Author: Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Last week, the RAC participated in a letter-a-day campaign to pressure the House of Representatives to take action on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) (H.R. 3017/S. 1584) which would make it illegal to fire, refuse to hire, demote or refuse to promote an individual based on his or her real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. For the past three weeks, a broad based coalition of faith and non-faith organizations has faxed and emailed a letter from one of its organizations to the full House each day, urging support for ENDA.

The Summer 2010 edition of Reform Judaism Magazine includes a feature story titled “The Art of Muslim-Jewish Dialogue.” I recommend this excellent piece to anyone interested in learning more about the experiences of URJ congregations from across North America that have engaged in meaningful, successful dialogue relationships with local mosques and Muslim communities. Toward this aim, many congregations have utilized the “Children of Abraham: Jews and Muslims in Conversation” curriculum, developed by the URJ and our partners at the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) as part of a 2007 Biennial initiative.

The feature includes examples of the ideas, conversations, and most significantly, the questions that have emerged through the various dialogue groups. As poet Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, we must “try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them.”

Last Friday the Obama Administration released another in a series of historic clean energy policies; standing with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and leaders from the labor and environmental communities, the President called on automobile and truck makers to ramp up fuel efficiency standards throughout the next two decades. The announcement not only extends the historic Clean Car program the Administration announced at this time last year, but also sets the first-ever efficiency standards for the trucking sector.



As the Gulf oil spill disaster continues, any step to decrease our reliance on dirty fuels is a step in the right direction. Making our cars and trucks more efficient not only helps our environment by limiting air pollution, but also increases our security by decreasing our need for imported oil. After all, cars and trucks guzzle 20 percent of the oil used in our country and emit a quarter of our national greenhouse gas emissions. We use almost 20 million barrels of oil every day, and improving efficiency is the cheapest and fastest way to change this pattern of overconsumption. The new standards will help clean our air and stabilize our climate, while encouraging new technology and saving us all a few dollars at the gas pump.

In the few short weeks since her nomination to the Supreme Court, Elena Kagan has been transformed from a relatively-obscure political figure into practically a household name. And rightfully so. Supreme Court Justices have more of an impact on American life than most other people serving in our nation’s government, largely because they serve lifetime appointments. And being a Supreme Court Justice an achievement and an honor that only 111 other Americans–only three of them women– have ever obtained.

This week, the U.S., Russia, China, and other major world powers reached an agreement on a new package of sanctions against Iran. Rabbi Saperstein applauded the announcement in a statement, available below. For more information about the Reform Movement’s work on Iran, be sure to check out our special resource page, fill out an action alert, or email me.

One month ago today, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the Louisiana coast, causing 11 tragic deaths (and some incredible stories of survival) and what may be the worst environmental disaster of our time. The news from the Gulf is mixed; oil continues gushing from the ocean floor, but has yet to decimate the Gulf coast as severely as some feared. Scientists remain hopeful that they can staunch the leak, despite the fact that initial figures on the amount of oil pouring daily from the sunken tanker were probably gross underestimates. As engineers and scientists continue to try everything from “top hats” to “junk shots” to stop the oil, you can keep up with updates from the US Climate Action Network and here on the RAC Blog. Or, if you prefer, Jon Stewart offers up this concise summary of cleanup efforts thus far.



There are many ways to help including donating time, energy, and resources to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Gulf Coast region. Jewish Funds for Justice opened their disaster relief fund immediately after the spill began and hopes to be disburse funds to local projects as soon as they are ready to get to work; if you are able, please donate today. You can also look for solidarity events in your community in the coming weeks. We’ll post more opportunities to help here as they arise.

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.

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…

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.

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!
 
 

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 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!

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.

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.

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!

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 [email protected].

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.

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 wife and husband 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 [email protected]! 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!

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.

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.

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.