is a light at the end of the tunnel - perhaps this incident will be the catalyst to enact the comprehensive immigration reform that our nation so desperately needs.

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Arizona Rabbis Oppose Anti-Immigrant Bill

Eight Reform rabbis representing seven congregations throughout Arizona today sent a letter to Governor Jan Brewer urging her to veto the Safe Neighborhoods Act (SB 1070), an enforcement-only immigration bill that encourages racial and ethnic profiling and dangerously extends enforcement of federal immigration law to local police. Read the letter here or below. Check out this New York Times story to learn more about this bill and what it would do.

Gov. Brewer is expected to announce her decision on the bill today at 5pm MST. If you're an Arizona resident who wants to express your opposition to this discriminatory bill, call the governor's office now at (602) 542-4331. Not living in Arizona but know folks who are? Make sure to send this information along to them! Together, we can help put a stop to this piece of legislation.

Posted by Religious Action Center at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Business First

As the entire nation seems to be discussing who will be the next Supreme Court Justice, the Supreme Court itself is simply continuing on with its day-to-day business, hearing oral arguments and issuing decisions. On Monday, the Court re-convened for its April sitting. The two most exciting events of the week were the oral arguments in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez and the issuance of an opinion in United States v. Stevens.

Christian Legal Society v. Martinez questions whether a public university has the right to deny formal recognition (and therefore funding and access to space) to a student-run organization that discriminates on the basis of religious beliefs and sexual orientation. (The Union for Reform Judaism signed onto an amicus brief in support of the school in this case.)

During arguments on Monday, the Court appeared predictably divided--with the liberal Justices generally in favor of nondiscrimination and the conservative Justices concerned that the nondiscrimination policy essentially amounts to discrimination against religious groups.

The predominant sentiment throughout oral arguments, however, was confusion. Justice Kennedy expressed exasperation at the outset about not knowing all of the facts of the case and Justice Breyer echoed his concerns. Because the Justices seemed uncertain about the exact question that they were attempting to answer, it's possible that the case will be dismissed on procedural grounds. If not, we can expect a decision sometime this summer.

On Tuesday, the decision in United States v. Stevens declared unconstitutional a 1999 law banning portrayals of animal cruelty. The law applied to any visual or auditory depictions of living animals being "intentionally maimed, mutilated, tortured, wounded, or killed," if that conduct violated the law where "the creation, sale, or possession takes place." In theory, this law was crafted to curtail the internet sale of so-called "crush videos," which display small animals being crushed, often by women's high heels. In practice, the law extended much further. For example, because hunting is illegal in the District of Columbia, no one in the District was permitted to possess or sell videos that depicted hunting--even if the hunting was conducted legally.

The Court ruled that because this law was too broad, it violated the First Amendment right to free speech. Chief Justice Roberts, writing for the 8-member majority, noted that while some categories of speech have been excluded from this constitutional protection, "including obscenity, defamation, fraud, incitement, and speech integral to criminal conduct," depictions of animal cruelty should not be excluded wholesale.

The opinion specifically notes that a different law, written more narrowly, banning crush videos and other depictions of extreme forms of animal cruelty, might pass constitutional muster.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Happy Earth Day from the RAC!

Today we commemorate the 40th annual Earth Day, a cause for celebration but also a reminder that more work than ever remains to be done to protect our planet. As Rabbi Saperstein said today:

The environment we take for granted will not be here for our children and theirs if we fail to move swiftly away from fossil fuels that dirty our air and warm our planet. We have the resources and the willpower to move to a clean energy future, and as we celebrate this Earth Day we call on Congress and the President to lead the way.

We know we face great environmental challenges but also have incredible opportunities to do better, and protect people living in poverty, create green jobs, and encourage sustainable development worldwide in the process. (Read our full statement on the 40th annual Earth Day here.)

And while Earth Day is a great rallying point for all those working for a more sustainable future, we cannot speak up on this day alone. Yesterday we were proud to have Rabbi Saperstein's words about our religious obligation to protect the earth published in a special section on environmental leadership in the Washington Post (read the full op-ed here or at the bottom of this post). Rabbi Saperstein's op-ed, which appears alongside words from leaders like New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, reminds us that, while Earth Day is important:

For many people of faith, the tradition of setting aside time to honor our environment and our work to guard it predates by centuries the modern-day environmental movement. Influential strands of our religious traditions have long argued that the treatment of our natural world is a pressing human and moral issue.

On this day, as every day, our Movement and our allies throughout the faith community speak out for a safe and healthy environmental future for all people; on this Earth Day we commit once again to work toward a future powered by clean sources of energy, in which all people enjoy abundant clean water and breathe clean air. We've made great progress since the first Earth Day, but together we remain dedicated to taking greater strides forward in the years to come.

It's not too late to celebrate - plan an Earth Day event this weekend with our programmatic and advocacy resources, and let us know what you are doing to commemorate the 40th annual Earth Day!

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Making Malaria History

In 1947, 15,000 cases of malaria were reported in the United States. In 1950, after a well-funded campaign by the government to beat the disease sprayed over 4,650,000 houses with insecticide, there were 2,000 cases were reported. By 1951 the disease was eradicated in our country. If such a history makes it seem like malaria is a fairly easy disease to combat, that's because it is: artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), the leading anti-malaria treatment, has a 95% cure rate. And yet, more than half of the world's population is still at risk for contracting malaria. One million people will die from the disease this year - including one child every thirty seconds - and 10 new cases of malaria are contracted every second.

However, all hope is not lost. This April 25th is World Malaria Day, a day to reaffirm the global commitment to fighting this disease. At the first World Malaria Day three years ago, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called for universal coverage to end to malaria by the end of 2010. (Rollback Malaria has a handy webpage detailing everything needed to ensure universal coverage by the end of the year.) The Union for Reform Judaism has been doing its part, as we have been partners in the Nothing but Nets campaign, raising money for insecticide-treated bed nets, which studies have shown reduce contraction of malaria by 90%. (You can donate an insecticide-treated bed net for only $10 in honor of World Malaria Day here. The URJ has already sent over 75,000 nets to Africa.)

One way that people around the world are commemorating World Malaria Day is by holding "sleep-outs," events showing large-scale support for malaria eradication. You can find an event in your area by going to the World Malaria Day official website. Find out more ways to help here, at Nothing but Nets' official website! The disease is beatable, but it will take a world of concerned citizens to complete the task. So sign up, donate, or attend a sleep-out, and make malaria history by 2011!

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Not Your Silver Bullet

Working as a legislative assistant, I'm most excited when issues overlap and I get to work closely with and learn from my colleagues. During the health care debate, I teamed up with Rebecca on the divisive issue concerning access to insurance for undocumented immigrants. In the fall, Liz partnered with Sam to address employment discrimination against women in Israel. Today, we face a compelling yet contentious crossover between the issue of gun control and DC voting rights.

April 16th was Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia, commemorating President Abraham Lincoln's emancipation of approximately 3,100 slaves. In his statement acknowledging this important holiday, President Obama highlighted the plight of DC residents who are denied the right to a vote in Congress and concluded, "I urge Congress to finally pass legislation that provides DC residents with voting representation and to take steps to improve the Home Rule Charter." These are encouraging words for the Reform Movement, which has played a vital role in the struggle for voting rights for more than a half century -- within the very confines of our DC office, Civil Rights leaders drafted the seminal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965!

The 2005 URJ resolution supporting DC voting rights quotes Rabbi Yitzhak in the Babylonian Talmud, who taught, "A ruler is not to be appointed until the community is first consulted" (B'rachot 55a). In the case of DC residents, that whole "consulting" piece is impaired. Though DC residents may vote for the President (this right was not granted to them until 1961 with the passage of the 23rd amendment!) and elect some local leadership, they do not have representation in the Senate and their delegate in the House of Representatives, Eleanor Holmes Norton, does not have a vote. Ironically, the very body in which DC residents do not have a voice, the US Congress, is granted exclusive jurisdiction over their local affairs by Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution.

Proponents of DC voting rights argue correctly that the close to 600,000 residents of the District, who fulfill all the responsibilities of citizenship by observing the rule of law, paying taxes, and serving in the armed forces, are denied their most basic right to Congressional representation. Despite more than two centuries with little progress in their fight for a legislative voice (the House and Senate approved a constitutional amendment in 1978 giving DC a House vote, but it died after failing to get ratification by three-fourths of the states), hope springs eternal.

Tension has been building up over the last few days in response to a press release published by Del. Norton on April 14th announcing that she expected the DC Voting Rights Act (H.R. 157) to reach the floor of the House of Representatives by this Thursday. On February 26, 2009, the Senate passed the DC House Voting Rights Act (S. 160) in a vote of 61-37 so a House vote is the next step toward finally passing this bill. Unfortunately for DC vote advocates, Minority Leader Steny Hoyer announced yesterday morning that lawmakers will not take up the legislation this week.

The DC Voting Rights Act, while enfranchising district residents, will come at a crippling cost if it passes in its current form. The gun lobby has unfairly hijacked the bill by refusing crucial support unless the district repeals restrictions on semiautomatic weapons, rolls back requirements for registering most guns and drops existing criminal penalties for owners of unregistered firearms. In others words, a congressional voice for DC residents means eliminating strict gun control laws.

Despite her objections to what she called the, "National Rifle Association-drafted gun bill to accompany the voting act," Norton had decided to move forward due to a confluence of factors that make this the most opportune time to pass the bill, possibly for years to come. Strong reactions from gun control advocates, however, have now scuttled the prospects for a vote. Six of the thirteen members of the DC City Council, including the chairman, announced their opposition to any bill that would weaken gun control laws and the League of Women Voters and DC for Democracy also announced their opposition. Even more powerful, however, the families of four teenage victims of a tragic March 30th shooting in DC testified in front of the City Council and Del. Norton about their opposition to any weakening of gun control laws.

So for now it appears that the safety of DC residents from the threat of gun violence has won out over their enfranchisement in Congress. What do you think? To what extent should we be willing to compromise to secure long overdue voting rights? What price is too high? Of all the crossover issues we've faced this year, this is by far the most nuanced. Share your opinions by sending me an email.

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Moving our Planet Forward

Communities of activists and advocates are keeping busy this week in the run-up to tomorrow's commemoration of the 40th annual Earth Day. Last night I had the pleasure of hearing from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and a panel of climate and energy experts hosted by Planet Forward, an innovative project of The George Washington University.

Administrator Jackson outlined her agency's plan to work with Congress toward comprehensive policies to reshape our energy future and speed the transition from polluting fossil fuels to clean energy sources. She engaged the audience in a frank conversation about the need to pay more attention to environmental issues, not just to preserve ecosystems and resources but to protect human health, build public policies around sound science, and guarantee equitable access to basic resources.
One of Administrator Jackson's main initiatives at EPA is to expand the conversation around environmental issues to include new concerns and new voices. I couldn't agree more with this goal; climate and energy is an issue of social justice, of public health, and of economic and national security concerns as much as ecological ones. Jackson's own background as a native of New Orleans, an engineer and a mother speaks to what inspires so many in the environmental movement; not the spotted owl or old-growth forests (though they are important!) but the need to stop skyrocketing childhood asthma rates, clean polluted waterways, and create millions of jobs in green industries.

The Planet Forward event also featured panelists from the Hill, a major Mid-Atlantic utility, Mother Jones magazine, and the Natural Resources Defense Council speaking to the prospects for the Senate climate bill expected to be released next week. They are all looking for a bi-partisan bill that spurs clean energy innovation and protects consumers while setting strong targets for reducing emissions and honoring our obligations under international climate deals. It's a lot to ask for, but it's exactly the kind of policy we need to honor our obligations to be good stewards of our earth and protect all its inhabitants. The speakers at last night's event show once again that comprehensive climate legislation is a goal shared by the business, scientific, and environmental communities among many others.

Planet Forward aims to engage all people - from professional environmental advocates to tree-planting children - in the conversation around climate and energy challenges. Using new media like twitter and Facebook, encouraging the public to submit videos of everyday actions to reduce energy use, and hosting online discussion forums are all part of the effort. As we get ready for to fight for comprehensive climate legislation in the Senate, we'll need all the resources we can mobilize, including such innovative online communities. Tomorrow we mark the 40th annual Earth Day, and we hope you will join in the efforts to move our planet forward.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Facing Off on ENDA

Allyson Robinson, Foundation Associate Director of Diversity at the Human Rights Campaign, faced off yesterday against Andrea Lafferty, Executive Director of the Traditional Values Coalition, on CBS News about civil rights in the workplace. Their focus, in particular, was H.R. 3017, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which the House Education and Labor Committee is expected to vote on soon; the bill, more commonly known as ENDA, is expected to go to the House floor for a vote in May or June.

Currently, it's legal is 29 states to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation; in 38, it's legal to do so on the basis of gender identity. ENDA would make it illegal for employers to discriminate in the workplace on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Perhaps I'm biased, both because the Reform Movement has long supported ENDA and equal rights for the LGBT community, or because I consider Allyson Robinson something of a friend, but I really thought she held her own yesterday against Lafferty's offensive comments labeling transgender people as being mentally ill and unfit to be around children. As a prominent activist, an ordained minister, and a mother of four, Allyson is proof of the opposite - that transgender individuals are not "the other." Rather, they're everyday people doing the same things the rest of us do: working to make a living, parenting their kids, going to church or synagogue, and standing up for what they believe in. Her dedication and passion to fighting for equality are an inspiration to me as an ally, and after watching this, perhaps you'll feel the same.

