Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action - www.jewishalliance.org
New Address: 18 Tremont Street, Suite 320, Boston, 02108 - tel: 617-227-3000 fax: 1-662-796-6625
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action - www.jewishalliance.org
New
Address: 18 Tremont Street, Suite 320, Boston, 02108 - tel: 617-227-3000 fax:
1-662-796-6625
Week of November 6, 2002
Preface - A Note from Alliance Director Sheila Decter
1. This Week’s Jewish Alliance Events
2. Upcoming Jewish Alliance Events
3. Legislative and Action Alerts
4. Other Events of Interest
5. Our “Wish List” and Volunteer Opportunities
6. Support the Jewish Alliance!
Preface - A Note from Alliance Director Sheila Decter
Dear Friends and Colleagues :
With the elections over, attention will move to the legislature. Progressives will have hands full keeping the needs of our weakest and poorest citizens high in the minds of our political leaders as budgets continue to be crunched. Please watch these emails for action alerts.
On the national front, vigilance will have to remain high to protect civil liberties during a period of high presidential popularity coupled with administrative disdain for constitutionally protected civil liberties. You can begin your efforts on this front with an appearance at tonight's Boston City Council hearing.
Members have just a few days to submit written testimony to the Commonwealth Board of Education against the proposed two-tiered certificates for those students who do not pass the MCAS test. JALSA believes the graduation MCAS requirement is discriminatory and unfairly punishes students. See our legislative action section.
Sheila Decter
1. THIS WEEK'S JEWISH ALLIANCE AND COALITION EVENTS
Citizens for Public Schools
Thursday, November 7, 12:00 pm
18 Tremont Street, Boston
Room 320
Agenda: Focus on Charter Schools
Guests: Rep. Tom O'Brien, Kingston; Rep. Deb Blumer, Framingham Rick Porteus, former Pres. of Sturgis Charter School
Weekly Meeting on Law and Social Action
Friday, November 8 12:30pm
18 Tremont Street, Suite 320, Boston
These Friday meetings continue a tradition that is decades old. While lawyers particularly have been drawn to our Commission on Law and Social Action, these meetings are open to all who are concerned about public policy. Some of our best chairs have been non-lawyers, so please come any Friday if you care about public policy.Continuing issues on the agenda:
- Amicus brief on Massachusetts constitutional anti-aid provision
- ballistics database and taggant markers for explosives
- legislature to require sweatshop disclosure
- federal Judicial Nominations - opposition to candidates with records against civil rights laws.
- Maintenance of an independent judiciary in Massachusetts
Volunteers currently needed:
Need attorney willing to do a legal memo for a disabled descendent of Holocaust survivors for a German government agency
2. UPCOMING JEWISH ALLIANCE EVENTS
JALSA’s First “Brown Bag Conversation” Join JALSA for a monthly lunch meeting at which we’ll have an interesting speaker and discussion of cutting edge public policy topics. You bring the lunch, and we’ll provide the scintillating conversation.
Tuesday, November 12
A Conversation with Felix Arroyo: A Vision for the City of Boston
Hill and Barlow, One International Place, 20th Floor
RSVP’s a Must!
Felix Arroyo will very shortly become Boston’s first Latino City Councilor. For over 25 years, he has served in many government and non-profit organizations, working to promote world-class public education for every child regardless of social class, language, disability, race, gender, sexual-orientation, or place of residency. He has served as President of the Boston School Committee, and also as Chairman of its Arts Policy Committee. Arroyo currently is Director of Advocacy at HOPE (the Hispanic Office of Planning and Evaluation) and is a member of the boards of several organizations promoting peace on a local and global level.
Due to security concerns, you need to be on the
attendance list in advance. Please RSVP so that we can supply the firm a
list on Friday, November 8. E-mail
us at cindy@roweresources.com.
Feel free to put your name on the list Friday, the 8th even if you will not be
certain of your attendance until Tuesday, the 12th.
