Immigration Reform Forum sponsored by KPCC

Reforming immigration, transforming California?
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
6:30 p.m.
The Crawford Family Forum with KPCC's Larry Mantle from Airtalk
474 S Raymond Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91105

As soon as healthcare overhaul was signed into law, Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) proposed a legislative outline for immigration reform. It’s poised to be the next big battle in Washington. On April 14th in the Crawford Family Forum Larry Mantle and a panel of guests will debate the proposal and discuss how it might affect immigrants in our region. Join Larry Mantle and guests for this in-depth discussion Wednesday evening, April 14th, at 6:30.

Stephen S. Wise Temple has no affiliation with this event, this is provided for information purposes only.
RSVPs are required.-- Click here.

Immigration Reform and Jewish Values: A Sermon in Three Parts

Continuing our conversation about Immigration Reform, Rabbi Stern integrated Jewish perspectives on immigration into a Kabbalat Shabbat service.  See the videos here:

Part 1 click here.
  

Part 2 click here.

The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

The Reform Movement is the only Jewish religious movement to have a full time lobbying center in Washington, D.C. for social justice.  This represents the founding principle of Reform Judiasm that affirms a commitment to social justice.  Though the positions that are taken by the RAC (Religious Action Center) are sometimes controversial, more often than not, the RAC is at the front of vital social change and leads the way for policy the ultimately follows. 

Visit the RAC page on Immigration Reform by clicking here.

Paul Koretz Responds Favorably to LA Voice Endorsed Resolution (and to Rabbi Stern's call)

Following is a press release from Paul Koretz's office.  LA Voice received word of Richard Alarcon's intention to bring the resolution discussed below up at city council.  Word went out to the LA Voice clergy base to encourage our city council representatives to support the resolution.  After reviewing the details of the resolution, Rabbi Stern called Paul Koretz's office to encourage his support.  Happily, Council Member Koretz supported the resolution and it passed.  Rabbi Stern is grateful to the staff of Mr. Koretz's office as well as Mr. Koretz himself for the follow-up phone calls affirming support.  Paul Koretz will remain an important resource, advocate and partner for the continuing Social Justice work at our synagogue, his responsiveness to the Investment/Divestment Resolution below reflects the strength of our community's relationship with his office. 

Press Release                                                  Contact:  Paul Michael Neuman

March 5, 2010                                                     (213) 473-7005

Koretz speaks out strongly in favor of “Responsible Lending” motion

Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz today voted in favor of Richard Alarcon’s motion to promote socially responsible, community-friendly banking practices.

Councilmember Koretz said, “This a tremendous effort that can help protect people and neighborhoods.  We need banking in our society, but we need banks that are responsive to community needs and fair and just in how they treat their customers.  It will be greatly beneficial to have our city encourage responsible banking practices, including by favoring banks that invest back in the communities of Los Angeles.”

The motion by Alarcon will lead to the creation of a “report card” to evaluate the track record of banks that want to do business with the City. The report will include date on such things as the number of small business loans, evidence of working with homeowners facing disclosure, the numbers and locations of branches and ATMs, and the use of federal TARP funds.

Councilmember Koretz added, “I’m especially pleased that the City will now be able to use its authority and influence to guide banks towards helping people keep their homes – the last thing we should want is to have more people, who are already desperately struggling to stay afloat, lose their homes to foreclosure.  We want banks that truly help families, small businesses and neighborhoods.  In these tough economic times – which were caused, in large part, by irresponsible and predatory banking practices – we need banks to do their fair share serving the communities and helping the people of this City.  Today our City Council took an important step for that very cause.”

LA Times: Obama looking to give new life to immigration reform

In an effort to advance a bill through Congress before midterm elections, the president meets with two senators who have spent months trying to craft legislation.
By Peter Nicholas

March 4, 2010 | 6:18 p.m.

Reporting from Washington - Despite steep odds, the White House has discussed prospects for reviving a major overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, a commitment that President Obama has postponed once already.

Obama took up the issue privately with his staff Monday in a bid to advance a bill through Congress before lawmakers become too distracted by approaching midterm elections.

In the session, Obama and members of his Domestic Policy Council outlined ways to resuscitate the effort in a White House meeting with two senators -- Democrat Charles E. Schumer of New York and Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina -- who have spent months trying to craft a bill.

According to a person familiar with the meeting, the White House may ask Schumer and Graham to at least produce a blueprint that could be turned into legislative language.

The basis of a bill would include a path toward citizenship for the 10.8 million people living in the U.S. illegally. Citizenship would not be granted lightly, the White House said. Undocumented workers would need to register, pay taxes and pay a penalty for violating the law. Failure to comply might result in deportation.

Nick Shapiro, a White House spokesman, said the president's support for an immigration bill, which would also include improved border security, was "unwavering."

Participants in the White House gathering also pointed to an immigration rally set for March 21 in Washington as a way to spotlight the issue and build needed momentum.

Though proponents of an immigration overhaul were pleased that the White House wasn't abandoning the effort, they also wanted Obama to take on a more assertive role, rather than leave it to Congress to work out a compromise.

Immigration is a delicate issue for the White House. After promising to revamp in his first year of office what many see as a fractured system, Obama risks angering a growing, politically potent Latino constituency if he defers the goal until 2011.

But with the healthcare debate still unresolved, Democrats are wary of plunging into another polarizing issue.

"Right now we have a little problem with the 'Chicken Little' mentality: The sky is falling and consequently we can't do anything," Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said in an interview.