You can also show your support for LGBT equality in the workplace by writing to Congress now and asking your lawmakers to support H.R. 3017, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Posted by Religious Action Center at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Happy 62nd, Israel!

Today is Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, which marks the establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948. Around the world, we celebrate this holiday on the 5th of the Hebrew month of Iyar. Below, I have compiled 62 great web resources on Israel in honor of Israel's 62 years. There's always more to learn about Israel, and these websites are a great place to start!

The Reform Movement and Israel

1. The URJ's Israel webpage is a great place to start for all things Israel.
2. The URJ's Yom Ha'atzmaut page features resources for the holiday and Israel in general.
3. ARZA is the Association of Reform Zionists of North America.
4. Learn more about the vibrant Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ).

Reform Judaism in Israel

5. There are two Reform kibbutzim in Israel. Kibbutz Yahel is a progressive, collective community in the Arava desert.
6. Located just south of Kibbutz Yahel, Kibbutz Lotan has a special focus on the environment and sustainability.
7. Kol HaNeshama, in the heart of Jerusalem is one of the nearly 30 Progressive synagogues in Israel.
8. Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion's Jerusalem campus is the home of the Reform Movement's Israeli Rabbinical Program, as well as the Year-In-Israel for first year students studying in HUC's North American rabbinical, cantorial, and Jewish education programs.

North American Policy and Advocacy

9. Check out all of the RAC's Israel resources at www.rac.org/israel!

10. Click here to fill out our action alert in support of Middle East Peace.
11. Write a letter to President Obama, asking him consider the ongoing plight of Gilad Shalit and do everything in his power to help free the imprisoned Israeli soldier.
12. AIPAC is "America's Pro-Israel lobby," based in Washington, D.C.
13. J Street is the "political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans," based in Washington, D.C.
14. Americans for Peace Now is the U.S. arm of the Shalom Achshav, an Israeli peace organization. APN is "working to achieve a comprehensive political settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict."
15. The Interagency Taskforce on Israeli Arab Issues was founded in response to the Or Commission to help advance the goal of equality between Israeli Jews and Arabs. The URJ and the CCAR are among the IATF's more than 80 member organizations.
16. The Israel on Campus Coalition (ICC) is an umbrella organization "dedicated to working collaboratively to assist students in fostering support for Israel on the college campus."
17. Rabbis for Human Rights is an interdenominational group of clergy from all streams of Judaism. RHR "promotes discussion of human rights issues in the Jewish community by bringing speakers... into Jewish communities nation-wide, sends delegations to Israel to join our colleagues in protecting human rights in Israel, and supports the efforts of RHR to change Israeli policies that lead to human rights violations."

Government

18. President Obama issued a statement in honor of Independence Day. His full remarks are available below.
19. You can watch Secretary of State Hilary Clinton's Independence Day Greeting to Israel here. The State Department webpage frequently features speeches and releases regarding Israel.
20. The Israeli Embassy of Washington, D.C. is the U.S. portal into Israel's Foreign Ministry.
21. The Official Knesset Webpage is an excellent resource for learning about the current status of legislation in Israel and the coalitions that comprise the Knesset.

Social Justice and Religious Pluralism in Israel

22. The Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) is the RAC's sister organization in Israel. Led by Anat Hoffman, IRAC works for social justice, human rights, religious pluralism, and civic equality in Israel on behalf of Progressive Judaism.
23. In the past several months, Israeli police have increased pressure on Women of the Wall, a progressive monthly prayer group that meets at the Western Wall. The URJ maintains a clearinghouse webpage with news, blog posts, statements, and educational resources regarding their fight for religious freedom.
24. Hiddush is a new religious freedom organization based in Israel.
25. The New Israel Fund is an NGO that grants funds to organizations working for social justice, human rights, civil liberties, and religious pluralism in Israel.
26. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) is Israel's oldest and largest human rights organization.
27. Recently, North American leaders blocked legislation pending in the Knesset that would alter the Law of Return such that converts to Judaism would not be eligible for Israeli citizenship. The issue of conversion is central to equality for Progressive Judaism in Israel.
28. Yad LaKashish (Lifeline for the Old) is a non-profit organization that provides creative work opportunities and invaluable support services to over 300 needy elderly and disabled Jerusalem residents on a daily basis.
29. Leket Israel, Israel's National Food Bank, works hard to address the problem of nutritional insecurity in the country.
30. Bema'aglei Tzedek (Circles of Justice) is a social justice organization in Israel focused on food and labor justice. One of their main projects is to award the Tav Chevrati, a seal of approval granted free of charge to restaurants and other businesses that respect the legally-mandated rights of their employees and are accessible to people with disabilities.
31. Sikkuy: The Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel is an NGO working for Jewish-Arab equality. Their academic studies are excellent resources.

Middle East Commentary and Blogs

32. Hanan Cidor, the URJ Youth Division Shaliach, writes an insightful blog called It's an Israel Thing.
33. Bitterlemons.org is a website that presents Israeli and Palestinian viewpoints on prominent issues of concern. It focuses on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and peace process.
34. Myths, Illusions, & Peace is a blog maintained by Middle East expert David Makovsky.
35. The Galilee Diary: Israel Up Close and Personal is a weekly diary especially for educators and teachers in Reform congregations. It also appears weekly through Ten Minutes of Torah and on the URJ blog.
36. The Israel Policy Forum is an advocacy think tank that "promotes active U.S. engagement to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and peace and security for Israel with the Palestinians and the Arab states."
37. Foreign Policy's Middle East Channel provides current news and commentary on the region.
38. The Taub Center for Israel Studies at New York University was established in 2003 with the support of the Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation, to advance the study of Modern Israel: its recent history, society and politics, together with the history of the Zionist movement and the Yishuv.
39. Prospects for Peace is an insightful blog by Middle East commentator Daniel Levy.

News Sources

40. Haaretz is a daily newspaper published in English and Hebrew.
41. The Jerusalem Post is a daily newspaper, also published in both languages.
42. Yediot Ahranot is another great news source.
43. The New York Times Israel topic page. All Israel-related articles published in the New York Times appear here.
44. The Daily Alert is a digest compiled from a broad range of respected news sources. To all those interested in keeping abreast of the latest on Israel, Iran, and issues of importance to the world Jewish community, I recommend subscribing to the Daily Alert. Travel
45. NFTY in Israel offers many opportunities for high school students to travel to Israel for a summer, or spend a semester living on a kibbutz with the Eisendrath International Exchange (EIE).
46. With Kesher Birthright, 18-25 year olds can travel for free to Israel with other young adults from the Reform Movement
47. MASA Israel, a project of the government of Israel, the Jewish Agency of Israel, provides young adults with funds to travel and study long term in Israel. It's also a great resource to learn about the variety of Israel programs that exist.
48. Egged is the main public bus provider in Israel, both inter- and intra-city. Use their webpage to map out the best way to get around and see the country!
49. Google Maps is now fully equipped to help you navigate around Israel. Type in 13 David HaMelech, Jerusalem, Israel (the location of HUC Jerusalem) and you can use all the mapping, direction, and satellite features available in North America.

Art, Culture, and Education

50. Sicha Basadeh is a webpage full of interactive, experiential and creative Israel programming.
51. The Idan Raichel Project is an internationally renowned Israeli music group.
52. Myjewishlearning.com is an excellent resource on a broad variety of subjects, and maintains an Israel resource page.
53. Bring the flavor of Aroma home - this Israeli coffee chain is now open in several locations in North America!
54. If you prefer coffee to tea, Wissotsky Tea is another delicious way to enjoy a taste of Israel.
55. Subliminal, an internationally renowned Israeli hip hop group, teamed up with the Gevatron, Israel's oldest folk choir, to remix an old Israeli folk song in honor of Israel's 60th birthday.
56. Galgalatz is the top radio station in Israel. Listen online anytime - listening to music is a great way to practice Hebrew!
57. Milon Morfix is the by far the best online Hebrew dictionary. You can translate from Hebrew to English and English to Hebrew. Zeh tov m'od!
58. Omanoot is an excellent blog in English about current Israeli culture - arts, music, educational materials, and more.

Coexistence, Environment

59. Founded in 1993 by journalist John Wallach, Seeds of Peace is dedicated to empowering young leaders from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance reconciliation and coexistence.
60. The Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel (ICCI) works to foster interreligious relationships across the many religious denominations in Israel.
61. The Arava Institute is an environmental studies and coexistence program that brings together Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian, and North American students to engage in the conflict through the lens of transboundary, shared environmental resources and challenges.
62. Adam Teva v'Din, or Israel Union for Environmental Defense (IUED) is Israel's leading environmental advocacy organization.

What's your favorite web resource on Israel? Email it to me or leave us a comment, and I'll continue to update this list! Chag Ha'atzmaut Sameach, and happy 62nd, Israel!

Statement by President Obama on Israel Independence Day

On the 62nd Anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, I join the American people in congratulating the government and people of Israel on this celebration of their independence. Minutes after David Ben-Gurion declared Israel's independence, realizing the dream of a state for the Jewish people in their historic homeland, the United States became the first country to recognize Israel. To this day, we continue to share a strong, unbreakable bond of friendship between our two nations, anchored by the United States' enduring commitment to Israel's security. Israel remains our important partner and key strategic ally in the Middle East, and I am confident that our special relationship will only be strengthened in the months and years to come.

I look forward to continuing our efforts with Israel to achieve comprehensive peace and security in the region, including a two-state solution, and to working together to counter the forces that threaten Israel, the United States, and the world. On this day, we once again honor the extraordinary achievements of the people of Israel, and their deep and abiding friendship with the American people. I offer my best wishes to President Peres, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the people of Israel as they celebrate this happy occasion.

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Food for Thought on Equal Pay Day

Today is Equal Pay Day, marking the 110 extra days the average woman must work into 2010 to catch up to what the average man made in 2009. It is a unique holiday, one we observe by working to eliminate it, and serves as a constant reminder of the ongoing injustice of gender-based pay discrimination.

Some facts:

In 2009, the average woman was paid 77 cents for every dollar the average man made. That's $10,622 less income just in 2009.
It's even worse for African American women and Latinas, who are on average paid 68 cents and 58 cents respectively for each dollar made by the average man.
Using this 2009 wage gap data, over the course of an average woman's career, she would be paid $700,000 less than the average man.
The wage gap has remained virtually unchanged this century, fluctuating between 76 and 78 percent of men's wages.
Over 65% of women earn at least a quarter of household income and over 20% earn more than half.

Systematic, gender-based discrimination of this sort cannot be chalked solely up to "career choices" and education, which are themselves not causes but effects of gender biases. Women lack many of the legal tools necessary to protect themselves when they are victims of discrimination. Though the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 closed one loophole, we are still working to convince Congress to commit to strengthening civil rights legislation by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182). You too can take action to close the wage gap by sending an email to your Senators!

The Religious Action Center released this statement in observance of Equal Pay Day and reaffirming our commitment to pay equity:

As we observe Equal Pay Day 2010, noting the date each year when women's average earnings finally catch up to their male counterparts' average earnings for the previous year, we remain acutely aware of the ongoing injustice of pay discrimination and the need to strengthen laws that protect victims.

Decades of hostile court decisions have weakened the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and other civil rights laws, stripping women of many legal options to combat pay discrimination. Today, the wage gap means hundreds of thousands of dollars of lost wages over the course of an average woman's career. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the first bill signed into law by President Obama, closed one of these legal loopholes - but there is still more work to be done. We call on Congress to commit to pay equity and pass the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182), providing women with the needed tools to challenge pay discrimination in court.

Today, the words of Leviticus remain as true as in Biblical times: "You shall not defraud your neighbor, nor rob him; the wages of he who is hired shall not remain with you all night until the morning" (Leviticus 9:13). Paycheck fairness is a moral cause, enabling American families to gain the economic security they have earned through lifetimes of hard work, and we remain committed to its achievement this year.

For more information on Equal Pay Day or the Paycheck Fairness Act, please call me at 202.387.2800 or email me at slehman@rac.org.

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Pop Quiz: Test Your Climate Knowledge!

Deborah Swerdlow is a senior at the University of Florida and former Machon Kaplan participant. She will be a member of the 2010-2011 class of Eisendrath Legislative Assistants.

I am grateful to my mother for many things, and on Monday morning she added one more to my list: She sent me a link to the Clinton Foundation's Climate Quiz.

The quiz contains 10 questions that can be answered in less than five minutes. You might be surprised to discover how much you don't know about climate change -- but that's OK! After each question, you learn the correct answer and what the foundation's Clinton Climate Initiative is doing to help, whether it's funding building retrofit projects or supporting research on carbon-neutral transportation technologies.

You can help the Clinton Climate Initiative's work simply by taking this quiz: Every person who takes the quiz will be honored with a $2 donation on his/her behalf to purchase solar flashlights for Haitians without access to electricity. The Foundation's goal is to get 100,000 people to take the quiz so it can deliver 200,000 energy-saving flashlights.

The climate quiz is only step one in the Clinton Foundation's Take Initiative on Earth Day campaign. After taking the quiz, you can brush up on climate change issues or search for a local Clinton Foundation volunteer project, such as harvesting from an urban farm in Chicago or repairing and replanting the PS 76 Garden in New York. On Thursday, you can hear from Bill Clinton himself and ask him your burning questions about climate change during an online forum.