Alliance
for High Standards not High Stakes
JALSA Board
In this first year of JALSA, all our founders are members of
the "board." Meetings are open to all. This meeting will provide an
analysis of post-election legislative issues by some of our JALSA members who
are also 'regulars" on Beacon Hill. Weekly Working Meetings on Law and Social Action
Boston Jewish
Women's Studies
Coalition
Joint meeting of Massachusetts Coalition
for Equitable Education (MCEE) and
State Racial Imbalance Advisory
Council
JALSA Young Social Activists
JALSA - First Annual Membership Meeting
JALSA
Elections
Wednesday,
November 13, 10:30am-12:30pm
18
Tremont Street, Boston Room 320
A
post-election Analysis
Guests:
Julie Johnson, MTA; Norma Shapiro, ACLU
Thursday,
November 14, 12:30
18
Tremont Street, Boston Room 320
Fridays, November 8,15,22 12:30 pm
18 Tremont Street, Suite 320, Boston
Priority agendas listed in the weekly notice
Thursday, November 21, 9:30
am
Hebrew College, Newton|
Resource
and Program discussion
Presenter: Sara Zacharia,
Faculty Member, New Jewish High School
Meeting the
needs of Jewish teenage girls
Thursday, November 21 12:00 pm
18 Tremont Street, Boston
Agenda: Goals and Objectives for Racial and Social Justice Issues in
Schools
First
Sundays Event
Sunday, December 8, 5 - 7 pm
Temple
Ohabei
Shalom, 1187 Beacon Street, Brookline
Guest
speaker: Political Consultant Michael Goldman
Post-election
Analysis. "What happened in the elections and why should we care"
Further
information and schedule:
http://jewishalliance.org/info/0000002d.htm
RSVP to jalsa@RoweResources.com
or 617-742-1836
Save the Date! Sunday, January 26, brunch
Holiday Inn, Brookline
Honorary
Event Chair: Lawrence Locke
Special Honorees:
Edward Barshak, Gerald Berlin, Sumner Z. Kaplan
3. LEGISLATIVE and ACTION ALERTS
Take action today on our priority concerns
Constitutional Liberties
Tonight: Testify at the hearings on the impact of the US Patriot Act on Boston area residents to be held by the Boston City Council
Boston City Council Hearing on Civil Liberties
Monday, November 7 - Time: 6-8:30
Dudley Square Library
Docket #0933 - Hearing on a resolution in defense of the United States
Bill of Rights and the United States Constitution
Boston City Councilors Chuck Turner and Charles Yancey will be holding hearings regarding
civil liberties concerns since 9/11 and the passage of the US Patriot Act.
Read the proposed resolution at
http://jewishalliance.org/info/0000002b.htmBoston City Council contact information: http://jewishalliance.org/info/0000001e.htm
Judicial Nominations:These next weeks are going to be very important in opposing some of the most conservative judicial nominations. Write senators on the Judiciary Committee against the nomination of judges who would not uphold constitutional guarantees on separation of church-state or reproductive rights.
see: http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=103
http://www.independentjudiciary.com.
http://jewishalliance.org/info/0000001c.htm on Michael McConnell
Public Education
MCAS High Stakes ·
Write the Board of Education opposing the proposed state-endorsed certificates for those who have not passed the MCAS, but have completed local graduation requirements and some additional state requirements. Comment period ends Friday, November 8. The Alliance for High Standards not High Stakes tells JALSA that this certificate is not a high school diploma. This DOE proposed certificate is different from the decision voted on by several school committees to grant high school diplomas to students who do not pass MCAS, but meet the requirements of the local school board. The Alliance believes that the proposed state certificates creates a two-tiered system, where certificate holders will likely be relegated to the low level job market, are ineligible to enter state four year colleges and universities, or all military branches, or to receive federal financial aid. The proposed certificate is to be voted on at the Board of Education's meeting on Tuesday, November 26. The only time oral comments will be heard is on the day of the final vote by the Board. The Alliance asks you to write the Board, opposing these certificates. see: http://jewishalliance.org/info/00000025.htm
Closing arguments Lynn
Case
Thursday,
December 5 at 2:30
pm
Moakley
Federal Courthouse, South Boston
Responding to a challenge of the school admission guidelines in Lynn and the Massachusetts Racial Imbalance Law. Case being heard by Judge Nancy Gertner. Richard Cole representing the Attorney General of Massachusetts defending the Racial Imbalance Law and the equity guidelines in the Lynn School admission procedures. Be present to show our JALSA support of the Massachusetts Racial Imbalance Law.