Republicans are unlikely to cooperate. On Capitol Hill, Republicans said that partisan tensions had only gotten worse since Obama signaled this week that he would push forward with a healthcare bill, whether he could get GOP votes or not.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said in an interview, "The things you hear from the administration won't be well received."

Schumer, speaking as he walked quickly through the Capitol, said he was having trouble rounding up Republican supporters apart from Graham. "It's tough finding someone, but we're trying," Schumer said.

On Thursday, Schumer met with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who oversees the government's immigration efforts, to strategize over potential Republican co-sponsors.

"We're very hopeful we can get a bill done. We have all the pieces in place. We just need a second Republican," Schumer said in a statement.

Among proponents, there is a consensus that a proposal must move by April or early May to have a realistic chance of passing this year. If that deadline slips, Congress' focus is likely to shift to the November elections, making it impossible to take up major legislation.

"There's no question that this is a heavy lift and the window is narrowing," said Janet Murguia, president and chief executive of the National Council of La Raza, a Latino advocacy group.

When it comes to immigration, Obama's strategy echoes that of healthcare. He has deferred heavily to Congress, leaving it up to Schumer and Graham to reach a breakthrough with the idea that he would put his weight behind the resulting compromise.

peter.nicholas@latimes.com
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times

Editorial in Immigration Reform from the Forward and Ha'aretz

Haaretz
31/01/2010

U.S. Jews and Latinos form unlikely bond over immigration policy
By Nathan Guttman, The Forward


Even as health care reform twists in the wind, immigration policy looms as the next big political debate, and Hispanics and Jews are moving to the forefront in a burgeoning political alliance.

The next three months are seen as critical in the fight for immigration reform, but the weakening of the Democrats, grip on Congress with the recent loss of a key Massachusetts Senate seat does not bode well for the passage of reform legislation.

The Jewish-Latino alliance on immigration issues builds on the heritage and experience of the Jewish community and on the enthusiasm and urgent needs of the Hispanic community, which has a strong interest in issues of family unification and the status of the some 12 million illegal immigrants, most of them from Latin America.

But Jewish activists also see the joint work as an opening for cooperation with the Hispanic community on other issues, such as Israel.

"If we want to engage with the Latino community on issues that are of concern for us, including Israel, we need to engage on issues that bother their community," said Gideon Aronoff, president and CEO of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. "We want to create growing bonds with the Latino community, and we cannot create these bonds if we are indifferent to the issues that are of concern to them."

Alliance: Luis Gutierrez (left) and Charles Schumer are trying to drive reform through Congress. Some advocates view the ethnic backgrounds of the two key lawmakers leading the drive for immigration reform as symbolic of the growing alliance on the issue. In the House, the main immigration reform bill was presented Rep. Luis Gutierrez, an Illinois Democrat, and in the Senate it is expected that New York's Senator Charles Schumer will soon present his version of immigration reform legislation.

The Gutierrez bill has been praised by advocates for immigrants as providing answers to most of the concerns of the Hispanic community, but so far it has failed to gain any Republican support.

Schumer's bill, now in the making, is expected to have more bipartisan appeal, by taking a nuanced approach to the thorny issue of providing a path to legalization for millions of illegal immigrants.

While Democratic-backed health care reform legislation was uniformly opposed by Republicans and now seems to be stuck in Congress, advocates agree that immigration reform stands no chance of passage without bipartisan support.

But immigration advocates believe that the blow suffered by health care reform supporters following the Massachusetts Senate election does not necessarily dictate the same fate for immigration reform. Indeed, said HIAS’s Aronoff, it might even help the cause, due to increased pressure on lawmakers to show progress on key issues. "All Americans have seen the gridlock in Washington and are very frustrated with it” he said. “Now the president and Congress need to show that they can solve problems for Americans."

But with the political clock ticking, supporters of reform fear that major legislation is becoming harder to pass, and so they set the first half of 2010 as a desired deadline for passing legislation. "Every day we get closer to the elections, the harder it becomes," said Richard Foltin, director of national and legislative affairs at the American Jewish Committee, referring to upcoming congressional elections.

Jewish communal support for immigration reform is organized around several principles, including the need for a path to legalization for illegal immigrants; a mechanism for dealing with future immigration waves; speeding up work on family unification; integrating new immigrants into American society; and finding, as Jewish immigration advocates put it, an "effective and humane" way of enforcing immigration laws and border control.

This last point seems to be a growing concern within the Jewish community, said Jane Ramsey, executive director of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs based in Chicago. Ramsey, whose organization has been working closely with Hispanic groups, stressed that while both communities strongly support immigration reform, there is still a need to instill in members of the Jewish community the importance of the issue, which for most Jews carries a symbolic, not personal, importance.

"Our community is one step removed," she said, "and therefore it is very important to make it real for people by interacting with the Latino community."

While the Jewish organizational world is essentially united on this issue, some have argued that the Jewish rank-and-file is not on entirely the same page as communal leaders.

The supposed divide between religious leaders of various stripes and their rank-and-file was the focus of a recent survey, sponsored by the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based group that opposes granting illegal immigrants a path to legalization and instead argues that many will return to their home countries if immigration laws are better enforced. That poll, which was conducted online by Zogby International in December, found that Jews were roughly equally divided between those who prefer a stepped-up enforcement approach and those who prefer granting legal status with a path to citizenship.

