Author: Religious Action Center

In a strong essay in the Forward
this week, Union for Reform Judaism President
Rabbi Eric Yoffie
says that “the time has come for the centrist and liberal elements of the
American Jewish community to get serious about mobilizing support against a
nuclear Iran.”




He argues that:

Their failure to do so until now
is somewhat of a puzzle. It may be that they have simply not recognized the
absolute urgency of the situation. It may also be that they are not championing
this issue because others see it as a parochial one, and American Jews do not
like to be perceived as self-serving. Yet it would be a terrible mistake to
fall into this trap.

As the Jewish community heads into the holiday of Shavuot, the
House and Senate are expected to vote this week on the American Jobs, Closing Tax
Loopholes, and Preventing Outsourcing Act, a job creation bill that
will likely include $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund
(NHTF) and an extension of unemployment benefits through the end of
2010. The inclusion of these measures is crucial to the economic
security of millions of unemployed workers and low-income families.




Take action now! Urge your Members of Congress to ensure that the American Jobs, Closing
Tax Loopholes, and Preventing Outsourcing Act (HR4213) includes funding
for the National Housing Trust Fund and an extension of unemployment
benefits through the end of 2010. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at
202.224.3121 or send a quick email by clicking on the links below:

• National Housing Trust Fund
• Unemployment benefits

Thanks for your support – and don’t forget to spread the word to friends and family who care about issues of economic justice.

“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 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.”

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.

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,…

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

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.

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.

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.

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?

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

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:

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.

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
  [email protected].

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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.