Additional Plaintiffs in Federal Lawsuit
Challenging MCAS Graduation Requirement
A suit has been filed in federal court in Springfield by students and
parents. Over the last three years, many parents and students have contacted
us encouraging such a lawsuit. There is the opportunity for additional
plaintiffs to be added to this suit. If you have children in the class of
2003 with special needs or otherwise students who have yet to pass either
the math or language arts exam and are interested in joining the suit,
contact Atty. Maura Kelly at the Center for Law and Education in Boston.
E-mail: mkelly@clewewb.org. Phone:
617-451-0855. The confidentiality of the students is protected. Contact the
JALSA office if you would like the complaint e-mailed to you.
office@jalsa.org
Amicus
Brief in the Boyette Case
Supporters
of public aid to religious schools wish to use the initiative process to change
the state constitution's anti-aid prohibition. The Massachusetts Constitution
specifically limits the use of the initiative process to change this
constitutional provision, but does provide for other ways to amend the state
constitution. You may recall proposed ballot constitutional amendments in 1982
and 1986, both of which failed.. A challenge to the Attorney General's ruling
and state constitutional prohibition on using the initiative process to change
the anti-public aid provision is now in the federal courts. JALSA will submit an
amicus brief supporting the AG in this case and is interested in the
participation of churches and other organizations who would like to sign onto
the brief. If interested, call Sheila Decter at 617-227-3000.
Social and Economic Justice
Extention of Federal Unemployment benefits
The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002 - would extend unemployment benefits for an additional 13 weeks, and the possibility of an additional 7 weeks in specific circumstances.
See:: http://jewishalliance.org/info/00000019.htm
To find the phone number of your US representative, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. The White House can be reached at (202) 456-1414.
The Religious Action Center of the Reform Movement provides an online legislative directory at: http://capwiz.com/rac/dbq/officials/directory/directory.dbq?command=congdir. You can look up representatives at that address by name or committee. In addition, the RAC's provides an online Chai IMPACT Legislative Action Center to send a direct e-mail message to congressional representatives: http://capwiz.com/rac/home/
Health Care
Massachusetts Health Care Programs are in serious jeopardy due to budget cuts and proposed additional cuts. The FY03 budget has eliminated MassHealth Basic, the state Medicaid program that provides health coverage for long-term unemployed adults. This cut is scheduled for April 1, 2003 and would result in 50,000 people losing their health coverage. See the MassHealth Defense website for up-to-date information about what you can do to protect health care access for all Massachusetts citizens.
See: http://www.hcfama.org/hcfa_contents.php3?fldID=148
Federal support of State Health Care Concerns
Write your congressional representatives asking for temporary additional funds so that 40,000 persons will not lose health care in April when their Massachusetts funding will be eliminated. See: http://jewishalliance.org/info/00000018.htm
Sweatshops
Work
for organizational endorsement of JALSA's sweatshop disclosure bill. Volunteer
for this committee to help obtain legislative support, labor union endorsement,
and organizational endorsement. Contact Shirley Partoll at
partoll@earthlink.net
or Jonathan Fine at honorallpersons@yahoo.com to offer to help. Talk to
people who were sympathetic to the Justice for Janitor's Campaign and bring them
to this issue.. The elimination of sweatshops reflects the same concerns for
working people.
Working
conditions:
Informational
picket: Friday, November 8 Jewish Labor Committee has alerted us to
efforts by Star of David and other Kindred Care Nursing Home Workers asking for
support. 12 Noon-1:30 pm. See:
http://jewishalliance.org/info/0000002e.htm
Gender
Equity in Education
ACLU
has asked that we support gender equity in Education, Protect Title
IX.
Oppose
any changes to Title IX .
See:
aclu.org/womensrights/womensrights.cfm?ID+11109&c+172
Federal
voting records
For
future reference on federal issues, the following website service may be of
interest. The ACLU maintains a scorecard showing the voting record on
items on their agenda. You may turn to the site to see the voting record
of your congressional representatives on over a dozen interesting issues.http://scorecard.aclu.org -- provides you with a quick summary of important
civil liberties measures and how your elected officials have voted.
