Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action - www.jewishalliance.org
18 Tremont Street, Suite 320, Boston, 02108 - tel: 617-227-3000  fax: 617-227-3453

Week of December 3, 2003    8 Kislev 5764       

Members are urged to note tonight's meeting of the Boston School Committee and concerns that reprogramming and redistricting decisions are being made without sufficient time for community input. See Legislative Action section below.

1.UPCOMING JEWISH ALLIANCE AND COALITION EVENTS

Committee on Law and Social Action
Thursday, December 4 12:30 pm
Thursday, December 11 12:30 pm
JALSA Office, 18 Tremont Street, Suite 320, Boston
Continuing work on legislative agenda and preparation of amici briefs and efforts to change the US Patriot Act.
Thanks to Joel Suttenberg for preparation of an amicus brief on issue of employer retaliation following employee charge of sexual harassment. Volunteer needed for a new proposed employment civil rights amicus brief.
Upcoming public meetings to educate public on problems of US Patriot Act:
Monday, December 8   7:00 pm    Sheila Decter and Michael Avery
            Mason-Rice School, Newton
Friday, January 23   7:15 pm   Allan Roth and Sheila Decter
            Temple Ohabei Shalom, Brookline

JALSA Website Committee
Friday, December 5 12:30 pm
JALSA Office, 18 Tremont Street, Suite 320, Boston

Young Social Activists
Sunday, December 7 5-7 pm
Temple Israel, 477 Longwood Avenue, Boston (border of Brookline)
A Place to Call Home:
Meeting the Challenge of Housing People in Massachusetts
Presenter: Chris Norris, Assistant Director, Citizens' Housing and Planning Association
Finding housing for people at almost every income level is extremely difficult in Massachusetts. Currently, over 600 families are living in hotels or motels throughout the Commonwealth. Many of these families include a person who is working, yet cannot earn enough income to find housing in our state. Housing costs are also one of the top reasons that young people are leaving Massachusetts instead of staying here and contributing to our state's economy. Despite this crisis in housing, support at both the state and federal level has been slashed in recent budgets. Come hear Chris Norris talk about what is being done to encourage the production of more housing, and how you can get involved. Light dairy or veggie entrée. Contributions accepted
Please RSVP by Wednesday, December 3 to 617-742-1836 or Cindy@jalsa.org. 

JALSA Board of Directors
Wednesday, December 10 12:30 pm
JALSA office, 18 Tremont Street, Suite 320, Boston

Anti-Death Penalty Vigil
Wednesday, December 10 11:15 am.
Steps of Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 138 Tremont Street, Boston
Join us prior to JALSA Board Meeting

Alliance for High Standards Not High Stakes
Wednesday, December 17 11 am - 1 pm
JALSA Office, 18 Tremont Street, suite 320, Boston
The Alliance is pleased at the successful completion of their efforts to get a fairer
Appeals process in place for special education students who do not pass the MCAS, but who meet other requirements for graduation. See: http://jewishalliance.org/info/00000062.htm. 

2  LEGISLATIVE AND ACTION ALERTS

Boston School Assignment issues
In this very busy holiday month, the Boston School Superintendent, Thomas Payzant, has sent to the Boston School Committee a very broad number of recommendations for the reuse and reprogramming of several school facilities. A significant number of schools would be affected by the changes. School populations would be moved. Different configurations of elementary and secondary students would apply. Various populations of "difficult" students would be moved to separate locations. All of these suggestions were "dropped" on parents and teachers with very little time to hear what was planned or to respond. And these changes are being suggested against the announced expectation that the Superintendent will have a new proposal for "redistricing," "walk zones" and "neighborhood schools" in February.

Historically, Boston's school department decisions have often been made in the context of city politics and who is exerting the most political power. The majority of the school populations are racial minority and immigrant children whose parents have not traditionally been able to have their voices heard effectively. The very short lead-time for discussion of the current proposals is not atypical. Notwithstanding the clear evidence that parent involvement is key to the success of all schools -- particularly schools in high poverty contexts -- this disregard for all parent input is of concern to MCEE and to JALSA. In the past year, specific schools with high community marks for reducing the achievement gap and improving parental input have been closed in order to meet needs from more politically powerful parts of the city. Parents fear similar treatment here. This failure to allow time for parent input is especially important in the context of a school committee "appointed" by the mayor rather than an "elected" school committee. Support from allied persons and organizations is important in helping to insist on full parental input and consideration.

Important Meetings on Boston School Issues

Boston School Committee Meeting
Boston School Committee, 26 Court Street, Boston
Tonight, Wednesday, December 3
Pre-meeting gathering: 5:30 pm
School Committee meeting: 6:30 pm
Consideration of plan to establish a Prep Academy for troubled/unsuccessful students.

Citywide Parents Council Annual Meeting
Thursday, December 4 6:30 pm
CPC offices, 21 Deckard St. (the rear entrance to Latin Academy)
Parents from all BPS schools are most welcome.
Food and child care will be provided. If possible, RSVP (617)-635-6612.

Planning Meeting to respond to Superintendent's recommendations
Monday December 8 at 5:30 pm
Roxbury Children's Services Center 2406 Washington Street, Roxbury, first floor conference room
Parents and community members are continuing the work needed around the issues
that have been temporarily tabled from the Superintendent's proposals and development
of a strategy to demand high quality schools for all students in all communities of the City.