Challenge your friends, coworkers and family to see who can score the highest on the quiz. I scored a six out of 10. How'd you do?

For more Earth Day program ideas and action items, visit the RAC's special Earth Day resource page and then sign the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life's Jewish Energy Covenant Campaign and pledge to join the Jewish community in addressing this challenge together.

Posted by Religious Action Center at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Anat Hoffman Talks Equality

Womenetics, a new media platform that dedicated to connecting, inspiring, and ultimately, empowering women, this month profiled our colleague Anat Hoffman, Director of the Israel Religious Action Center and co-founder of Women of the Wall. In recent months, Anat made news when she wore a tallit, or prayer shawl, at the Western Wall, carrying a Torah and praying aloud with Women of the Wall. She was detained by Israeli police and questioned about breaking the Regulation on Holy Places, which prohibits individuals from performing religious acts at the Western Wall that upset others.

Womenetics asked Anat, "What are the biggest issues for females in Israel today?" Her response is quite fitting today, which is Equal Pay Day here in the United States: a day that symbolizes how far into 2010 women must work to earn what men earned in 2009 (you can write to Congress about this injustice now). Anat answered:

First, equal pay for equal work. In some institutions, like insurance and banks, women get 90-percent less than men. That's an extreme case, but there are many instances, like in the municipalities, where women get 40-percent less. This doesn't come from base salaries, but perks that are very male oriented, like extra hours. Pensions are more equal because there are no perks, but if a woman works extra hours, she usually doesn't get paid; it's considered volunteer. Yet, on average, women are more educated and more loyal. The second issue is freedom to get divorced because of the religious courts. There is no civil marriage (or divorce) in Israel. A woman can't grant herself a divorce; the man has to grant it. Third is coercion of religion against women. We see this in what is happening at the Western Wall (where women's rights to pray are limited), and the segregated (by sex) buses and sidewalks, and the enforcement of modest dressing. The fact is that the two groups most under-represented are women and minorities. The two groups that are over-represented are immigrants (primarily Russian immigrants who are more right wing) and the ultra-Orthodox.

For more of Anat's answers on Israel's "macho society," her arrest at the Kotel, and how American women (and men!) can help secure equal rights for women in Israel, visit Womenetics for the whole interview. You can further your support by visiting the Israel Religious Action Center online at www.irac.org or by following them on Facebook, where they regularly showcase IRAC in the media and ask Jews across the world to send their photos and messages of solidarity.

Posted by Religious Action Center at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A Well-Regulated Militia

Yesterday, April 19, was the anniversary of the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995, and the government's final confrontation in 1993 with the Branch Davidian cult members in Waco, Texas. But yesterday, several gun rights advocates chose to disregard those anniversaries in favor of honoring a different one: the 1775 battles at Lexington and Concord that began the Revolutionary War. At the "Restore the Constitution" rally in Virginia, gun enthusiasts made history as the first people to take their guns to a demonstration in a national park; the Virginia rally was deliberately held just a few miles from the Capitol, the White House and the National Mall, where the "Second Amendment March" is also taking place today. The two rallies are unrelated, and the groups have stressed that they are unaffiliated: the "Second Amendment March" wass unarmed, while the "Restore the Constitution" rally attendees were armed.

Today, April 20, is the anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado where twelve students and one teacher were left dead in 1999. Every year, there are only about 200 legally justified self-defense homicides by private citizens, compared with more than 30,000 gun deaths. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence reports that in one year on average, more than 100,000 people in America are shot or killed with a gun. Where there are more guns, there are more gun deaths: guns are more likely to raise the risk of injury than to give protection. In the United States, firearms can be sold without a background check to individuals who may have a criminal record or mental instability. A gap in federal law, the "gun show loophole," allows private sellers to sell guns at gun shows without background checks or any sort of waiting period.

Members of the faith community today sent a letter to Congress in support of legislation that would close this dangerous gun show loophole. H.R. 2324/S. 843 would require background checks on all firearm sales at gun shows and end easy and unregulated access to guns. The guns used by the Columbine shooters in 1999 were all purchased at gun shows. In March, two Pentagon police officers were shot with a gun purchased from a private seller at a Las Vegas gun show. Closing this loophole will not eliminate gun violence in our nation, but will make a sizeable difference. Our tradition celebrates the sanctity and value of every human life, yet our inaction allows the incessant spread of violence and hatred as these deadly weapons invade our neighborhoods, our parks, our schools. We certainly cannot afford the cost of this gap in federal law: it costs us human lives.

Send an email to your Members of Congress or sign a petition in favor of closing the gun loophole today.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Celebrate 90 (years) in 90 (seconds)

Today, retiring Justice John Paul Stevens turns 90 years old.

Here are 9 things you can do in only 90 seconds (each) to celebrate his birthday and his legacy:

1) Learn about Justice Stevens' legacy as described by Jeffrey Toobin of the New Yorker or in a report by the Alliance for Justice.

2) Glance over the lengthy list of Supreme Court cases that Justice Stevens has authored during his tenure on the Supreme Court. Are there any that you recognize?

3) Check out NPR's timeline of Justice Stevens' life to learn more about his 90 years, nearly 35 of which were spent as a Supreme Court Justice.

4) Review the Judicial Nominations process to find out how Justice Stevens' replacement will be selected and what role you can play in ensuring that the new Justice is committed to upholding the values that Reform Movement supports.

5) Become a fan of the Facebook group "Replace Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens with a Worthy Successor!"

6) Join the conversation on Twitter about what makes a good Supreme Court nominee. Think about what characteristics Justice Stevens embodies that you hope to see in the next Supreme Court Justice and tweet them using the hashtag #AGoodNom.

7) Use the RAC's action alert system to send President Obama a note wishing him wisdom, strength, and clarity as he makes the critical decision of who will be the next Supreme Court. Also, applaud the principles that he laid out as his criteria for selection: "an independent mind, a record of excellence and integrity, a fierce dedication to the rule of law, and a keen understanding of how the law affects the daily lives of the American people."

8) Learn how to tie a bow tie! Justice Stevens has been known to Court watchers throughout his tenure as "the justice in the bow tie." You can celebrate his birthday and his legacy by adopting his trademark.

9) Email this blog post to nine friends. Encourage them to learn about Justice Stevens' career and legacy and become involved in the conversations about the next Supreme Court Justice.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

An Israeli Perspective: Israeli Memorial and Independence Day

Hanan Cidor is the Shaliach to NFTY. Hanan grew up in Noar Telem, the Reform youth movement in Israel, and at Kol Haneshama, a Reform congregation in Jerusalem. Hanan moved to New York City in September 2008 following 5 years of IDF service. This piece originally published in iTorah.

Being an Israeli, one of the hardest things to deal with, and as far as I know it is unique to Israel, is the seemingly unbelievable and immediate passage between sorrow and celebration, as portrayed in the pairing of Yom Hazikaron (Israel's Memorial Day) and Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Israel's Independence Day). The idea behind this is that the day before celebrating our independence, we are reminded of the price and sacrifice made by so many in order to keep us free.

If you've never been in Israel during those two days, nothing can possibly explain the experience and the kind of emotions that it evokes. After a full day of grief and remembrance, something that is very much relevant from a personal standpoint to literally every Israeli, we go rather abruptly to a truly joyous celebration of our freedom and achievements during Israel's Independence Day.

Those achievements are indeed very impressive. In just 62 years, Israel has managed to become a regional power, a modern, flourishing democracy in a region that has very little. In almost every possible measurement of world countries and societies, the Jewish state, especially when taking into consideration its small size, is at the top of the ladder alongside countries that have been around for centuries. When you think about the fact that all of this was done while facing constant security threats, some of them even starting literally from day one, the amazement and sense of awe is even greater.

But Israel's achievements are not and should not be measured only in comparison to how other states perform. After all, part of the whole idea behind the creation of the State of Israel is to see if Jews can, over 2,000 years after the last time we "took a crack at it," actually handle themselves independently, be masters of their own fate, and create a society based on a combination of human values and Jewish culture and heritage. When looking at Israel through this "Jewish" prism, the list of achievements is also quite impressive. As one example of having done something that was seemingly impossible, I point to the revival of Hebrew as our people's language. To think that millions of Jews are being raised today in Israel having not English, German, Russian, or Yiddish as their main tongue but Hebrew - a language previously restricted to scripture alone, is nothing short of amazing.

Nevertheless, sixty two years is also very young, especially to have suffered so much loss and dire threats. Of course, this sort of experience is not without consequences. No different than most other Israelis, I too have lost friends who died while serving their country in the Israeli army. Regardless of past and future achievements of the State of Israel, their lives are forever lost and those who knew and loved them are left with a hole that can never be filled.

One of the "little traditions" we have in my family during Yom Hazikaron is to keep the TV on throughout the day on a special channel that for 24 hours shows nothing but the names of all of the soldiers and victims of terrorist attacks who have died since the day of Israel's birth. I know that many families in Israel do the same, and I think there's something very Jewish about that act. In a sense, it's our way of reminding ourselves that every person matters, that everyone had a name and an entire life to go with it - a whole universe that was lost in a tragic way.

So no, Israel is not perfect. In addition to the tremendous loss of human life, like every other Israeli, I can name off the top of my head a whole list of things that I don't like about my country. The thing is, none of these things will ever make me doubt my love and sense of pride for Israel, primarily because it belongs to me, and any other Jew who chooses to care or identify with it. Israel is our creation, the grand project of the Jewish people, and like every artist that has worked hard on a new creation, no one can be more critical than us towards what we have made; but at the same time no one can love the creation more than the artist who has put his heart and soul into his work.

Yom Ha'Atzmaut has always been my favorite holiday of the year. Not because I don't like any of the other holidays, but because in my view it is probably the only holiday where we celebrate a project that is still ongoing; where all of us can make a difference and shape the way this wonderful country, filled with our people, will look in the next year and the one after that. In my eyes, taking an active involvement in the shaping of our country and our people is the best way to commemorate the memory of those who have died defending it. Nothing is worth celebrating more than that.

Related Questions

How do most Israelis celebrate Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut?
Yom Hazikaron is observed as a national day of public mourning with ceremonies in schools, offices and other public places. The military cemeteries are filled with family members and friends of fallen soldiers who come to mourn the loss of their loved ones, whether the death occurred decades or even a few days prior. Twice during the day the entire country literally comes into a stop as a siren is heard all throughout Israel and everyone stands at attention for two minutes.

On the eve of Yom Ha'Atzmaut people go out to the streets and celebrate together at outdoor concerts and parties all across the country. Fireworks are flown into the sky and barbecues can be seen (and smelled) wherever you go. The following day is celebrated as a national holiday where friends and families gather together, usually outside under the sun, to eat, laugh and enjoy each other's company. Nature reserves, museums and other attractions are open to the public - mostly for free. During the day, Israel holds the world Torah championship for teenagers and also gives out the prestigious "Israel prize" to individuals who excel in a variety of fields.
How can I celebrate Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut?
For Yom Hazikaron, consider having a ceremony at your temple youth group or school commemorating the day, where you can read out names of fallen soldiers that can be found in the official Israeli database (you can ask a rabbi or a teacher to help with the translation). You can also wear the special "Yizkor" sticker worn by Israelis during the day. Another option is to stand at attention for two minutes along side Israelis at 8pm Israel time on Sunday, April 18th.

For Yom Ha'Atzmaut, consider having a party or a special meal to celebrate the occasion. You can run an Israel program at your temple youth group or school from NFTY's Israel program bank. Consider changing your Facebook profile picture to that of the Israeli flag for that day (April 20th) or wishing Israel a happy birthday on your status.
How can I find more information about these holidays?
You can go to the NFTY holiday pages dedicated to Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha'Atzmaut or to the official website of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where you can learn about the entire history of Israel.

As a Jew residing in North America, do you feel like Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha'atzmaut are important to your Jewish identity? Why or why not?

Posted by Religious Action Center at 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mazel Tov, Rabbi Hirsch!

Today marked an exciting day for the Reform Movement and for the RAC in particular. At Israel's Independence Day ceremony today, Rabbi Richard Hirsch, the RAC's first director and longtime head of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) became the first Reform rabbi to receive the honor of lighting a torch during the evening ceremony opening Israel's Independence Day celebrations on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem. He was one of 14 Israelis invited to participate.

The torch-lighting honor, bestowed upon Rabbi Hirsch by a committee within the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, recognizes his key role in the Zionist movement, as chairman of the Zionist General Council, and in strengthening ties between Reform Judaism and the Zionist movement.

In 1962, Rabbi Maurice N. Eisendrath, President of the URJ (then called the UAHC) appointed Rabbi Hirsch to direct the newly-formed Religious Action Center. he served as director of the RAC until 1973, when he moved to Israel and became executive director of WUPJ. He is largely credited with influencing the organization's decision to relocate its headquarters to Israel, solidifying the commitment of Progressive Judaism and its adherents to Israel and the Zionist endeavor. He became a major figure in Zionist politics, serving as chairman of the Zionist General Council.

In a statement today, Albert Vorspan, Senior Vice President Emeritus of the URJ, said, "Dick Hirsch led the Religious Action Center during this country's historic and tumultuous struggles for civil rights and peace in Vietnam. He helped to mobilize the coalitions of decency which secured passage of milestone civil rights laws and Great Society programs in America."