State
Human Service Cuts
Concern over
Cuts in Human Services in Massachusetts
Budget - The Massachusetts Human Services Coalition has asked that we
write the Governor urging no further cuts in human services. Major cuts
have already been made in programs that support seniors, at-risk children,
low-income families, persons with disabilities, frail elders, recent
immigrants. more at http://jewishalliance.org/info/0000001d.htm
4. EVENTS OF NOTE:
Dialogue
on Racism in Boston
Community
Change, Inc.
Thursday,
November 7, 6:00 pm
African
Meeting House, 46 Joy Street, Boston
Discussion
with Doug Most, senior editor at Boston magazine, discussing his article in this
month's Boston Magazine
"Is
Boston Racist?"
RSVP
617-523-0555 or pmarcus@communitychangeinc.org
Social Justice -
Jewish Community Relations Council
The
Tzedek Institute for Synagogues
"Jewish
Social Justice in a Changed World"
Sunday,
November 24 11:30-6:00
Bentley
College, Waltham
Meetings
open to all interested in social justice
Get
registration brochure listing large number of interesting panels
Call
Leah Krauss at 617-457-8640 or send an email to
lkrauss@jcrcboston.org
See:http://www.jcrcboston.org/tzedekinstitute/index.htm
Moving
toward Justice, moving toward Peace, for the love of Israel
Opening
of a Boston Chapter, Brit Tzedek v'Shalom
Jewish
Alliance for Peace and Justice
Sunday,
Nov. 24 2 pm
Temple
Beth Zion, Community Room, 1566 Beacon Street , Brookline
Marcia
Freedman, President of Brit Tzedek v'Shalom American-born
(and currently resident), former member of the Israeli Knesset, and one
of the founders/leaders of the Israeli feminist
movement.
Followed
by Yiddish
Music of Peace, Justice and Hope with members of
A
Besere Velt (A Better World):
Yiddish
Community Chorus of the The Workmen's Circle.
(Brit
Tzedek v"Shalom, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, is a national
organization of American Jews deeply committed to Israel's well-being through
the achievement of a negotiated settlement to the long-standing
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.)
Write
Diane Baler for further information:
diBalser@aol.com
First Annual Faith and Freedom Awards Banquet
Religious Coalition for
Reproductive Choice of MA
November 16 6:30 pm
Holiday Inn
Newton
Dr. Mary E.
Hunt, speaker
Dr.
Hunt is the co-founder and co-director of the
Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER) in Silver Spring,
Maryland. A feminist theologian, Dr. Hunt is a Roman Catholic active in the women-church
movement. She
lectures and writes on theology and ethics with particular attention to
liberation issues. Register by November 11. Contact info@rcrcofma.org
for more information or go to the website to register. See:
www.rcrcofma.org
Recommended Reading:
Remarks from a press conference of the National Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice outlining "back-door attempts by the Bush Administration to radically alter policies and practices concerning abortion, family planning, and sexuality education to conform to extreme views." See useful summary of recent administration efforts: http://www.rcrc.org/newsroom/Pr2002/Religious%20Leaders%20Decry%20Extreme%20Ideology.htm
Remarks
by Leonard Fein on the death of Paul Wellstone and ways to respect
his memory beyond spoken eulogies.
http://www.forward.com/issues/2002/02.11.01/oped5.html
Pie
in the Sky for Community Servings
Boston's
Home-delivered Hot Meals Program for Persons with AIDS
Purchase
of pies for Thanksgiving provides food for clients.
see:http://jewishalliance.org/info/0000002f.htm
or www.pieinthesky.org.
"The
War Against Terrorism: Who's Winning?"
The
American Jewish Committee New England Region and the
Center for International Relations Boston University
Tuesday,
November 12, 2002, 4:00 PM
Hariri
Building, 4th Floor,
"Ruthie
and Connie: Every Room in the House"
Wednesday,
November 13, 2002, 7:30 PM
Coolidge
Corner Theater, Harvard Street, Brookline
The
Boston Jewish Film Festival presents this heartwarming documentary of the love
story and activism of two Jewish women in Brooklyn, Ruthie and Connie, who meet
later in life and fall in love. Followed by discussion with filmmakers Ruthie
and Connie at Temple Sinai, 50 Sewall Ave, Coolidge Corner, Broookline.