Jewish immigration advocates have questioned the survey's methodology, but they agree that there are diverse opinions within the community. Yet the CIS poll also found that Jews were still considerably more likely than members of other religious groups to support granting legal status to illegal immigrants, a finding that immigration advocates say rings true.

The organized Jewish community is more committed than ever to immigration reform. A letter supporting immigration reform, which will be sent out to all Senate offices in early February, was signed by dozens of national Jewish organizations.

Joining forces with the Hispanic community has been a longstanding goal for Jewish groups. But what seems to be a rare chance to reform immigration laws has helped galvanize the relationship.

At a January 10 roundtable in Durham, N.C., Jewish and Latino activists shared their immigration experiences and looked for ways to work together in support of the legislation. "We broke into groups and spoke about the similarity between our grandparents' immigration and their experience nowadays," said Stephanie Grosser, who has been coordinating outreach efforts for HIAS.

One of the issues activists from both sides discussed was hate and hostility directed at immigrants, both past and present-day, whether they were Jewish newcomers at the turn of the 20th century or Latinos in recent decades. "After we talked about why the Jewish community cares about immigration, two Latino women from the crowd came up and hugged me," Grosser recalled.

Cooperation between the two communities goes beyond the issue of immigration reform and includes many joint programs on the local level. On the national level, Jewish and Latino groups are part of broader coalitions organizing a Washington rally in March in favor of immigration reform, which will be preceded by advocacy work in congressional districts during the February congressional recess.

Jewish groups bring to the table their experience and well-established network of political contacts, a contribution highly appreciated by Hispanic organizers.

"For us, as newcomers to the society, this experience is extraordinary," said Gutavo Torres, president of Casa Maryland, a Hispanic group active in the metropolitan Washington area. "They know how to work through the system, how to lobby, how to advocate. The Jewish community has a lot of experience and a lot of power."

Jewish organizations have been increasing their efforts to reach out to the Hispanic community for several years, and most national groups have established joint programs and sponsored Jewish-Hispanic events. With the rapid growth of the Hispanic community and with its rising political clout, Jewish groups see added value in building bridges to the community.

"We are working on immigration, because it is the right thing to do, because it is part of our values," said the AJC's Foltin. "But the dialogue also creates better understanding for the needs of our community."

Breaking News on Immigration Reform

latimes.com

Latinos seek more support for immigration reform

Illinois congressman tells L.A. protesters that he needs more votes for a reform bill.

By Teresa Watanabe

11:06 PM PST, February 1, 2010

A leading Latino lawmaker asserted Monday that Latinos, angered at President Obama for his failure to push immigration reform legislation, could stay home from the polls this year.

"People are angry and disillusioned," U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said in an interview.

Gutierrez criticized the Obama administration for not pushing harder for legislation that would provide an opportunity for legalization for some immigrants. But he conceded that he lacks the votes in the House to pass the bill he backs.

Aiming to revive the immigration reform effort, Gutierrez flew to Los Angeles to headline a town hall meeting Monday evening at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, known as "La Placita," which has long declared itself a sanctuary for illegal immigrants.

With pro-reform banners and chants, hundreds of immigrants and their supporters turned out at the forum, which featured elected officials, labor leaders and Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck.

The diverse slate of speakers included the Rev. Eric Lee of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, who said Latinos and African Americans share a common interest in fighting "slave wages."

One Korean illegal immigrant described his drive to excel as a graduate of UC Santa Barbara who dreams of contributing to the country as a professor.

And Beck drew cheers and a standing ovation when he declared, "A person's immigration status alone is not the business of the Los Angeles Police Department."

Earlier, Gutierrez told The Times that Obama's failure to push immigration reform was symbolized by his State of the Union address last Wednesday, when he devoted 38 of about 7,300 words to the issue.

The "throwaway line," Gutierrez said, was the final straw for many activists who have been perturbed by the continued deportations and other enforcement actions without real progress on reform legislation.

Removals of illegal immigrants have increased under the Obama administration. In fiscal 2009, they grew to 387,790 from 291,060 in 2007 under the Bush administration, government data show.

Asked to respond to Gutierrez's remarks, Department of Homeland Security spokesman Matt Chandler said in a written statement that the administration remained "committed to confronting this problem" through administrative and enforcement tools, along with working with Congress toward a solution.

Gutierrez said he was short at least 18 votes in the House to pass his legislation, which would legalize most of the nation's 12 million illegal migrants, provide more family visas, increase worker protections and offer other reforms.

He acknowledged that selling the bill to the American public at a time of double-digit unemployment would not be easy.

But he and Los Angeles labor leader Maria Elena Durazo argued that legalizing undocumented immigrants would help the nation's economic recovery by raising their wages and allowing them to spend more consumer dollars.

To revive the issue's visibility, immigrant rights supporters are organizing a national mobilization on March 21 to take 100,000 people to Washington, D.C.

Without progress, the congressman warned that many Latinos would stay home from the polls.

According to exit polls, Obama received 70% of the Latino vote in 2008, boosting him to victory in the swing states of Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Florida.

A poll last December by Latino Decisions, a research team specializing in the Latino vote, found that significant numbers of Latino voters would defect without passage of immigration reform.

"Democrats have to be very careful that they don't push Latinos from frustration to an active attitude of punishing them for inaction," said Antonio Gonzalez, president of the William C. Velasquez Institute, a nonpartisan public policy analysis organization.

Gonzalez said 1,000 Latino leaders from 15 states who recently met in Texas agreed to launch an "accountability campaign" to publicize whether House and Senate members support immigration reform and withhold votes from those who do not.

