Fresh Updates from RAC

Yesterday, Memorial Day, was a time to reflect on the contributions of our veterans to maintaining the safety of our nation. This fall will mark the 12^th year of the conflict in Afghanistan. In that time, many of our soldiers have returned home and have been confronted with yet another battle: the severe mental disorders that they sustained in battle. As was noted in a report last month from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, “persistence of anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, neck, back, and joint pains, headache, and various ‘ill-defined’ conditions among Afghanistan/Iraq war veterans may be recognized as signature scars of the long war.”

Worse than the “ill-defined” conditions that persist are the self-inflicted injuries and suicides committed by soldiers who return from the front lines. As of February, an average of 22 veterans commit suicide every day. 32% of these veteran-suicides were younger than 50.

As we continue to thank our veterans on Memorial Day and every day, it is important to remember that there is so much more we can do to help people returning from war. People suffering from mental health disorders, not just veterans, face societal stigmas that discourage treatment and open conversations about the challenges they face. Our veterans are facing ghosts of their own and we must help them confront their demons so they do not suffer alone.

Image courtesy of CBS News.

Aside from receiving the Torah, Shavuot is also a grain harvest. In the age of booming urban sprawl, processed foods and industrial sized sodas, it is easy to forget that many of the important philosophies on tzedakah and sustainability are rooted (pun intended) in agricultural rituals. When harvesting a field, we are taught to leave whatever falls to the ground and the corners of our fields for the poor and the stranger (Leviticus 19:9-11). Even in our times of plenty, the fruits of our labor should be shared with those who are less fortunate. This tradition, while perhaps removed from the realities of 21^st century life, should remind us that as we take in the rewards our hard work has produced we should also give to those who are less fortunate. Money may not grow on trees, rendering the “leave the corners” command a little murkier to follow, but we should still make the effort to live by the spirit of our teachings.

Generosity in our harvesting and planting should not end with the sharing of the corners of a field. Every seven years, during the shmita year, we must allow our fields to rest. They are given a year without being used to produce food. Just as we are commanded to take the seventh day to rest, we must also allow our fields to rest and recuperate as well. As we celebrate this Shavuot, let us reflect on what it means to harvest in this era and how we can give back to our communities and our world.

Image courtesy of David Angel.

While sanctuaries are filled with the white robes of Confirmation and the chanting of the story of Ruth, we sometimes forget that Shavuot is also a harvest festival and that Ruth’s story is not just one of choosing Judaism, but one deeply steeped in farming, gleaning and reaping. What better time of year, then, for the Senate and House to mark up the Farm Bill?

The Farm Bill governs America’s food policy for the next five years—from farm subsidies to crop insurance to international food aid to domestic anti-hunger programs. Wait, anti-hunger programs? Why are those included in the Farm Bill? Why is an anti-poverty program included in a huge bill all about farming? If we look at Jewish tradition, however, it makes total sense.

Read more…

As you sit down for your seder this year, prepare for a richer experience. These specialized haggadahs provide insight and awareness for a more meaningful seder. Whether you download an entire haggadah focused on one social justice issue or adding thematic supplements, Pesach is the perfect opportunity to inform our Jewish rituals with social justice concerns.

Visit our holiday guide for even more resources to enhance your Passover!

Read more…

Passover has always been a family time for me. It is a time that my siblings, parents, cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles come together. We tell stories, argue, eat, complain about what we’re eating – in other words, we do all those things that make us a family.  It is fitting then that this Passover could mark a turning point in the future of what it will mean to be a family for millions of America.

Read more…

This post is part of our Passover series, in which we think about the application of our age-old Passover story and traditions to the crucial issues we face today. For ways to infuse your seder with social justice, see our holiday guide.

The Passover story becomes a grand one about liberation and the birth of the Jewish people, but we cannot forget that it begins with questions of justice in the workplace. Moses’ moment of realization comes from witnessing the mistreatment of a worker by a supervisor. That indignity is the spark that mobilizes an entire movement, an entire people. The question remains, what will we do today when we witness the indignities and injustices still faced by millions in the workplace? To be clear, these injustices do not rival that of slavery, but they merit our attention and action.

Read more…

The themes of Passover have broad resonance with many of the most critical social justice causes of the day: reading about Israelite slavery reminds us of those who are not free today, focusing on our food calls our attention to those who are hungry and hearing about forced labor in Egypt brings our attention to contemporary labor issues.

Read more…

This post is part of our Passover series, in which we think about the application of our age-old Passover story and traditions to the crucial issues we face today. For ways to infuse your seder with social justice, see our holiday guide.

When 30,000 Americans die each year due to gun violence, it is time to acknowledge that we are suffering from a modern plague. When schoolchildren are gunned down by single shooter with a high-capacity magazine, we suffer from a modern plague. And, when criminals can buy weapons without having their backgrounds checked, we suffer from a modern plague. As we observe Passover, we retell the story of the exodus not merely to recall our own historical path to freedom, but as a reminder that more work remains to realize and secure such liberty. When we gather with our families next week, and partake in the ritual of the seder, we must pause to reflect on our modern plagues. Read more…