Echoing Vorspan's sentiments in today's statement, Rabbi David Saperstein, who is Hirsch's successor as Director of the RAC, said, "Rabbi Hirsch is one of the great institution-builders in Reform Jewish history. His world-wide reputation as an influential Zionist leader makes our work so much easier, and we congratulate him on this wonderful honor. When I arrived here in the mid-1970s, Dick had set a remarkable standard as the RAC's first director. A respected friend of Israeli Ambassadors, Members of Congress, and interfaith leaders during his tenure in Washington, he helped set in motion the trademark social justice programs and advocacy efforts that have helped define the Reform Jewish Movement in America and across the globe."

On behalf of the RAC staff, a hearty mazel tov to Rabbi Hirsch on this great honor!

Photo credit: Sasson Tiram and the Jewish Agency for Israel

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A Big Week for Environmental Health

Toxic chemical exposure and mountaintop removal coal mining are two environmental issues that don't get much press these days, but both are the subjects of positive attention after major steps forward in recent weeks. It sometimes seems that every energy and environmental issue from clean water to public transit has taken a back seat to climate change this Congress. However, this may be about to change.

The presence of potentially toxic chemicals in our food, cleaners, and other consumer products that we encounter daily is a particularly disturbing environmental health challenge, and one that our current laws don't deal with strongly enough. Luckily, both House and Senate overhauls of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the law that largely governs chemical health in the U.S., were introduced last week by Senator Lautenberg and Congressmen Rush and Waxman.
TSCA was first passed in 1976 and the need to reform this vital but outdated law is clear; of the over 80,000 chemicals that we interact with on a regular basis, only a few thousand have been tested by the EPA and only 5 classes of chemicals have been banned. Reforming TSCA will allow the EPA and FDA to more effectively monitor the chemicals on the market and ensure their safety. It is well past time that we reform chemical policy to protect human and environmental health, and we'll be closely monitoring the TSCA reform bills in the months to come.

In another positive development, the Obama administration also turned its attention to environmental health issues this week, launching an investigation into mining safety following the tragic accident at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia. One aspect of coal mining that will definitely get a second look is the controversial and ecologically disastrous practice of mountaintop removal mining (MTR). This follows a recent EPA decision to revamp the guidelines around MTR, focusing on ensuring that practices that endanger local water supplies do not continue undeterred. Some in the environmental community even consider this decision more important for our long-term environmental health than the new auto efficiency standards announced the same week.

While it remains critical to pass comprehensive climate legislation (more to come next week on this!), we must not lose track of other environmental challenges. We need not just renewable energy, but also clean water and safe alternatives to toxic chemicals to achieve a vision of environmental health and sustainability. After all, it's not just our carbon emissions but also the chemicals we use and the way we draw energy from the earth that have massive implications for human health today and for decades to come. We can do better for ecological and human health, and the events of the last few weeks are an important start.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 4:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Days of Remembrance

Please excuse the delay in posting this, but better late than never. Last Thursday, 120 World War II soldiers who liberated the Nazi concentration camps gathered in Washington, D.C. for the Days of Remembrance Ceremony at the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, where they were honored for their service more than half a century ago. The stories from these camp liberators, now in their 80s and 90s, brought me to tears.

Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren spoke at the event, as did Gen. David Petraeus. Stephen Johns Jr., the son of the security guard who died last summer when an anti-Semitic gunman opened fire inside the Holocaust Memorial Museum, also participated in the event. Clips from the ceremony are in the ABC video below, or you can watch the entire ceremony online, courtesy of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which organized it.

Ambassador Oren's full remarks are after the jump: A theme of this year's Days of Remembrance ceremony is liberation and while the Holocaust is horribly unique in human history, the liberation of its survivors links them with others freed from captivity. Liberation, we learn, is not merely an isolated event but rather a process in which the liberated and the liberator can be linked by ties of mutual commitment, shared values, and trust.

Several weeks ago, while gathered around the Seder table, we recalled how the Children of Israel were freed from 400 years of slavery and enabled to fulfill their national destiny. But the transformation from slaves to freedmen did not end with the Exodus. The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty harrowing years before entering their Promised Land and, even then, endured many hardships.

65 years ago, at the end of World War II in Europe, battle-hardened GI's marched into concentration camps such as Dachau and Buchenwald. They encountered piles of emaciated corpses, mounds of human hair and human ashes, and the survivors' lifeless eyes. These images would forever haunt the liberators, among them President Obama's great uncle as well as one of my own uncles. Then and there they vowed, "Never again."

For the Jews, four years of Nazi captivity proved more devastating than the 400 years their forbearers endured in antiquity. Six million died and only a scant few witnessed the sublime moment of freedom. Yet, that tattered remnant still had to struggle to return to their Promised Land where their fellow-Jews had already laid the foundations for a modern, democratic state. They had to fight to achieve their independence, facing incalculable odds. Next week, we will celebrate their triumph and the rebirth of Jewish statehood in our homeland, the Land of Israel.

Israel later provided refuge for exoduses from the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and East Africa. It became a beacon of freedom in a region unaccustomed to such lights and a wellspring of cutting-edge science and art.

Yet Israel has never known peace. The rights enjoyed by all nations--even the right to exist--is widely denied to Israel, and its citizens threatened with destruction. If true freedom resides in freedom from threat, then the struggle for Israel's liberation persists. And so, too, does the commitment to realizing that freedom. Indeed, every liberation can be a promise--a covenant sealed by common values and visions.

"I will bring you out of affliction...into a land flowing with milk and honey," God promised Moses. For Israel, the covenant made by those intrepid GI's has been upheld by a succession of American presidents. Harry Truman, who first recognized the reborn Jewish state, swore to ensure "a strong, prosperous, free and independent democratic" Israel. John Fitzgerald Kennedy said that Israel "carried the shield of democracy and honors the sword of freedom." And President Obama decreed that "the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable today, tomorrow and forever."

The relationship between liberator and liberated can be eternal, evolving and strengthening over time. Continued sacrifice is demanded of both, and unwavering dedication. Much work remains before hatred of all peoples is defeated and generations of conflict resolved.

Let us remember, then, as we gather to mourn the unspeakable losses of the Holocaust, the pledge made by American soldiers and presidents. Let us recall the words of Harry Truman, Jack Kennedy, and President Obama. Let us reaffirm the timeless covenant: freedom for individuals and nations alike, peace for Israel. And for the Jewish people everywhere, never again.

Posted by Religious Action Center at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Israel at 62: A Tale of Love and Darkness

I am drawn again and again to A Tale of Love and Darkness, Amos Oz's memoir of his early life in a young and bewildered Israel, a country which does not even formerly exist as such until a couple hundred pages into the book.

Every Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's independence day, I think back to the passage in which Oz describes crawling into bed at three or four in the morning, still fully dressed, after celebrating the U.N.'s vote to create the state of Israel.

As a child, Oz understands the solemnity of the event, its historical dimensions, from observing the actions of his father, who lies down next to him and does something so out of character: he cries - tears of joy. And, in amazement, Oz takes note of his father's reaction:

"I reached out sleepily to touch his face, just below his high forehead, and all of a sudden instead of his glasses my fingers met tears. Never in my life, before or after that night, not even when my mother died, did I see my father cry. And in fact I didn't see him cry that night either: it was too dark. Only my left hand saw."

Only his left hand saw. We remain in this moment with him - still our hand searches in the dark, tries to reach back in time to touch the moment of Israel's creation, to grasp even a bit of what it must have been like to live through that time.

Oz does not choose the more reliable senses of sight or sound to translate the emotional incredulity of one night years ago. He uses touch; and while we might imagine the sensation of hot tears on skin, something remains always out of our reach.

Oz, one of our greatest writers, comes close to but cannot pin down the ineffability of that moment. Emotionally we get it, but putting it into words is like assembling a puzzle in a dream. But Oz invites us to try - with all our senses.

So I challenge you to do the same. Celebrate the event that made even Amos Oz's father cry with joy. Tonight, as we move from Yom HaZikaron, Israel's memorial day, to Yom Ha'atzmaut, let's celebrate with all our senses.

Posted by Religious Action Center at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Words from the Wall for Rosh Chodesh Iyar

Today marks Rosh Chodesh Iyar, the beginning of the Hebrew month of Iyar. Rosh Chodesh, which literally means "head of the month," is the holiday that marks the beginning of each month in the Jewish calendar.

Throughout the year, we have been covering the events surrounding the Women of the Wall (WOW), a progressive prayer group that meets at the Western Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem to pray together each month on Rosh Chodesh. In late 2009 Nofrat Frenkel was arrested for wearing a prayer shawl, or tallit, while praying at the Wall, and in January 2010, Anat Hoffman, who serves as director of the Israel Religious Action Center and leader of Women of the Wall, was interrogated and fingerprinted due to the actions of this group.

Yesterday, the Women of the Wall celebrated the new month of Iyar at the Kotel. Iyar is the month of Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day, which falls next Tuesday. The Women of the Wall gathered in prayer, singing melodies that reflect Israel's struggle for independence. A record 150 women and men participated in today's service.

I had a chance to speak with both Anat and Michelle Handelman, the Public Relations coordinator for Women of the Wall, about their experiences at Rosh Chodesh services yesterday. Read on for their stories, successes, and more photos from this month! Below, a man and woman pray on either side of the mechitzah at the Women of the Wall services for Rosh Chodesh Iyar yesterday. (AP)

In the past, the Women of the Wall were hassled by police officers at the entrance to the Kotel when they tried to bring a Torah scroll with them to pray. As Anat and Michelle explained, this month, the police did not allow WOW to bring its Torah scroll into the women's section; instead, one of WOW's supporters, Matan Glazer, brought a Torah scroll in a duffel bag into the plaza area behind the women's section. According to Glazer, a border police officer informed him that their orders were that women could not hold the Torah during the services at the Western Wall. Further, the police officer told him that if he gave the Torah to a woman, the officer would put him in jail.

At previous meetings of the Women of the Wall, those gathering in prayer have faced insults and harassment from ultra-Orthodox men who do not believe that women should be allowed to wear tallitot, or prayer shawls, or read from the Torah while at the Kotel. When WOW held services during the middle of Passover a few weeks ago, several men shouted insults and threw chairs over the mechitzah, or dividing wall, that separates the men's and women's sections of the Kotel.

This month, services progressed smoothly until the Sh'ma, at which point an ultra-Orthodox rabbi on the men's side began shouting, "You are not Jewish! You have come from abroad to destroy pure Judaism." The Women of the Wall responded by focusing on their prayers. While many participants in WOW services have made aliyah or are students at Hebrew Union College, the Reform Movement's seminary, Anat emphasized the importance of the groundswell of support from progressive Jews around the world, including many of our URJ congregations.

Anat went to speak with the Chief of Police of the Kotel, Raphael Malichi, about the man who shouted at them. Malichi told her that the individual was a paratrooper who had participated in liberating the Western Wall during the reunification of Jerusalem, so he was able to do "whatever he wanted." As Anat aptly commented to me today, "he liberated the Wall, and now we [the Women of the Wall] are trying to liberate the wall from him!"

In a new development Malichi did permit the thirty women in tallitot to wear them, but instructed them to conceal the tzitzit, or the fringes of the tallit. Further, Malichi explained that the women were permitted to wear tallitot as long as they "were not black and white...if they were colorful and looked like scarves" then the women were permitted to wear them.

Overall, Anat believes "we are making advances on the ground," both for religious freedom for the Women of the Wall and more broadly for religious pluralism in Israel. Anat is especially encouraged that 30 women were able to wear tallitot and more than 20 male supporters joined the Women of the Wall this month. Anat was also proud to share with me that six women were called for their first every aliyah to the Torah during the Torah service, which she described as a "very moving moment." (Photo courtesy of Michelle Handelman)

As a final note, Anat emphasized that "it is of extreme importance that we continue our guard of the Wall. [Not all] people think that the Wall is a place we should focus on, but I believe that it is." Although only one of many battlegrounds in the fight for religious freedom in Israel, the actions of the Women of the Wall and their supporters are a quintessential example of the advances made by progressive Judaism. This month, as we celebrate Israel's Independence, we also celebrate and work toward greater freedom of religion for all Jews.

Are you holding your own Rosh Chodesh Iyar event in solidarity with Women of the Wall? If so, email a description and photos to me and media@womenofthewall.org.il! You can also follow the Women of the Wall on Facebook or Twitter (@womenofthewall) for more information and photos. Finally, the URJ maintains a clearinghouse webpage for news, educational resources, and blog posts about the Women of the Wall at http://urj.org/israel/wow/. Chodesh Tov!

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Name that Justice

As you are contemplating the characteristics and qualities that make a good Justice (and tweeting them with the hashtag #AGoodNom or leaving them as comments on the blog post from earlier this week), it's worth browsing the (not-so) short list of potential nominees and learning a little bit about their backgrounds and judicial philosophies. The Washington Post has a list of candidates and some information about each of them. Slate Magazine has a longer list, with similar information--and, in the spirit of adventure, you can "Choose your own Supreme Court Justice."

No one knows when the President will announce his nominee. However, considering that the he made clear last week that he hopes the "new Justice is seated in time for the fall term," which begins on the First Monday in October, we can expect that he will move quickly to make a decision within the next few weeks. (If you need to brush up on what happens after the nomination--check out the RAC's one-page flyer on the judicial nominations process and how you can have an impact!).