But Allan Hoffenblum, a Republican who publishes a nonpartisan analysis of California elections, questioned whether Latinos would defect from Democrats.

"What are they going to do, vote for Republicans who won't even bring up the topic?" he asked.

"The shrillness of Republican rhetoric on immigration reform has more of an impact on Latino voting behavior than the lack of a rapid response from the Obama White House."

teresa.watanabe

@latimes.com

Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times

The Position of the American Jewish Committe on Immigration Reform

Hearing on Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Faith-Based Perspectives
Statement of Richard T. Foltin, Esq., Director of National and Legislative Affairs

Office of Government and International Affairs

American Jewish Committee

Submitted on behalf of the American Jewish Committee to

The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee

on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security

Hearing on Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Faith-Based Perspectives

October 8, 2009

From its founding in 1906, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) has been a strong voice in support of fair and generous treatment of immigrants, participating actively in many of the major immigration debates of our time: opposing reductions in the flow of legal immigrants; supporting increased "family unification" immigration; supporting efforts to reduce the flow of illegal immigration and enforce immigration laws within the context of due process and humane treatment; supporting policies that assure that the U.S. fulfill its role as a haven for refugees fleeing persecution; supporting access to public benefits for legal immigrants on the same basis as citizens; and supporting programs designed to educate and integrate new citizens.

In advocating for these policies, AJC acts in accord with the American Jewish community's long-standing interest in, and commitment to, a United States immigration and refugee policy that represents our nation's best traditions. According to Jewish tradition, "strangers" are to be welcomed and valued, as we were once "strangers in the land of Egypt." The Torah tells us: "The strangers who sojourn with you shall be to you as the natives among you, and you shall love them as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt" (Leviticus 19:33-34). Further, we recall how our parents and grandparents made their way to this country seeking a better life, often fleeing persecution, and know that we have prospered because of all that this country has offered us. That same opportunity should be available for others as well.

AJC continues to reaffirm its commitment to fair and generous immigration policies, as fundamentally good for the United States and consistent with Jewish values. Even today, Jewish immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers immigrate to the United States from all corners of the world, including such places as the former Soviet Union, Yemen, Iran, and Central and South America. But our commitment to appropriate immigration policies is not only about the Jewish community, which today constitutes only a small portion of the immigration flow. It is fundamentally about what we see as in the best interests of our country overall, as well as assuring that our nation acts in accord with its highest values. At the same time, we recognize the urgent need for reform of our visa, border and admissions systems, in order to keep out those who wish to do us harm. American immigration policies must be consistent with safeguarding our national security through maintaining control over our nation's borders and enforcing the nation's immigration laws in a fashion consistent with due process and humane treatment. We are also committed to measures that better incorporate newcomers into American society and culture.

We call for immigration reform because each day in our congregations, service programs, health-care facilities, and schools we witness the human consequences of a broken and outdated system. We see the exploitation of undocumented workers and the plight of separated families, as well as the escalation of community fear due to enforcement measures that are neither smart nor humane. Comprehensive immigration reform would help put an end to this suffering, opening the door to a better life for those who desire to work hard and contribute in a positive way to American society but for now must live in the shadows, a situation that offends the dignity of all human beings.

History has demonstrated that immigrants enrich this nation economically and culturally, and immigration remains a central ingredient to retaining America's economic strength and its proud tradition of democratic pluralism. According to a CATO Institute report, legalization of immigrants would yield significant income gains for American workers and households.1 The study found that legalization of low-skilled immigrant workers would result in an income gain of 1.27 percent of GDP or $180 billion for U.S. households. Furthermore, legalization would allow immigrants to have higher productivity and create more openings for Americans in higher skilled occupations. As such, a fair and generous immigration policy not only reflects our highest values of freedom, opportunity, and family cohesion, but would also benefit our nation materially.

Comprehensive immigration reform must provide a holistic approach to reforming our immigration system. Such reform should include:

1. Changes to family immigration laws.

Family is the cornerstone of American society. United families build strong individuals and strong communities. Right now, many immigrant families remain separated for years - sometimes even decades - because of the bureaucratic visa delays. Comprehensive immigration reform means reforming the immigration system to expedite the visa process in favor of family reunification. This includes making family-based visas more accessible, reducing the current backlog of family-based visas, and generally reorienting the visa system to prioritize family unity. Further, it is important that, in reforming the immigration system, we push back against efforts to deny citizenship to immigrant children born in the United States, which violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Also, we must ensure that family-based visas are not placed in competition with other visa categories. Provisions such as these are inhumane and harmful to the goal of family unity.

2. A path to legalization for immigrants already in the United States.

There are an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States. Comprehensive immigration reform would provide these immigrants with a path to legal status and eventual earned citizenship. This track to citizenship should be realistic, rather than being so burdensome that it prevents integration. Reasonable criteria may include learning English, having a job, maintaining a criminal-free background, and/or paying a modest fine. However, fines should not be excessive, exemptions should be made for vulnerable populations, and immigrants should not have to return to their country of origin to apply for legal status or citizenship. These measures would only deter participation in the legalization process.

3. Facilitation and support for immigrant integration.

Many immigrants desire to naturalize but lack the necessary tools. AJC believes that the successful acculturation of immigrants is fundamental to a sound immigration policy, and urges greater efforts to facilitate newcomers' adjustment to American society. Acculturation efforts should convey an understanding of and appreciation for American democratic institutions, patriotism, and constitutional principles, including equality under the law and due process. At the same time, without a vigorous commitment to pluralism and respect for immigrant cultures, America risks increasing ethnic tension and resentment. Both the successful incorporation of immigrants and a respect for pluralism are necessary to preserve the "American dream" and sustain democracy.