Post-film event sponsored by Keshet, Am Tikva, and the CJP GLBT Team. To
purchase film tickets at the reduced group rate of $7, email kellyr@cjp.org
Seeking
out Alternative Energy Sources
Jewish
InterAction
Wednesday,
November 13, 2002, 7-8:30 pm
Religious
Perspectives on Women
Thursday,
November 21, 2002, 7-9 pm
Northeastern
University Hillel, 70 St. Stephen St., Boston
JI: Religious Perspectives on Women in Judaism and Catholicism presented by the Catholic-Jewish Young Adult Council.
How are women perceived through the eyes of their religion? What do the Jewish and Catholic traditions and texts say about women? What roles do women play in these two faith traditions? Find out the answers to these questions and much more at a discussion with Rabbi Michelle Robinson and Sister Marie LaBollita.
Opportunity to work on Voter education and Participation
Boston Branch NAACP is in the process of conducing a special 5 year voter education, voter participation project targeting the voting age population of Boston's Ward 12. Special voter education project involves humanizing the political process, street by street and block by block on a day to day basis. This education project extends beyond the mechanics of voting. Voter education, voter participation will be as important as voter registration. Anyone wanting to get involved with this 5 year effort, please call Roscoe Morris at 617-427-9494; The NAACP Boston Branch Office is located in Roxbury's Washington Park Mall.
Current
shakeup in Israeli politics that have brought about the collapse of Israel's
national unity government
David
Horovitz, editor and publisher of the Jerusalem Report
Brown
Bag Luncheon
Friday,
November 8 12:00 noon
JCRC
and CJP, 126 High Street, Boston
For
more information, write sgoldberg@jcrcboston.
Community
Needs:
Franklin
Highlands Tenants Association (ROXBURY)
The
Tenants Association is accepting clothing, food and other donations for the
40 residents displaced by horrible fire on Humboldt, Homestead and Ruthven
Ave. For details call (617) 427-5339.
Annual
Boston Living Center Hanukah Party
Boston
Living Center
29
Stanhope Street
December
4 6-8 pm
Jewish
Task Force on AIDS. Sponsored
with JCC's Teens for Tzedek. For
further information call Rabbi Karen Landy, klandy@jfscbosto.org
Special notes on holiday concerts::
Dedham
Choral Society
Our
devoted JALSA members Mary Ann and Dan Hardenbergh participate.
Music
by Mendelssohn and Mozart.
Holiday
Concert, Friday, December 6th, 8 pm
Copley
Theatre, 225 Clarendon Street, Boston (between Boylston and Newbury Streets
Sunday,
December 8th, 3:00 pm
St.
Mary's Church, 411 High Street, Dedham
The
Hardenberghs have tickets to sell: hardenbos@aol.com
Zamir
Chanukah Concert
Sun, Dec 8, 2002, 3:00 pm:
Temple Sinai, Sharon, MA.
Gala
Concert Honoring 15th
Anniversary of Cantor Charles Osborne
Tue, Dec 24, 2002, 7:30 pm:
Temple Emanuel, Newton, MA.
http://www.zamir.org/
5. OUR WISH LIST:
Volunteers Needed: Help is needed in the office as we continue getting "moved in." Filing, answering the phone, ordering supplies, etc. Let us know if you can help any morning or afternoon on a regular basis. Contact: decter@jewishalliance.org
New Office: We are indebted to many people for offers of furniture and equipment. Remaining needs: A small refrigerator, and five or six secretarial chairs. Some of the computers have very small video displays. If you are upgrading to one of the flat screens, perhaps you would like to donate your current video monitor to JALSA
Can you help us by supplying any of these? Contact decter@jewishalliance.org
6. SUPPORT THE JEWISH ALLIANCE
The Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action is a new organization dedicated to being a strong, progressive, inter-generational voice, inspired by Jewish teachings and values, for social justice, civil rights, and civil liberties. Join us!
Visit www.jewishalliance.org and fill out the online donation form today!
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