In the meantime, visit the RAC's resource page on the impending vacancy to find materials that will help you to educate yourself and your community about the impact of the Supreme Court on issues of importance to the Reform Movement.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 5:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Planting the Seeds of Hope

This piece first appeared on the Gap Adventures blog. Jennifer Kefer is an environmental consultant who provides legal and political expertise, strategic analysis, and advice to NGOs, corporations and cities on a range of projects related to climate, energy and other environmental issues. She serves as a Senior Climate Advisor at the Center on Budget and Policy and Policy Priorities.

Some people like to vacation. They fly to far-off countries to escape reality, doze on a beach, drink too much and perhaps sleep too little. I don't choose to vacation; I choose to travel. That's why I chose to go to Kenya with Gap Adventures. Rather than looking at travel as a way to escape reality, I view travel as an opportunity to learn more about who I am and to better understand my place in the world. Gap Adventures provides the tools for this self-discovery.

As a professional climate change advocate, I spend my days working to convince decision-makers to adopt policies to help address climate change. My efforts are met with resistance. In the US, decision-makers--and the American public--doubt the severity and even the very existence of climate change. While in Kenya, I spoke to dozens of people about these issues. I asked them whether they had observed any changes in their lifetime. Without fail--from educated guides to unschooled villagers--every person that I met retorted simply: "We don't have seasons anymore." In the United States we speak of climate change as a hypothetical, distant challenge; but in Kenya the effects are already visible. In the United States, I struggle to convince our leaders that climate change is a problem at all. In Kenya--thanks to Gap Adventures--I was able to work with people in the community to find solutions. Our Cultural Safari included a village homestay in the Luo village of Kuwuor. For me, this was the main attraction of the itinerary. Certainly, any tourist company could take me to see the lions and zebras of Kenya--and though this was undeniably part of the draw--I knew that my trip would have been a failure if I returned home without seeing Kenya's people. When we arrived in Kuwuor, a multi-generational group of villagers greeted us in song. I assumed that this was a show for the tourists; akin to the costumed villagers that meet cruise ships as they pull into well-travelled ports. But, within hours, I would learn that this enthusiasm was sincere. We walked with our host family across a small creek and open pastures to their modest home. Our host--the village doctor--insisted that my friend and I sleep in their bedroom during our stay. We shared meals, took walks and did chores together.

Many of the homes in the community were surrounded on all sides by small clay pots and buckets. These open receptacles were intended to collect water during the seasonal rains, to be used throughout the year. It was an inefficient system, to be sure. There were heavy rains the first night we slept in the village; yet, many of the buckets remained half empty in the morning. As climate change alters seasonal rains, making droughts drier and periodic downpours heavier, the people of Kuwuor will undoubtedly need to find a better system to harvest and store water. On our second day in the village, we joined a group of people from the village to erect two enormous rain barrels, positioned beneath the slanted roof with downspouts directing all of the rain into a single, covered container. We worked side-by-side with the villagers, carrying equipment, installing the gutters, positioning the barrel, and transforming their homes. These barrels will not restore the regularity of the seasons to Kenya; however, they will help ensure that the people of Kuwuor have water when the rains don't come.

Before leaving Kuwuor, each of us planted a small tree. My host promised to water the tree--and implored me to return to visit it one day. I certainly hope to.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What Makes for #AGoodNom?

The search is on for the next Supreme Court Justice.

What qualities and characteristics do you think President Obama should be looking as he decides who to nominate? Are there any demographic criteria that are particularly important to you? Are there other things that he should be looking for?

These questions are not intended to be rhetorical--we want to have a real discussion about the qualities that the progressive community hopes to see in the next Supreme Court Justice. You can leave your answers as comments on this blog post or you can tweet them - just include the hash tag #AGoodNom and then fill in your thoughts (you can also tweet them directly to us @theRAC)

An example would be, "#AGoodNom approaches every case with an open mind."

Need some ideas for what makes a good Justice? Consider what the President said last week: "I will seek someone in the coming weeks with . . . an independent mind, a record of excellence and integrity, a fierce dedication to the rule of law, and a keen understanding of how the law affects the daily lives of the American people."

Do you agree that this list of criteria is a strong set of guidelines to which the President should firmly adhere? If so, let us know in comments and tweets! (You can also encourage President Obama to continue to use this list as a guide by sending an email through the RAC's action alert system.)

Are there certain demographic considerations that you think are important? As Dahlia Lithwick of Slate explains, when we consider who should replace a Supreme Court Justice, we are inclined to look in the mirror: "women are clamoring for a third female justice; men contend it's their turn for a guy this round; racial and ethnic minorities seek greater representation; academics demand a thinker of great import; criminal defense lawyers want one of their own. And on it goes."

And should empathy be back on the list of characteristics that President Obama considers? Lithwick explains that it is impossible for a nine-person Court to truly reflect the demographics of this diverse nation. Therefore, she claims, "If we can't in fact have a court that looks like America, we should seek a court that feels for America."

The White House has indicated that President Obama has not yet decided on a nominee. So, there is still time to lift up the qualities that are most important to you and help shape the conversation about what makes a "good" Supreme Court nominee. Tweeting about what makes #AGoodNom is a great place to start...

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One Chamber Down, One to Go

Late Tuesday night, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution condemning the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill and urging countries across the globe to openly reject and repeal similar laws criminalizing homosexuality. The resolution was a response to legislation pending in the Ugandan parliament that would institute the death penalty for acts of homosexuality, and also require citizens to report homosexuality to the police or face criminal penalties. Sadly, Uganda is not alone: these laws exist in numerous countries including Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, where the penalty for homosexuality includes death.

The Senate resolution also calls on the United States Department of State to more closely monitor human rights violations related to sexual orientation. We as a country need to speak out against such discrimination and hatred, and the Senate took a crucial step this week in addressing this international human rights issue. Now, we must call on the House to take action on a similar pending resolution, introduced by Representative Howard Berman (D-CA), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and more than three dozen other members of Congress. Send an email to your Representative now, and let him or her know that this resolution must be passed, and it must be passed without delay.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 5:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"It is Most Important to Act"

Earlier this week, the Jewish community commemorated Yom HaShoah, Holocaust remembrance day. Synagogues, schools and Jewish community centers everywhere held events and assemblies remember those that were lost, honoring survivors, and observing the solemnity of the day.

I asked my 5 year old the other day what special lessons she learned in school. She told me they read a story about children who had to hide and they learned that the "bad guys put numbers on peoples arms," but in her mind, they were just stickers. I asked her if she remembered what the day was called and she answered, "Ummm... Yom HaSha-something." I asked her if anyone who was in the Holocaust came to speak to them about what they had gone through during the war, and she told me there were no special speakers. All right. She's in kindergarten. She gained some small sense of the importance of the day.
Growing up, I don't remember a time when I did not know about the Holocaust. My adoptive grandparents Rosie and Moishe were both survivors. (Moishe passed away in the summer of 2008, but Rosie is still alive and well.) Moishe had a number tattooed on his arm - something he never hid. They both spoke of their experiences in the ghetto, in the camps, and Moishe, with the partisans. We had teachers who were also survivors and who spoke about their experiences. My childhood friend Sarah's father was a survivor, and so were many of my friends' grandparents who immigrated to Canada after the war. At school we had formal assemblies on Yom HaShoah. And when it came to our Jewish education, Torah study and learning to read, speak, and write in Hebrew were equal to learning about Holocaust experiences. Hearing the stories about those who perished from those who survived the Holocaust was an integral part of our Jewish upbringing.

There is a sharp contrast to my kids experiential Jewish upbringing. My kids are (and will be) acutely aware of their families' Jewish experience in Israel, in Canada, and here in the United States. We spend a good amount of time telling stories about our relatives. My kids' grandfathers each served in the U.S. and Israeli military, and their paternal great-grandfathers both fought for the U.S., one in the Korean War and the other in World War II. My own grandparents made their way to Israel (one set came from Greece and Turkey before the establishment of the State and the second set came from Russia just after), and in 1970 my parents moved to Canada from Israel. In our family, there are no survivors, and mostly because none of our relatives were even in the Holocaust.

Now, I'm not the kind of person who bases my Judaism on the ashes of the Holocaust, nor do I advocate for anyone else to do so either. There are countless reasons to be Jewish and to live proudly as a Jew - "so that we don't finish what Hitler started" isn't necessarily one of them. I am fully cognizant that my own kids' relationship to and understanding of the Holocaust will be different from my own. As they grow, there will be fewer and fewer survivors to tell their tales first-hand. There will come a day when my kids will have to rely solely on second-hand stories, on written and recorded accounts, on museums, and, for as long as the remains of the concentration camps exist, on visits to Poland where they can see with their own eyes where the Jews suffered at the hands of the Nazis.

Our tradition begs us not to stand idly by the blood of our neighbor. It admonishes us not to hate our brothers in our hearts. It commands us to remember that which Amalek had done to us. (Amalek has become symbolic for those who have tried to destroy the Jewish people since.) But most important of all, our tradition inspires us to love our fellow as we love ourselves. Growing up, the words "never forget" and "never again" were seared into my consciousness and my conscience - lest history repeat itself. We need to be mindful of the rise of xenophobia all over the world, and clearly, being mindful is not enough. Genocidal atrocities continue to take place. In the face of these tragedies, when the world is complacent in its silence, it is complicit in the act. It is more important than ever to remind ourselves and to teach our younger generations of the lessons of the Holocaust - but it is most important to act.

Posted by Religious Action Center at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Child Nutrition Goes Prime Time

Child nutrition and anti-hunger advocates have reason to be excited this spring, and it's not just because of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move initiative, ABC's new show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, and all of the other great press the issue has been getting recently. Recently, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) introduced her version of the Child Nutrition Re-authorization Act, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which would provide $4.5 billion in new funding over 10 years for Child Nutrition Programs, expand the Afterschool Meal Program nationwide, and take steps to improve the nutritional quality of all food sold on school campuses.

Though the bill falls short of President Obama's budget request of $1 billion in new funding per year for child nutrition programs, the bill goes a long way to fighting childhood obesity - the New York Times calls the issue "yet another side of the health care issue because better childhood nutrition is preventive medicine at its best" - and increasing the reach of these programs to all children in need. It is crucial, however, that more money is found for these programs before the bill is voted on. Social safety net programs that provide food are being utilized by more and more people: in January, 39.4 million people relied on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The time is now to assure that no children - especially those in food insecure households - have to make it through the school day without nutritious food.

Chairman Lincoln's bill already has bi-partisan support and passed unanimously out of committee in late March. The House of Representatives is yet to act, but the pressure is already on. Jilly Stephens, Executive Director of City Harvest, a New York-based anti-hunger group, has challenged the House to "at least meet the President's request for an increase of $1 billion per year." As she writes, "It's time to find the money to make sure federal child nutrition programs can fulfill their promise to American kids." This year's reauthorization of child nutrition programs is Congress most opportune moment to make a difference in securing the long-term health of low-income children - they must give these programs everything they can to succeed. Write your Members of Congress to increase funding for Child Nutrition Programs at the RAC's Legislative Action Center.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"No Nukes for Iran" Visits Washington

Danielle Bari Flaum, of Short Hills, N.J., is founder and chair of the No Nukes for Iran Teen Advocacy Program.

I looked around the room and it really hit me. I was sitting with Israeli Ambassador Michel Oren in his private study at the Israeli Embassy, Washington D.C. Now, the gift of memory allows me to fully realize the truly amazing day I had along with other members of the No Nukes for Iran Teen Advocacy Program.

Meeting with Ambassador Oren in his study, we discussed the successes and struggles of our No Nukes for Iran campaign. He thanked us for our passionate efforts and congratulated us on creating excitement in bringing together many Jewish and non-Jewish groups around the issue. He stressed that a nuclear Iran poses a monumental security threat, sharing memories of growing up after the Holocaust and recalling the promises that his generation made to "never again" let a Holocaust happen. The thought of Iran gaining nuclear weapons, he said, causes him to have sleepless nights. We presented the Ambassador with a "No Nukes for Iran" banner and lapel pin - which, he told us, he loved.

Ambassador Oren informed us that members of the Israeli Consulate were meeting with Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center, downstairs at the Israeli Embassy. Next thing we knew, we were downstairs speaking to the members of the Israeli consulate and Rabbi Saperstein, informing them about our project. Ambassador Oren passed out our No Nukes for Iran car magnets, urging the members of the Consulates to take this project back to their communities. We were deeply grateful to Ambassador Oren and Benjamin Sack, Director of National Initiatives and State Government Relations, for an incredible morning.

Next we headed to the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill to meet with Robert Marcus, staff member for the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, who gave us a crash course in government and politics. We also met with Jonathan Moore, legislative assistant to Representative Steven R Rothman (D-NJ09), and told them about our missionincluding what we have been doing and what we wanted from them: to learn about the Iran Petroleum Sanctions Act and if - and when - the legislation would become law. At first I did not think they would really take us seriously, considering that we were only teenagers, but they kindly informed us that we knew more about politics and the legislative system than many lobbyists and adults they had meet with before. We left the meeting feeling good.

Next stop was AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, where we met with Leadership Development Director Jonathan Kessler and National Field Organizer Suzy Goldenkranz and learned firsthand from some of the experts about strategies on foreign policy lobbying. AIPAC's staff reminded us that it's not what we have already accomplished that is so imperative but rather our next course of action that will keep people interested in the project. It was an inspiring and challenging meeting.

In our meeting with Rachel Hillman, program associate at the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization, we discussed how to tap into BBYO's energy and encourage its members to join our mission of a nuclear weapons-free Iran. Joining with an international youth movement was another highlight of our day.