Consistent with these beliefs, AJC supports the creation and/or reinvigoration of, as well as increased funding for programs and practices designed to effectively acculturate immigrants, including increased support for programs for adults and children Also, comprehensive immigration reform should include greater emphasis on the importance of learning English by newcomers-adults and children-with greater funding for such programs so that all who wish to do so have the opportunity to learn English upon their arrival in the U.S. or soon thereafter. Finally, there must be recognition that acculturation cannot be accomplished without the significant participation of community institutions.

4. Smart and humane enforcement measures that bolster our national security.

Border policies must be consistent with humanitarian values and with the need to treat all individuals with respect, while allowing the United States to implement its immigration laws and identify and prevent the entry of criminals, and of persons who wish to do us harm or otherwise pose a risk to our national security.

In updating and reforming border security measures, there should be (1) greater intelligence sharing regarding potential terrorists among the nation's intelligence and gatekeeper agencies; (2) increased use of state-of-the-art anti-fraud technology to create counterfeit-resistant passports and visas, and analyze suspect documents; (3) layers of security with multiple screening points for those departing for and arriving in the U.S.; and (4) improvements in the system that tracks foreign nationals who enter and leave the U.S., including the vigorous monitoring of those who enter with student, visitor, or employment visas; matching of entries into and exits from the U.S. in order to better alert the government to those who stay in the U.S. beyond the terms of their visas; and improved enforcement of applicable laws for those who overstay their visas.

5. Reforming detention policies and due process protections.

Immigration policies should respect human rights and ensure due process for all persons. We have witnessed how indiscriminate immigration raids have caused trauma and hardship for thousands of individuals. Such raids separate families, destroy communities, and threaten the basic rights of immigrants and U.S. citizens alike. The suffering caused by the overreliance on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in homes and workplaces, and by the INA 287(g) program (which has led to widespread misuse of local law enforcement in civil immigration matters and racial profiling, and has imposed a chilling effect on communities), underscores the problems with current U.S. immigration policies and the urgent need for reform.

We urge the new Administration and Congress to reduce the use of detention for immigrants, especially vulnerable groups and those seeking asylum, and improve detention conditions by enacting clear, enforceable reforms that include rigorous medical treatment standards and increased access to pastoral care, legal counsel and legal orientation programs. Furthermore, the government should expedite the release of asylum seekers and others who pose no risk to the community, and expand the use of community-based alternatives to detention, which are more humane and cost effective. In short, enforcement measures such as detention and raids should be narrowly tailored, and should be carried out in a humane fashion and in accord with due process.

To the extent Congress considers, as part of comprehensive immigration reform, the creation of a mandatory electronic work-eligibility verification system and action on "employer sanctions" that penalize employers for the knowing employment of unauthorized immigrants, such measures should incorporate adequate safeguards to protect workers from discrimination in the workplace.

In sum, AJC calls upon our elected officials to enact legislation that includes the following: An opportunity for hard-working immigrants who are already contributing to this country to come out of the shadows, regularize their status upon satisfaction of reasonable criteria and, over time, pursue an option to become lawful permanent residents and eventually United States citizens; reforms in our family-based immigration system to significantly reduce waiting times for separated families who currently wait many years to be reunited; the creation of legal avenues for workers and their families who wish to migrate to the U.S. to enter our country and work in a safe, legal, and orderly manner with their rights fully protected; and border protection policies that are consistent with humanitarian values and with the need to treat all individuals with respect, while allowing the authorities to carry out the critical task of identifying and preventing entry of terrorists and dangerous criminals, thereby bolstering our national security as well as pursuing the legitimate task of implementing American immigration policy.

AJC urges our elected officials to conduct the immigration reform debate in a civil and respectful manner, mindful not to blame immigrants for our social and economic ills or for the atrocities committed by the few who have carried out acts of terrorism. A polarized process lacking in civility hinders deliberative discourse and fails to serve our nation's best interests.

As a faith-based organization, we call attention to the moral dimensions of public policy and pursue policies that uphold the human dignity of each person, all of whom are made b'tselem elohim, in the image of G-d. We engage the immigration issue with the goal of fashioning an immigration system that facilitates legal status and family unity in the interest of serving the God-given dignity and rights of every individual, even as it enhances out national security and promotes respect for the rule of law. It is our collective prayer that the legislative process will produce a just immigration system of which our nation of immigrants can be proud.

AJC appreciates the opportunity to submit this statement and welcomes your questions and comments.1. Peter B. Dixon and Maureen T. Rimmer, Restriction or Legalization? Measuring the Economic Benefits of Immigration Reform, Center for Trade Policy Studies, CATO Institute, No. 40, August 13, 2009, P.1.

Sharing a Thank You from Mitzvah Day

I wanted to share this card I received from SPC J. Ryan from Ft. Jackson, SC. This note was thanking all of the volunteers on Mitzvah Day who crafted Hanukiot for Jewish soldiers abroad. J. Ryan says "That so many of you thought about those of us who are away from home in service to the country is the best present that I could have received. Jews make up such a small number in the military that it's a treat to have family away from family".