                       ______________________

Emergency Contraception
The Food and Drug Administration is considering a proposal to make Emergency Contraception available as over-the-counter medicine rather than as prescription medication. The medicine -- which prevents pregnancy by inhibiting ovulation, fertilization, or implementation before a pregnancy occurs -- has demonstrated good results since being introduced as a prescription drug. Ultimately, the easy availability of this drug would reduce the number of abortions needed. This application comes at a time when we face an extremely hostile and anti-choice Administration.
See http://prochoiceaction.org/campaign/ec_fda?rk=spzInsF1FBzUW.  for information on the issue and an automated form for sending a quick comment.
If you prefer to write directly, address your comments to:
Dockets Management Branch, Food and Drug Administration via email at fdadockets@oc.fda.gov. 

On Single Payer Health Insurance
Joint Committee on Health Care should be called and urged to
make a positive recommendation on the Massachusetts Health Care Trust, S.686
and to send it to the Ways and Means Committee to have the funding developed and
evaluated. There is widespread agreement that the health care system is in crisis and we need systemic reform. All legislators will get a chance to vote on the legislation when it comes to the floor.

Members of the Joint Health Care Committee:
Moore of Worcester and Norfolk
Barrios of Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex
Chandler of First Worcester
Fargo of Third Middlesex
Tucker of Second Essex and Middlesex
Tarr of First Essex and Middlesex
Koutoujian of Waltham
Canavan of Brockton
Galvin of Canton
Garry of Dracut
T. A. Golden of Lowell
Kaprielian of Watertown
Teahan of Whitman
Haddad of Somerset
Coughlin of Dedham
Gomes of Harwich
Gifford of Wareham

4. OUR WISH LIST:

We look forward to seeing everyone at our annual meeting, Sunday, December 14.

Reply form for our JALSA Annual Meeting: (click on "reply" on your email and you will be able to fill in this form. After completing the form, click "send."

Reply Form for JALSA Annual Meeting - Honoring Ellen Feingold

____Yes, I want to join JALSA at the Annual meeting.

____I would like to be a sponsor of this event.
(All sponsors will be acknowledged in the event program book.)

Sponsorships: 

___$10,000 Platinum Table ___$5,000 Gold Table
(Platinum and Gold table sponsors will receive 10 tickets to the event and reserved tables)
___$  2,500 Silver Level     ___ $1,000 Bronze Level
(Silver and Bronze sponsors will receive 4 tickets to the event)
___$     500 Supporter       ___ $   250 Friend
(Supporters and Friends will receive 2 tickets to the event)

___I would like ___ tickets to the Annual Meeting @ $50.00 each.

___I cannot attend the event, but I am sending a contribution to JALSA of $_____

Name __________________________________________

E-Mail _______________________Telephone_____________________

Address: ________________________________ City, State, Zip __________________

Checks may be sent to JALSA, Suite 320, 18 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02108 or pay at the JALSA website www.jewishalliance.org.  with a credit card. Click at "Support JALSA" and fill-in the amount from the above list that you would like to donate.

Other wishes:

JALSA could use a PC laptop computer .  If you upgrade, please think of donating your earlier model to us.

5. OTHER EVENTS OF NOTE

Children's Protest Against Sweatshops
Sponsored by the Workmen's Circle
Sunday, December 7 1 to 2 pm
Niketown, 200 Newbury Street, Boston
Featured Speaker: City Councillor Felix Arroyo
FACT: Nike spends $2.9 million a day on advertising, but claims they cannot
afford to spend more than 5 cents for every $18 t-shirt its workers in Honduras sew.
Protest against sweatshop labor will be led by Workman Circle 5th graders.
For more information, call (617) 497-5207. Additional information on
Sweatshop labor available at http://www.BehindtheLabel.org. 

Urban League 86th Annual Meeting
Friday, December 5 5:30 pm reception
World Trade Center's Waterfront Ballroom.
JALSA members are invited to be guests
A short business meeting will be followed by featured speaker, Professor Renee Landers, President of the Boston Bar Association,
food & entertainment. No charge to attend but an RSVP is requested,
to Lucy Shorter at lshorter@ulem.org.  or 617-442-4519, ext. 215.

City-Wide Dialogues on Boston's Ethnic and Racial Diversity.
Residents of Boston are encouraged to participate in the dialogues.
JALSA board vice-president Jeff Stone is co-chair of the initiative whose kickoff event drew over 300 people to Faneuil Hall on November 12. Between now and June 2004, over 1,000 Bostonians are expected to take part. Each neighborhood will hold its own 4-session Dialogue with 15-20 ethnically and racially diverse participants and two group facilitators. The project will engage every Boston neighborhood on a topic of importance to all who live in, work in or visit Boston. For information or to register, go to www.BostonDialogues.org.  or call 617-442-4519, ext. 226.

Important reading:
See Common Dreams site for an article "Hack the Vote" by Paul Krugman on the Diebold voting machines. http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1202-02.htm. 
Originally published on Tuesday, December 2 by the New York Times.

Concern on World AIDS Day for the increasing number of world-wide AIDS infections
and the differences or lag between stated Bush action plan to help Africa and the
failure to deliver new funds. See: http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/policyupdate.html. 

Essay by Bill Moyers on the Media and Democracy.
Published on Tuesday, November 25 by  www.CommonDreams.org. 
See: http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1125-15.htm. 

Holiday Baskets for Community Servings
Each client of Community Servings - Boston's home-delivered hot meals program for persons with AIDS - which our JALSA leadership initiated in the late 80s - receives a
Holiday basket filled with food staples and presents. There are still some 50 clients who do not yet have holiday basket providers. Some are individuals; others are families.
If you would like to volunteer to shop and provide the "wishes" for a client, please call
Meg Maloney at 617-445-7777 or write her at mmaloney@servings.org. The baskets need to be delivered to Community Servings between December 13 and 16th.

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