Finally, we joined the RAC's L'Taken Social Justice Seminar, a gathering of more than 300 teens, for a lively Shabbat service where I had the honor of delivering our message to the gathering. I loved looking out at my peers and challenging them to stand up, speak out, and declare that this generation of youth wants to live in a world free of terrorists threatening Israel and our safety. I hope I inspired them to lobby their elected officials not only about the importance of Iran remaining free of nuclear weapons but on any issue that speaks to them. As I addressed the teens, I realized the meaning of the saying "Everybody can make a difference;" before this moment, I had not realized that I really did how the power to enact change. .

Ambassador Oren, AIPAC, staff members on Capitol Hill. They all asked us the same question: "What is your next step?" The answer is that No Nukes for Iran has just launched a national petition with a goal of 100,000 signatures, thus creating a powerful lobbying tool.

There are several things you can do right now to stand up and speak out on this issue!

Sign the petition at www.nonukesforiran.org.
Post this message on your Facebook and Twitter.
Send this blog post to your rabbi, youth leader, club members and other groups to let them know this is important to you and to our generation.
Print out the petition and have all your friends, family and classmates sign it. Then scan the signed petition and mail it to nonukesforiran@gmail.com.

The time is now, together we must shout out: No Nukes for Iran!

Photo 1: Nancy Kislin, Michelle Bauer, Robert Marcus, Danielle Flaum, and Jonathan Moore gather for a lobbying session in the Rayburn Building
Photo 2: Organizers from No Nukes for Iran meet with Ambassador Michael Oren
Photo 3: No Nukes for Iran founder Danielle Flaum speaks to participants at the RAC's L'Taken Social Justice Seminar

Posted by Religious Action Center at 9:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sleep Out to End Malaria

In order to shine a light on malaria prevention efforts, Nothing But Nets is joining World Malaria Awareness Day on April 25, 2010, and the Sleep Out to End Malaria campaign. Sleep Outs can take many forms - soccer tournaments, speakers, camp outs, bake sales or screenings of the new cutting-edge documentary, When the Night Comes. The names of all those who register for the Sleep Out to End Malaria will be hand delivered to Congress on April 20, 2010. Encourage your congregation to host a World Malaria Awareness Day event and don't forget to order your complimentary fundraising materials!

Posted by Religious Action Center at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Disappointment About Dawn Johnsen

Dawn Johnsen, President Obama's nominee to the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel, last Friday withdrew her nomination. The Reform Movement had strongly supported Johnsen's nomination; yesterday we issued a statement expressing our disappointment that she will not have the opportunity to serve in this position. Our Associate Director, Mark Pelavin, said:

After pushing for Ms. Johnsen's confirmation for nearly a year, we are deeply disappointed that Ms. Johnsen will not have the opportunity to serve in this critical position. We remain convinced that Ms. Johnsen is supremely qualified to serve and we express deep concern about the extreme obstructionist tactics that delayed, and ultimately blocked, her confirmation.

The opposition to Ms. Johnsen was largely based on her support for reproductive freedom and her opposition to torture. These positions are consonant with those of the Reform Movement and should not disqualify any willing public servant from a position in the Administration. We applaud those, both in the advocacy community and the Senate, who worked tirelessly in efforts to secure Ms. Johnsen's confirmation and hope the obstructionist tactics that we encountered will not become a pattern for future nominations.

The Office of Legal Counsel, which advises the President and Administration on legal issues, has been operating without a leader for over 15 months. We hope that when President Obama nominates a new individual to fill the position, the Senate will respectfully and expediently move the nominee through the confirmation process to allow the Office of Legal Counsel to operate at its full potential.

Posted by Religious Action Center at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What to Do on Earth Day

The 40th annual Earth Day is less than ten days away! Next week, millions of people around the world will come together on April 22 to celebrate the steps we've taken in the last 40 years to protect our environment, and evaluate our goals for the years to come. We will - if all goes according to plan - be re-energizing the fight to pass comprehensive climate legislation in the U.S. Senate this year, and anticipating the launch of a major new Jewish energy campaign.

There are many ways to make Earth Day matter. If you are in DC (or can hop on a free bus from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland or West Virginia), join us on the National Mall on April 25 at 11 A.M. for the Climate Rally. We'll be hearing from leaders in the political, entertainment, and labor worlds on the importance of passing climate legislation for our environment and our economy, and enjoy music from the Roots and John Legend. The day kicks off with an interfaith climate vigil featuring leaders from the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities discussing what the faith community is doing to bring about environmental justice.

Not in the DC metro area? No problem. You can find an Earth Day event near you, or plan your own with resources from the RAC and our partners at the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life. We've got guides to hosting an environmental Shabbat, programs on climate change, clean water and more, and action items on offshore drilling and clean air to incorporate into your event.

And no matter where you live you can do one simple thing (take public transportation more often, use less water, or start a recycling program at our office, synagogue, or school) to help the Earth Day Network generate "one billion acts of green" around the world. Through one billion small steps, and millions of people raising their voices for national and global action on climate change, we can make this Earth Day a milestone for the movement toward a more sustainable future.

So what will you do in the next ten days to make the 40th annual Earth Day a success? Let us know, and have an eventful Earth Day!

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The START of Something New

Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). Upon announcing the agreement, Rabbi Saperstein welcomed this major step forward in advancing U.S. security and ridding the world of the threat of nuclear weapons.

The treaty decreases both sides' deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550, which represents a 30% reduction, among other important developments.

The U.S. and Russia signed the START treaty in the Czech Republic on the one year anniversary of a speech President Obama delivered in Prague on the subject of nuclear non-proliferation. This address included commitments to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons and made "a world without nuclear weapons" the goal of American nuclear policy.

Since that time, Vice President Biden affirmed this pledge in an address in Washington, D.C. (I was fortunate to have the chance to hear him give this speech!). This past week, the Obama Administration also issued what is known as a Nuclear Posture Review, a comprehensive strategy that will, for the first time, explicitly limit the conditions under which the United States would use a nuclear weapon.

Now that Presidents Obama and Medvedev have signed the new START agreement, the Senate must ratify the treaty by a two-thirds majority. Many Senators, included Senator Kerry, Senator Merkley, and Senator Lieberman have issued statements in response to the treaty.

You can use our action alert to write to your Senators, urging them to implement important weapons reductions and make our nation and world safer.

And stay tuned for more nuclear news this week - diplomats from nearly 50 countries are converging on D.C. for a nuclear summit, where they will likely discuss the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the threat of a nuclear Iran, and more.

As always, feel free to leave a comment or email me with questions.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Modern Musings on Yom HaShoah in Israel

A while back, I had an insight about Israelis and the Holocaust: most Israelis have a "Shoah moment" every day - a second in which they think about, mention, or refer to the Holocaust.

These might occur when confronted by the obvious triggers: the screech of trains, standing in line for food, waiting in tightly-packed corridors. Or, they may be more subtle: hair of different colors left on a barbershop floor, children's shoes all in a pile at a kindergarten. If a baby is born fair, it's common to hear in maternity wards here, "this one would have been saved."

I had my own moment recently while looking at an apartment. When the realtor showed me a nook next to the toilet for storing supplies, I thought first, "a child could hide in here."

Such references need not always be dark.

Think about your spouse running to the supermarket for the second time that day. You say, "another twenty-five cans of tuna? What is this, the Holocaust?"

What does it mean that Israelis think of the Shoah everyday? It means we live in a country in which the Holocaust is not at all a dead subject, but one which continues to shape our lives and most private, even subconscious, thoughts.

But our memories of the Shoah, or our fleeting associations with the catastrophe, must transcend feelings of fear or thoughts of self-preservation. Our memory of the Holocaust should remind us to do good in the world - practice tolerance, show mercy, help the needy, open our hearts. So in honor of Yom HaShoah, here is a lesson in altruism - IRAC's award-winning recipe on how to be a mensche (human being):

Take one verse from the Bible: "And God created human beings in God's image, in the image of God they were created, male and female God created them" (Genesis 1.27).

Add one "saying of our parents" (Pirkei Avot): "Who is honored? One who honors others" (4.1).

Gently ladle in one portion from the Talmud: "Whoever saves one life, it is as if they have saved an entire world" (Tractate Sanhedrin 37).

Top with one modern voice: "When human dignity is exiled, hope is exiled" (Proverbs of Benjamin).

Pour the mix into your mind and soul: it is done when a stranger's dignity is as precious as your own.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Observing Yom HaShoah

Yesterday, President Obama issued a powerful statement as people in North America, Israel, and around the world observed Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day. Noting that this year marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camps, the President stated that "we must recommit ourselves to honoring the memories of all the victims and ensuring that they remain a part of our collective memory."

President Obama also spoke strongly about the continual imperative to address anti-Semitism and genocide today. An excerpt of his statement can be found below, and more resources on Yom Hashoah and Holocaust education are available from the URJ's holiday resource page.

"On my visit to Buchenwald last year - and during my visit to Yad Vashem in 2008 - I bore witness to the horrors of anti-Semitism and the capacity for evil represented by the Nazis' campaign to annihilate the Jewish people and so many others. But even at places like Buchenwald, the dignity and courage of those who endured the horrors of the Holocaust remind us of humanity's capacity for decency and compassion.

"The memories of the victims serve as a constant reminder to honor their legacy by renewing our commitment to prevent genocide, and to confront anti-Semitism and prejudice in all of its forms. We must never tolerate the hateful stereotypes and prejudice against the Jewish people that tragically continues to this day. We must work, instead, on behalf of a world of justice and peace, in which all nations and peoples value the humanity that we share, and the dignity inherent in every human being."

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Condemning Incidents of Palestinian Incitement

Our Director, Rabbi David Saperstein, today issued a statement condemning recent incidents of Palestinian incitement, including Hamas leadership's decision to name a Ramallah street in honor of suicide bomber Yihyeh Ayyash and remarks made by Fatah official Khatem Abd el-Kader in response to the rededication of the Hurva synagogue in the Old City of Jerusalem. El-Kader called upon Palestinians to "converge on al Aksa to save it" from "Israeli attempts to destroy the mosque and replace it with the [Jewish] temple."

"Such rhetoric questioning the legitimacy of Jewish ties to Jerusalem are provocative, hateful, and simply false," Rabbi Saperstein said. "These recent incidents of Palestinian incitement against Israel are reprehensible and counterproductive if the Palestinian leadership wants to make progress on the increasingly difficult path toward peace."

He also welcomed the U.S. State Department's call to Palestinian leadership to curb incitement against Israel and to cease the glorification of terrorists. Phillip Crowley, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. State Department's Daily Briefing, yesterday said, "Remarks by the Palestinian ministry of information denying Jewish heritage in and links to Jerusalem undermine the trust and confidence needed for substantive and productive Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. We also strongly condemn the glorification of terrorists honoring terrorists who have murdered innocent civilians either by official statements or by the dedication of public places hurts peace efforts and must end. We will continue to hold Palestinian leaders accountable for incitement."

Rabbi Saperstein's full statement is available here.

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Justice Stevens WILL Retire

This morning, Justice John Paul Stevens announced that he will be retiring from the Supreme Court at the end of the current term. He sent a simple letter, with today's date, to President Obama:

My dear Mr. President:

Having concluded that it would be in the best interests of the Court to have my successor appointed and confirmed well in advance of the commencement of the Court's next Term, I shall retire from regular active service as an Associate Justice, under the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 371(b), effective the next day after the Court rises for the summer recess this year.

Most respectfully yours,

Justice Stevens

Justice Stevens has served on the court since 1975, through four decades, 7 Presidents, and countless changes in the American social and political landscape. In this time, he has had a major impact on federal jurisprudence, crafting thoughtful opinions and guiding the Court's liberal voting bloc. His wisdom, temperament, and leadership will certainly be missed.

Said Senator Patrick Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee,

"Justice Stevens' unique and enduring perspective is irreplaceable; his stalwart adherence to the rule of law is unparalleled. The federal judiciary, and indeed the entire nation, will miss his principled jurisprudence. While it is with a heavy heart, I wish him the best in his retirement."

We look forward learning whom President Obama will nominate to fill the vacant seat. A seat on the Supreme Court gives its occupant nearly unparalleled influence over every aspect of American life. And as a lifetime appointee, a Justice's power lasts throughout his or her potentially decades-long term, and beyond. For both of those reasons, every American has a responsibility to let their Senators know how they feel about the nominee. We at the RAC are also excited to learn about the nominee and help the Senate fulfill its Constitutional and historic role of "advise and consent."

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Sex Ed Training Pays Off!

Rob Keithan is the Director of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations' Washington Office for Advocacy. This post first appeared at Inspired Faith, Effective Action and is republished with permission.

As far as we know, the Sexuality Education Advocacy Training (SEAT) is the only national, multigenerational interfaith advocacy training focused on supporting comprehensive sexuality education. It started in 2006 as a partnership between the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations and Advocates for Youth. Currently the United Church of Christ, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice are also cosponsors. The great news is that SEAT is paying off! Here are some highlights:

First, many of the Congressional Offices visited by 2010 participants remembered SEAT visits from previous years -- and had positive things to say about them. This recognition is incredibly important, because even if they don't agree with our position, they know who we are, and that we're strong advocates for what we believe. Thanks to our SEAT lobby visits -and there were over 60 this year alone - not a single one of those offices can say that they "never hear from religious people who support comprehensive sexuality education."