Our crafts were sent with other goodies to Jewish soldiers as part of Project MOT, which operates as part of Operation Gratitude. This goes to show you how much just a little bit of work here is appreciated elsewhere...

Wishing you all a happy holiday season.
-Jennifer Smith

From the LA Times: One of a kind in Boyle Heights

Read the original article here.

When Eddie Goldstein was born, the neighborhood was the center of Jewish life in Los Angeles. As it has changed, he's stayed, evolving with it.

By Hector Becerra

December 9, 2009

The old man with the Santa Claus beard pulled a black yarmulke from the trunk of his Cadillac and limped across the street.

Hundreds of people had gathered outside an old synagogue in Boyle Heights for a program that looked back at the days when the neighborhood -- now overwhelmingly Latino and Catholic -- was the center of Jewish life in Los Angeles.

Leaning heavily on a cane, Eddie Goldstein, 76, wandered aimlessly, as if lost in thought. Finding a friend, he locked arms with her and walked into the long-shuttered Breed Street Shul. Eyes wide, Goldstein marveled at the faded grandeur of the building, which preservationists plan to turn into a community center.

Almost every other Jewish person there had come from miles away for the festival, which included music, food, a tour of the shul and a speech by the mayor. Goldstein had come from his home around the corner. Among his fellow Jews, he was a stranger.

As a boy, Goldstein worked at a kosher poultry shop where a rabbi wielded a razor-sharp blade to slit the throats of chickens before bleeding them upside-down. He remembers struggling to learn Hebrew and watching groups of ultra-Orthodox Jews, including rabbis and young rabbis in training, walk the streets of his native neighborhood in their black garb.

Then the Jewish families left. Jewish merchants on Brooklyn Avenue were slowly replaced by taquerias, quinceañera shops and botanicas. Eventually, the street itself was given a new name -- Cesar Chavez Avenue.

But Goldstein stayed. And in staying, he changed.

He married a Mexican American woman and became a father figure to her children. Every Sunday, he went to Mass with his Esther. She, in turn, kept him connected to the Jewish side of his life.

Faith had never been that important to Goldstein. It was Esther who pushed him to light yahrzeit candles in memory of loved ones, who reminded him when the High Holidays were approaching.

"She kept me more in my faith than I did," said Goldstein, one of the last Jews in Boyle Heights. "She reminded me that I'm Jewish."

Every year at Passover the family gathered at the home on Folsom Street. They would go to farmers markets to find the right ingredients -- chicken fat, fresh horseradish and jars of gefilte fish. Goldstein would make matzo and eggs and mix sour cream with grated beet juice. His children added salsa.

If Los Angeles ever had a melting pot, it was Boyle Heights in the first half of the 20th century. The neighborhood just east of downtown was home to Italians, Armenians, Russians, Japanese and Mexican Americans. It also had the largest concentration of Jews in the United States outside New York.

Like the cast of an "Our Gang" short, Goldstein's friends in the 1930s and 1940s spanned the ethnicities.

"We were a League of Nations!" recalls his longtime friend, Art Manassian, now 78, and one of the neighborhood's few remaining Armenian Americans.

As a boy, Goldstein worked at the National Theater on Brooklyn Avenue, which was called the "polly seed house" because of the abundance of sunflower seeds discarded on the floor. As a teenager, Goldstein worked in the rubbish business for Manassian's father, driving all over the city to collect paper, metal and cardboard for recycling. He went to Roosevelt High School but never graduated and later became a meatpacker.

His mother and father, who divorced when he was 6, were not devout, but his grandmother was. On Jewish holidays, Goldstein would stand outside the Breed Street Shul and watch girls go in for services, but he rarely stepped inside. He tried to study the Torah for his bar mitzvah with other boys but didn't get very far, he said.

"My other friends were reading in that Jewish style, swaying back and forth," he said. "I couldn't even get that rhythm. I said, 'You know, I can't do this.' "

After World War II, the gradual decline of the Jewish community in Boyle Heights accelerated. Many of Goldstein's friends could afford homes in North Hollywood, Pico-Robertson, the Fairfax district and other new centers of Jewish life in Los Angeles.



"The Jewish guys that I knew, a lot of them became wealthy. Guys I grew up with, some of them became millionaires on the Westside of town, or wherever millionaires live," he said. "I was a meatpacker."

By the early 1960s, Goldstein said, there weren't many Jews left in Boyle Heights. His mother and aunts died, along with his Uncle Louie, who had owned the Ebony Room, a bar on Brooklyn Avenue. His brothers moved to other neighborhoods.

He fell in love with Esther Guzman, a devout Catholic whom he had known growing up. She was 10 years older than Goldstein, had three children from a previous marriage, and had adopted three more. A week after they were married in the early 1960s, the couple adopted a baby, Steven. The youngest, he carried the Goldstein name.

Guzman's oldest son, Art Perez, 59, said the religious and ethnic differences were never an issue in the household. "Eddie turned more Mexican than Jewish," Perez said with a laugh.

Goldstein agrees: "I felt like I had Mexican blood in me," he said. "I lived with them all my life."

Among the Latinos who now filled the neighborhood, Goldstein made compadrescompadres and comadres, titles reserved for especially close friends or the godparents of one's children. He shared pork carnitas in their homes and cooked a fine menudo for them in his own. He learned how to pickle pork feet in large jars.

The stucco home that he shared with Guzman and the children was in many ways a typical Mexican American, Catholic household on L.A.'s Eastside, brimming with religious artifacts, redolent of Mexican cooking.