Second, one office reported that their boss - a member of the House - decided to become a REAL Act cosponsor as a direct result of last year's SEAT lobby visit. Even better, I just heard - literally as I was writing this blog - that another Representative decided to cosponsor as a result of this year's visit!

Third, more than one lobby team reported that, as they were sitting an office lobby waiting for their visit, calls were coming from folks back home participating in the Sex Ed Call-in Day! This combination of in-person and grassroots action is exactly what we hope for, so many, many thanks to everyone who made a call!

We usually stop at three in stories like this, but one more point is necessary. For SEAT to be properly called a success, it must also help participants spread the word outside of Washington, DC. Hence this final highlight:

Fourth, during an expected (and quite long) layover in Denver, a SEAT team from the Seattle area shared their stories and passion with other passengers in the waiting area! Amy talked to a young mother of three who had never heard of comprehensive sexuality education but liked it so much that she immediately started tweeting about it. Sierra, Carolyn, and Sam struck up conversations with nearby passengers and informed them of the whole experience, including - get this - giving out the handouts from their packets! Nice work y'all!

At this point, we're hoping to have a 7th annual SEAT next year. Look for an announcement in the fall!

Photo: A small group on the steps of the Religious Action of Reform Judaism during an exercise on storytelling/messaging

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Hooray for Prop A!

Even as federal efforts to reform our transportation system remain stalled, cities are taking steps to become healthier, more livable, and more sustainable communities through transit reform. The latest victory comes from St. Louis, Missouri, where citizens voted - by an impressive 24% margin - in favor of a ballot Proposition designed to improve public transit infrastructure.

Proposition A will raise sales tax by a half-cent to fund projects that maintain and eventually expand the city's bus and light rail system. As a college student in St. Louis, I saw the positive impact of expanding light rail and bus service for our community and for our city, and am encouraged by the vote for funding to keep recent improvements in place.

Any vote for public transit is worth noting in a country that consumes 25% of the world's oil, using millions of barrels each day. Reducing our energy use by supporting public transit expansion is not only good for our air quality but for our security as well. Adequate transit funding ensures that millions of people can get to work and school each day while drastically reducing our environmental impact and dependence on foreign oil.

Alongside the recent announcement of improved federal efficiency standards for automobiles, moves like the pro-transit vote in St. Louis show the path to a smarter energy future. And while we may not get federal transportation reauthorization for some time, making our cities healthier and more livable by improving transit on the local level sure is a good start!

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Procrastinator's Dream

Want to know how to save $1.5 billion? It's easy, just fill out and mail back your census form! The government estimates the above sum will be needed to cover the cost of following up with unresponsive households, so how about one-upping the Census Bureau and leaving those hard-earned tax dollars for other worthwhile projects?

To make this offer even more enticing, the Census Bureau has developed a tool that will tantalize the technojunkie and provoke the procrastinator. Prepare to be distracted, fellow citizens; the Take 10 interactive Census Participation Map has arrived! All you have to do is type in your zip code and you can see the percentage of households in your area (down to the street!) who have submitted their census.

To be honest, I'm a little disappointed with my own "team", which currently shows only a 56% response rate! What's up with that, neighbors?! I have no doubt you all lead busy lives, but in the process of living these last few weeks, you must have been reminded a dozen times about your census by television, magazine, newspaper, vehicle or billboard advertisements, or even possibly a massive blow-up census like the one that stood in front of Union Station last month (and has since traveled to Phoenix and Chicago). $300 million are being spent to both amuse us and remind us of our vital role in shaping the portrait of America. Every stroke matters in this masterpiece and we're still seeing way too much canvas!

Despite the DC crowd being a little lax on their census-data, I must give a shout out to the folks in Livonia City, Michigan who already have an 81% return rate - making them the highest ranked census-return population in a city of 50,000 or more. On average, states are hovering between 50-70% right now, which isn't terrible. Still, next month, the Census Bureau will dispatch tens of thousands of census takers and what could have cost the Bureau a $0.42 stamp per household, will now be a $57 follow-up visit - a pretty drastic increase.

The Take 10 map is an entertaining tool, but it also comes with responsibility. By providing detailed information about the response rates of our communities, the Census Bureau is demanding of us to be census advocates among our neighbors. If your numbers this year are lower than the 2000 census (those statistics are also provided by the map) then there's still work to be done. Speak to your friends and family to make sure they've sent in their forms. It's not too late to cost a stamp rather than a steak dinner. $1.5 billion is on the line; let's not spend it all in one place.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Elections Neither Free nor Fair in Sudan

What hope there might have been for those who saw Sudan's upcoming parliamentary elections - the first in that country since 1986 - as a step in the right direction is quickly fading away as the brutality of current President Omar al-Bashir is once again rearing its ugly head. A few weeks before the announcement that the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), the leading opposition party to al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP), pulled its Presidential candidate from the race, along with several other parties who plan on boycotting all levels of the elections, the Carter Center - currently the only elections monitoring mission in the country - issued a statement cautioning that the election "remains at risk on multiple fronts including the ability of candidates to campaign freely."

The Carter Center's prediction appears to be accurate, and most advocacy groups agree. Indeed, Save Darfur is "urging the United States government and the international community not to legitimize Sudan's presidential election," calling the election a "flawed and unfair process from the start." The International Crisis Group is even stronger with its words, stating that the NCP "manipulated the census results and voter registration, drafted the election laws in its favor, gerrymandered electoral districts, co-opted traditional leaders and bought tribal loyalties," and assuring that "whoever wins will likely lack legitimacy."

All the more tragic is that, as the ICG notes, while the NCP "has done this all over Sudan," they have been especially militant about it in Darfur, "where it has had freedom and means to carry out its strategy, since that is the only region still under emergency rule." The people of Darfur - including 2.7 displaced, many in refugee camps would have had everything to gain from a free and fair election, but once again they have been violently excluded from participating in their country's decision-making process.

So, as Mia Farrow writes in this op-ed, it is important that the international community "acknowledge the deeply corrupt voting process that will reinstate President Omar al-Bashir," and declare that he "rule without a genuine democratic mandate." The State Department has suggested that it would support a brief delay of the elections if it helped conditions, but their proposed postponement of one month would give little time to reverse all of the alarming trends observed until this point (it has since announced that it would back the current schedule). It is up to the international community to make peace in Darfur, and not an illegitimate power grab, the number one priority of the government of Sudan.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Could Challenges to Health Reform Succeed?

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) released a report today titled "Efforts to Nullify Health Reform Likely to Fail, But Could Interfere with Law's Implementation," which serves as a relevant update to Friday's Focus on the Court post about legal challenges to health insurance reform. CBPP reports that it is indeed constitutional for Congress to impose an individual mandate that Americans purchase health insurance, though challenges to this requirement could not only weaken public support for the new law but impede smooth implementation of its benefits. For some questions and answers regarding the mandate and other requirements, especially of small businesses, be sure to check out this article on the New York Times blog.

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Eye on Afghanistan

The Columbia Daily Spectator this week published a powerful opinion piece written by Yoav Guttman, a Columbia University student in the School of General Studies and the Jewish Theological Seminary, about United States involvement in Afghanistan and its failure to effectively train the Afghan National Police (ANP). His piece is a response to Newsweek's "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight," which highlights the ANP's inadequate marksmanship and Taliban-provided ammunition, among others. Since 2002, the United States has spent nearly $6 billion in an effort to train the ANP.

Guttman (who happens to be the son of a Reform rabbi!) makes compelling case that against outsourcing of military work to private contractors, as the US has done by contracting DynCorp International and European paramilitary police units to take on much of the ANP's training. He writes:

"This outsourcing of military work is perhaps the most serious issue America faces. Rather than defining our mission and goals, we divert funds from our military to hire contractors to do the work. But the contractors are not accountable to the American government the same way the Army is. This leads to morally questionable tactics that are never answered for. Furthermore, in the eyes of the Afghans (or Iraqis), these troops are seen as Americans and forces of American imperialism. Thus, their actions represent the American government. This ultimately undermines the "winning of hearts and minds" mentality, as again, our moral high ground is challenged.

Guttman also addresses the "most distressing" silence of the anti-war movement following President Obama's announcement in November that he'd be sending 40,000 more American troops into Afghanistan. He writes:

Rallies and marches were held across American universities and in our nation's capital demanding that troop levels be reduced and that America begin the process of leaving Iraq. Did the anti-war camp disband because we elected someone we like as our president instead of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine? As primarily liberal college students, we have the duty to challenge our government, regardless of whether the commander-in-chief is Bush or Obama. It is time to stop being so complacent and accepting of our noble mission in Afghanistan.

Read the entire piece here and let me know what you think.

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Gender Equity, Starting at Home

Lisa Paquette is a junior at American University and an intern at the Religious Action Center.

Equality in the workplace is an issue that women have been struggling with and continue to deal with. I grew up with a mother who holds a high-ranking position in the company she works for; it never occurred to me that this was not the norm. As part of an assignment from the professor overseeing my internship here at the Religious Action Center, I had to read a book called Leveling the Playing Field: Advancing Women in Jewish Organizational Life by Shifra Bronznick, Didi Goldenhar, and Marty Linsky. This book brings to light the startling lack of women in high-ranking positions as well as gender equity within Jewish organizations and is meant to be used as a physical guidebook to mentor organizational leaders as they attempt to make changes within their organization.

One organization featured in the book is Advancing Women Professionals (AWP), whose mission is to "advance women into leadership positions in Jewish life; stimulate Jewish organizations to become more equitable, productive and vibrant environments; and promote policies that support work-life integration and flexibility for professionals and volunteers." Leveling the Playing Field discusses much of the work AWP does in order to achieve its goals, using statistics, personal accounts, and studies to demonstrate the situation in the Jewish organizational life. Expanding upon content provided on AWP's website, the book suggests some strategies for change that organizations can implement in order to create gender equity in their workplaces, including organizational evaluations and goal-setting,

However, the sole purpose of the book is not to promote women into higher ranking positions but also to further discussion about creating gender equity in Jewish organizational life. As a Jewish female working for a Jewish organization, I was intrigued by the book and by AWP. Having been involved in various Jewish organizations throughout my life, I reflected back on the leadership of these organizations and realized that, at the majority of them, men held the highest ranking positions. From my personal knowledge of some Jewish organizations, it seems as though many are taking the necessary steps toward the goal of gender equity, including closing the salary gap between men and women, hiring women to fill top jobs, and creating new opportunities for women to excel within these organizations. Slowly, Jewish institutions are providing opportunities for women to advance within the organization.

Here at the Religious Action Center, one of the leading positions is held by a woman - our Legislative Director, Barbara Weinstein, directs legislative policy and oversees the RAC's Eisendrath Legislative Assistant program, a one-year fellowship for recent college graduates focusing on Jewish values and social justice. On a similar note, the ratio of men to women in the office is well-balanced, and rather than focusing on whose position is higher than another, everyone at the Religious Action Center works as a strong team. I believe that the Religious Action Center is a great example of a Jewish organization that is successful at achieving gender equity within the office.

Besides our own opinions on equity, what does Judaism have to say about the subject? There are a few places in the Torah which point toward equity. Genesis teaches us that men and women were created equally in the image of God. If this is the case, men and women should be treated equally in the workplace, as well. This idea is also mentioned is Leviticus 19:13, which states, "You shall not defraud your neighbor." All workers deserve to be paid fairly for the job they perform, regardless of gender. These two examples from the Torah show that gender equity is an important issue which Reform Judaism values.

Want to do your part to promote gender equity? Write to your Senators now in support of the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182), which would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to provide effective protection against sex-based pay discrimination.

Both within and outside of Jewish organizational life, it is essential that gender equity is at the forefront of today's social and political issues. Women will never receive equal pay and higher ranking jobs if we do not fight to make it so. Books such as Leveling the Playing Field and organizations such as AWP are here to help facilitate the process, providing insight into the steps that must be taken in order to ensure gender equity in the work force. It is now up to us to take these steps forward.

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Breaking the Cloud Ceiling

There are thirteen human beings in space right now, four of whom are women.

This is awesome. I'm not sure why it has become humdrum, from a technological and space-exploration point of view, that there are people orbiting the Earth at hundreds of miles, who achieved a velocity sufficient to escape the inexorable tug of our planet's gravity, and who are now hanging out (get it? "hanging?" because they're still experiencing micro-gravity!) in the human-built International Space Station.

What is certainly not mundane is that four of the thirteen astronauts are women, and that's more women than have ever been in space before at the same time.

The technological hurdles of launching thirteen humans into the cold and hostility of space notwithstanding, I cannot help but reflect on the enormous social challenges that have been overcome in order for four of them to be women. From Valentina Tereshkova, who 47 years ago became the first woman in space, to Peggy Whitson, current NASA chief astronaut and former commander of the International Space Station, women are participating in space exploration. This serves as a powerful reminder of the progress women have made in the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, and the other nations which have sent women into space as well as the opportunity space presents as a burgeoning frontier. Yes, perhaps this is precisely the sort of "distraction" Jessica Valenti believes is pulling our attention from the ongoing "epidemic of sexism" in the United States. But let's think about what this might mean to different people.

To young American and Russian girls, this is inspiration and motivation to study sciences and to achieve excellence in historically male-dominated fields. For women living in less equal and even repressive regimes, women flying shuttle craft and commanding space stations provide a dream that they or their daughters might experience a world without male entitlement, where they too can achieve at the very apex of excellence.

And to those regimes which repress women solely on the basis of their gender, this sends a clear message: If you want to participate in the existing international space program, you're going to have to let women play too.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tweeting Anne Frank

Proving that social media really is changing the way we interact, advocate and raise awareness, the United Nations and the Anne Frank Center USA are honoring Yom Ha'Shoah in a very new way - using Twitter.

Last week, the two organizations launched a Twitter campaign for students in memory of Anne Frank, one of the Holocaust's most recognized victims, whose compelling World War II diary is still widely used as reading and educational material.

The thrust of the campaign is this: Students are asked to "travel back in time" and write to Anne through 140-character tweets, essentially pretending to communicate with her from her family's hiding spot in Amsterdam. The project website asks, "If Anne Frank had had a way to receive Tweets while in hiding and could have been communicating in secret with other young people in the world about the persecution and hatred that her family and friends were experiencing, what messages of support would you have sent Anne? What would you have told Anne that you have learned from her life and experience?"

Kimberly Mann, Manager of the Holocaust and the UN Outreach Programme in the Department of Public Information's Outreach Division, said of the project, "This exercise is meant to help young people make a meaningful connection to the Holocaust through the words of a courageous young girl."

Tweets to Anne should be directed at @UnandHolocaust; the project will last until Yom Ha'Shoah, Holocaust remembrance Day, on April 11. So what would you tell Anne Frank? Let us know in the comments or include us in our tweet (@theRAC).

Posted by Religious Action Center at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Haik U, Glenn Beck!

You may have heard all about the famed Glenn Beck and his ongoing tirades. You may also have heard that he believes the language of social and economic justices are code for communism and Nazism. Our great friends over at Jewish Funds for Justice have sponsored a hilarious and simple little web activity in response to this brouhaha: Haik U, Glenn Beck! (.com!)

Justice-lovers around the world are submitting their brief poems (for more on Haiku poetry, check out the Wikipedia entry) and here, for your enjoyment are a few of my favorites:

The Samaritan
Didn't know the code that day,
and someone was saved.

More after the jump....

Beck went into temple.
A mechitza divided
his advertisers.

Normally don't care
about religious ideas,
but like the option

Is this how it feels
To be a Commie? If so,
I'm happily in.

Wanton acts of hate
are just icing on the cake
for this shill of late.

There are plenty more at the website, and obviously you can pitch in and submit your own haiku! When you do, don't forget to "tweet" us. Shabbat Shalom!

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It's Not Over 'Til It's Over

While the seemingly endless health insurance reform debate ostensibly ended last Tuesday when President Obama signed reform legislation into law, opponents of the new law immediately initiated a campaign to repeal the legislation. The debate will not be disappearing any time soon, as the law will undergo a variety of political and legal challenges before the majority of its provisions are fully implemented in 2014.

The crux of the legal case against the health reform law is the individual mandate, requiring nearly every American to buy insurance. Opponents claim the mandate is a violation of the U.S. Constitution's commerce clause. The key question is whether the commerce clause allows Congress to require individuals to purchase a product, in this case, health insurance. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the mandate raises "very serious constitutional questions."
Top legal officials from fourteen states have filed lawsuits challenging the legislation on that basis. More than 250 people rallied in Alabama on Tuesday as well, calling for amendments to their state constitution to supersede the federal requirement. Virginia already has such a law: Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli filed a separate suit that attacked health reforms, arguing that the law's requirement that most Americans buy health coverage conflicted with an existing state law that exempts Virginia residents from federal fines to be imposed for not owning health insurance.

Florida's attorney general, Bill McCollum, is leading the larger effort. In an interview with PBS, McCollum stated that "the freedoms of Americans, and particularly in my state of Florida, were impaired by this bill. And it forces people to do something in the sense of buying a health care policy, or pay a penalty, a tax or a fine, that simply, the Constitution doesn't allow Congress to do." The suit asks the trial court to declare that the federal government is violating the sovereignty of the states and to bar federal agencies from enforcing the new law.

When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare program into law 45 years ago, it faced strong opposition from the states, in some cases because it required racial integration of publicly funded hospitals. As PBS notes, those challenges failed, and numerous analyses in the past week state that these lawsuits will fare no better. Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, stated "For many decades, the Supreme Court has recognized Congress's authority, under the Commerce Clause, to regulate activities relating to interstate commerce. My advice from counsel is that we will win these - we will win these lawsuits."

There has of course been defense of the reform law and pushback from within some state governments. Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm thinks opposition is drawn from lack of knowledge and understanding of what is in the complicated bill. In Louisiana, state representative Cedric Richmond is wary of taking away new health benefits or funding a long legal battle when state budgets are already tight: "Why don't we let our Louisiana citizens start to benefit from this legislation?"

The bottom line? Health insurance reform is now law. Putting the plan into action will still be no easy task even though most legal experts agree that McCollum and the other state officials' arguments are unlikely to prevail in the courts. Ultimately more than 30 million more Americans will have health insurance coverage, and insurance will be more accessible and more affordable nationwide. Decades of failed attempts at reform testify to the difficulty of this task; this law is a victory for the American people.

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From Slavery to Freedom

Three very interesting - and very different - stories in my inbox this morning remind me of the power of the story of the Israelites' journey from slavery to freedom. It is, as we are taught, a story for all times, and one that can inspire all peoples.

Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson has a powerful column today about modern-day slavery in Sudan, making it personal rather than abstract by putting names, faces, and heart-wrenching stories to paper. It is an urgent wake-up call to the terrible, tragic reality of human rights violations in the wake of Sudan's civil war. Too much to tell in one column, Gerson adds some additional thoughts here.

The report is a tragic reminder that for too many people yet today, slavery is not a metaphor for other types of "narrow places" in our lives; it is a grim reality.
J.J. Goldberg picks up another piece of the Passover story in his report in The Forward on how Google founder Sergey Brin, who was raised in Moscow, became the driving force behind Google's decision to stop filtering search results in China. Influenced by memories of his childhood in Soviet Russia - its totalitarian regime and rampant anti-Semitism - Brin was, from the outset, wary of doing business with China because of its "censorship requirements and totalitarian culture," The Wall Street Journal reports.

Brin's actions here remind me of another piece of the Passover lesion, that we must act in every age as if we were, personally, delivered from Egypt. Brin draws on his personal experience under an oppressive regime to help, in his way, bring freedom to others.
And finally, this amazing Chava Albertstein version (also below) of the Passover song Had Gadia. Written in 1989, it still feels all too relevant today. Rabbi Marc Gopin translates for us (although the pain and longing in Albertson's voice need no translation):

On all nights, all other nights I asked only Four Questions.
This night I have another question:
"How long will the cycle of violence continue?"
Chase and be chased, beat and be beaten,
When will... this madness end?
How have you changed,
How are you different?

I changed this year.
I was once a sheep and a tranquil kid
Today I'm a tiger and a ravening wolf
I was once a dove and I was a deer.
Today I don't know who I am.

I hope your celebration of Passover is joyous, meaningful, and rewarding.

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Big Energy News

It's a "good news, bad news" week for our energy future. Today EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the finalized (and historic) "clean car standards" that have been in the works since President Obama took office. The new standards will raise the fuel economy of our nation's automobile fleet and, for the first time ever, set federal standards for global warming pollution from our cars. The announcement is the culmination of years of work and will help clean our air, reduce our climate impact, and save consumers money at the pump by cutting oil consumption.

However, the President also announced a new energy plan yesterday that includes expanding offshore oil drilling to thousands of miles of our nation's coastline. While the plan does protect the Bristol Bay, a fragile Alaskan ecosystem, it opens the Atlantic Coast from Delaware to Florida, and vast regions of the Gulf Coast, to dangerous new oil drilling practices. While reducing oil imports is critical to our energy security, simply switching from foreign to domestic oil will not give us the energy and environmental security that we need.

It's time to develop clean energy and increase the efficiency of our cars and homes, and not be distracted by non-solutions like offshore drilling. Read the full statement on this week's energy developments from Rabbi Saperstein here, and take a stand against offshore drilling here.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Show Me the Data!

Not even two weeks ago, more than two hundred thousand people descended on the National Mall to demand comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). If those numbers didn't wow you, now a new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) finds widespread support among religious groups (including mainline Protestants, Catholics, and white evangelicals) for comprehensive immigration reform. Dr. Robert P. Jones, the CEO of PRRI, asserts that American voters, by a 2-1 margin, support CIR and that more than 8-in-10 Americans believe strongly that immigration reform legislation should be guided by values of protecting dignity, keeping families together, promoting national security and ensuring fairness to taxpayers.

The findings of the survey are encouraging as voters wait for progress on a CIR bill in the Senate. Just two weeks ago, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) published an op-ed in the Washington Post outlining the four principles of the immigration reform bill they are co-authoring, which include employment verification, increased border security, programs for temporary workers, and a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants. President Obama hailed the op-ed as, "a promising, bipartisan framework" and pledged to work with the Senators to pass a bill this year.

So, where's this bill? Campaign season looms ahead and CIR is a tough issue to take on at any point in the election cycle, so why the dawdling? Apparently, Schumer and Graham want to ensure a firm base of bipartisan support when they introduce the legislation so they've been seeking out second Democrat and Republican lead co-sponsors to introduce the bill with them. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) has agreed to take on this role, but the Republican spot is yet to be filled. Republican Senators currently being courted for this position are Sen. Cornyn (TX), Sen. Hatch (UT), Sen. LeMieux (FL) and Sen. Brown (MA).

Truth be told, there are many other Republican Senators like Sen. Snowe and Sen. Collins in Maine, Sen. Voinovich in Ohio, Sen. Lugar in Indiana, Sen. Murkowski in Alaska and Sen. Gregg in New Hampshire who have expressed support for comprehensive immigration reform. If Schumer and Graham are looking for a second Republican co-sponsor to get the ball rolling, then it's our job as constituents of these Senators to call and write their offices urging their leadership and involvement on this issue.

The PRRI poll indicates that nearly 9-in-10 voters, (86%!) favor a CIR policy that establishes a path to legalization for the undocumented and that a majority of voters (56%) believe our immigration system is completely or mostly broken. Most surprising of all, 47% voters - almost half - say that immigration is very important to them. There are an estimated 12 million people living in the shadows of our society and 4 million individuals loitering in the visa backlogs waiting to reunite here with their loved ones. If the statistics are true, if almost half the population feels this issue is crucial and needs to be addressed, then let's stop resting on our laurels waiting for Congress to move!

In August 1963, an unexpectedly large crowd of 250,000 people attended the civil rights March on Washington -- during which Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech -- to support President Kennedy's Civil Rights Act, which passed the following year. 47 years later, an unanticipated 200,000 people turned out for the March for America in favor of comprehensive immigration reform.

These numbers are significant. The numbers on the Mall and the numbers in the survey indicate that people want change. History shows us that when we raise our voices repeatedly and with fervor, we can elicit movement from our elected officials. Now is the time for us to make noise. We laid the groundwork by doing the research and gathering for the rally. Now it's up to us as individuals to write, email, fax, call and visit our Members of Congress non-stop until we achieve comprehensive immigration reform.

Posted by Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cast Your Vote for Kibbutz Yarok!

Camp Newman, one of the Union for Reform Judaism's 13 summer camps, has created Kibbutz Yarok, an eco-friendly Kibbutz, on its campgrounds. Kibbutz Yarok, located in Santa Rosa, California, now has the opportunity to receive a grant through Hazon - but to win, it needs your votes!

To vote, visit Hazon's California Ride Grants Voting page and scroll down to the "Camp Newman-Swig, Kibbutz Yarok" box to vote. As of this morning, Kibbutz Yarok is ranked in first place! Voting closes at the end of the day tomorrow, when the top 10 organizations with the most votes will be eligible to receive grants from the Hazon California Ride.

At Kibbutz Yarok, more than 2,000 Jewish campers yearly learn to connect Judaism and Jewish values to their environment by working in an organic garden, where they're taught sustainable practices like composting, water conservation, and farming techniques. Campers also grow their own herbs and vegetables mentioned in the Torah and learn to care for food-producing animals; the food and vegetables culled on Kibbutz Yarok are then served to the entire camp. Campers also engineer and construct energy-efficient mud huts, made entirely of recycled materials or materials of the earth.

Grants this year - including funds from Hazon, if Camp Newman wins - will allow Kibbutz Yarok to make use of a small lake, teaching campers first-hand about solar energy and lighting, as well as to enhance and enlarge the organic garden and complete construction of a prayer site overlooking the lake. Voting is easy and will help ensure that Jewish campers learn the importance of l'avod v l'shomreh, "to till and to tend" the land (Genesis 2:15).

Be sure to check out the other projects up for grants, too, because Kibbutz Yarok is in good company. Among the other nominees are:

Kibbutz Lotan, the model for Kibbutz Yarok. Kibbutz Lotan's Green Apprenticeship Scholarship Fund in Israel trains young professionals in environmental and sustainable practices and community-building.

Peninsula Temple Beth El's Temple Community Garden. This Reform synagogue in San Mateo, California, hopes to raise environmental awareness by building a community garden and compost area that brings the congregation's different groups together to share in the responsibility of tending to it.
Uri L'Tzedek's Tav HaYosher, or Ethical Seal. This free service offered to kosher restaurants and the kosher community ensures workers' rights to adequate pay and a safe working environment.

Photo credit: jweekly.com

Posted by Religious Action Center at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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April 30, 2010