Yet Tina Olmos, 49, one of the children adopted by Guzman, said Goldstein acted differently from the other parishioners at Assumption Church.

"I asked him why he didn't stand up or kneel when we did, and he said, 'Cause I'm Jewish. We don't do that,' " she recalled. "People say that me and my youngest daughter resemble Ed. I guess if you live with someone long enough, you start to take on their traits."

Goldstein said he enjoyed church, though it was not a religious experience for him. He said it felt strange, as the only Jew in the pews, to hear the priest talk so much about the land of Israel and the Jews. On a couple of occasions, he was godfather for friends' children when they received first Communions or confirmations. He explained that being Jewish, he couldn't make the sign of the cross because he didn't want to be a hypocrite.

"Hey, I told them I'm Jewish," he told one priest. To one nephew, who asked him to be his godfather, he said, "You know I'm Jewish though, mijo?"

In 2004, Esther died of cancer. Goldstein preserves a shrine to her in the corner of his living room. There are candles and a statue of St. Anthony holding the baby Jesus. Rosary beads are draped around the shoulders of a Sacred Heart of Jesus statue. Behind the display hang framed pictures of departed loved ones.

"I keep saints for them all," Goldstein said in a scratchy voice with a lilting East L.A. accent.

There are few visible signs in the home that a Jewish man lives there, beyond a menorah in the corner of one room. Mostly, he preserves the home as a tribute to those who became his family, even though they weren't related by blood.

"That's my prieta. My Barbara," he said proudly, using the Spanish word for a dark-skinned girl as he pointed to a picture of a granddaughter in a hallway.

Since Esther's death, Goldstein gets out less, and some of his neighbors worry about him. Carolina Olmos, 86, said he looked lonelier than ever.

"There's a Mexican saying: 'Llora pobre y no solo,' " Olmos said. Better to cry because you are poor than because you are alone.

Goldstein says he feels pretty low sometimes. When his wife was alive, the home was filled with children and grandchildren almost every weekend.

Channeling his inner Jewish mother, he recently unhooked his phone, thinking that maybe the children would show up "to see if I was lying on the floor or something."

A few weeks later, his son, Art Perez, moved back in with Goldstein after being laid off from his job. One night, Perez heard a burst of noise from the street and ran into the living room, screaming, "Pops, Pops, they're shooting!"

Sitting on the couch watching TV, Goldstein calmly turned around. "Oh, I'm sorry mijo," he said. "I forgot to tell you they've been shooting firecrackers." They laughed.

"I guess when you leave the barrio, you forget the sounds," Goldstein said later.

One of his friends, Lucy Delgado, had urged him to go to the street festival in late May at the old synagogue. Goldstein didn't want to go. The next day, they walked into the Breed Street Shul arm in arm for what had been billed as a "Fiesta Shalom," a celebration of peace.

All around him were Jews who had left half a century ago or their children and grandchildren. After so many years, Goldstein felt he identified more with the "Fiesta" than the "Shalom."

"It felt strange seeing so many Jewish people, to be honest," he said. "I'm kind of like the last Indian here."

Before she died, he and Esther had talked about where they would be buried. Esther told him that she wanted them laid to rest in the same place.

He had her buried in the Home of Peace Jewish cemetery in Boyle Heights, which is also his intended resting place.

He sees no contradiction or awkwardness in placing his wife, a Catholic with whom he went to Mass every Sunday, in a Jewish burial ground. He embraces the dissimilar pieces of his life without embarrassment. It's the same outlook that allowed him to feel at home as a Jew in Boyle Heights, even after he became one of the very last ones.

"The important thing for me was to be buried in Boyle Heights," he said. "These are my people."

hector.becerra@latimes.com

Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times

Mitzvah Day 2009 Photos -- see the Picasa Web Album Below

Mitzvah Day 2009

Photos of Two of Our Project Spots at Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights

Photos are of the patio area. We'll be planting a Garden in the areas that are now compacted gravel. Thanks to the help of Glenn Stern and Mike Reisbord we'll be filling raised planter boxes with fresh soil and vegetable plants that the homeless men who are cared for by the Guadaloupe Homeless Shelter will tend and till.





Photos here are of the Proyecto Pastoral Impacto room where children receive after school enrichment and tutoring. We are painting the room and brightening its dirty, chipped walls.

Register for Mitzvah Day and help with our project. Click here.

Rabbi Stern's High Holy Day Sermon

Once, there was a great, wise rabbi of Nemirov often left the members of his village perplexed. He would disappear for long periods of time early on Friday mornings and no one knew where he went – including his wife. It was as if he disappeared into thin air.
For weeks the Jews of the town wondered where he might be. Though they searched far and wide for him, there was no trace. Soon rumors began to surface that this righteous man could only be in one place: heaven. Perhaps each Friday, in preparation for Shabbat and as his own form of purification the rabbi ascended to heaven and did nothing less than sit in God’s presence and absorb Divine wisdom. Perhaps, even, the Jews of the town thought, our rebbe is beseeching God on our behalf and averting any calamities which might befall us. What else, could this righteous man be doing if not acts on behalf of his precious flock?
Once a Litvak (in our terms an educated agnostic and antagonist) came to town and heard the villager’s tales about their rebbe. He mocked them and scoffed at their naivety. Sure that such disappearances could only the result of someone being up to no-good, he vowed to get to the bottom of this mystery.
So, one Thursday evening, while the rebbe was out attending to the affairs of the town the Litvak stationed himself outside the rebbe’s back door and waited. The rebbe came home, enjoyed his dinner, studied Torah and the Litvak watched as the candles in the house were extinguished and the rebbe went to bed. Outside in the cold the Litvak shivered and cursed the damp air, but he was determined to prove the villagers wrong so he kept himself awake until the wee hours of the morning.
Then, just before dawn the rebbe’s door opened and the rebbe stepped into the street. Except, rather than wearing the usual clothes of a village rebbe he’s dressed in the robes and tatters of a peasant. Aha! Thought the Litvak, “he’s surely up to no good!”
Carefully the Litvak followed the rebbe through the town as the holy man walked in the shadows and stealthily made his way to a small forested area just outside of town. Aha, thought the Litvak: “surely he’s off to meet a band of thieves!” The rebbe found a well worn path and headed into the forest. After some time the Litvak saw a run down shack in a clearing. It was dark and though the night was cold there was no smoke rising from the chimney. Just before entering the rebbe took an ax from a woodshed behind the house and headed back into the forest. There he chopped bundles of wood and carried them with great difficulty into the shed.
Finally, the rebbe knocked on the door and a weak voice answered: “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Vassil,” the rebbe said in the accent of a Russian peasant. “I have wood to sell you.”
The weak voice answered, “I told you last week, I don’t have any money, I can never pay you!”
The rebbe said, again with a Russian accent, “Don’t worry, you’ll pay me when you can, I trust you.” And with that he pushed the door open and entered the house.
The Litvak stood close to one of the broken windows and gazed in. He saw an old women under tattered blankets shivering in the morning air. He watched as the rebbe started a roaring fire in the fire place and then made a soup from vegetables he had secreted in his pockets. He fills a bowl and served the old woman one spoonful at a time. As he attended to his task, the rebbe recited the morning prayers quietly under his breath – every once closing his eyes in thoughtful devotion.
As the Litvak watched the rebbe, tears streamed down this former cynic’s face and he began to recite the prayers with the rebbe. He left his post and returned to the town, sold his mansion in the city and moved to the small town to become a disciple of the rebbe.
Now, when the people of the town speak of the rebbe’s disappearance on Friday mornings and someone says: “Each Friday, the rebbe ascends to heaven.” The Litvak answers with a certainty that surprises everyone who hears him: “If not higher. . .if not higher.” (After a story by I.L. Peretz)
I don’t care how many times I hear or tell this story, it touches me every time. This is a story that speaks to something in me that is so moved by the deep level of person to person contact. Someone with ability reaches out to someone with need and what exists between them is a type of sacred space. What exists between the Rebbe and the old woman is a spiritual connection that is so deep, so compelling, so uplifting that it literally inspires me to seek those kinds of relationships in my own life.
It makes me remember the year I spent volunteering at Alyn Handicapped children’s hospital in Israel. Each Thursday I’d ride the bus to the suburbs of Jerusalem and take a severely handicapped young girl into the pool. The only limb she could move was her right foot. She’d kick that foot like crazy as I held her under her arms and pulled her through the waters. We’d laugh deep belly laughs as she’d splash the other kids. Here in the water, without gravity she had a freedom of movement she never had on land, and it was my privilege to be her support. My time with Mireleh always passed too quickly. It was the highpoint of my week and it was over before it began. As I look back on that year and I think that of all the prayers I’ve ever uttered in my lifetime, that time with little Mireleh brought me closest to God.
In fact it’s because of the power of those kinds of caring connections that I was compelled to go with four dentists from our congregation to the Forum in Inglewood a few weeks ago. No, it wasn’t a concert, not a sports event – for ten days the Forum became a medical clinic. An organization called Remote Area Medical (RAM) gathered LA doctors, dentists and other medical professionals to offer urgent care, free of charge to anyone in our region in need care. Usually RAM usually operates in well . .remote areas. . .but through the instigation of an LA Film Producer the organization was encouraged to bring its free medical clinic to the Forum for ten days.
From the very first day that I heard about this event I knew that though I couldn’t offer medical services, I had to be a part of it. How could I, a person who enjoys much of the best of what this country offers not give some of my time for these folks who were in such desperate straights?
We walked onto the floor of the arena. My jaw dropped. It was 6 a.m. on Sunday, hundreds of people were sitting in the bleachers patiently waiting their turn for care. In front of us were dozens of dentists, doctors and other medical professionals busy setting up rows of dental chairs, medical stations, vision testing sites for the “huddled” masses. I asked one of the patients how long they’d been waiting in line. “Since Thursday.” she said. How desperate must you be to wait in line for three days? “Well, you’re here now and we’re going to do the best we can to take care of you.” I lied. I knew that at best we’d patch her up with one procedure and then send her on her way.
The dentists blew me away! I watched as these four dentists and Temple members David, Kenny, Gary and Michael sat at stations “stocked” with equipment that turned the clock back 25 years when compared to their own offices. They all have beautiful, private, state of the art dental practices. Now they were on the cement floor of the forum, at foldable dental chairs, on rickety stools, preparing to get to work in mouths that had been neglected and perhaps abused for years. I was the receptionist, greeting patients, taking them to their seats in line, reassuring them that the dentists would do the best they could. But the dentists – well they were working miracles. They worked for six hours straight: filling, extracting, advising, and grinding away at mouths that had been neglected for years.
I led a middle aged African American to Kenny’s chair. On the way I asked her when the last time she had been to a dentist. She said: “I can’t remember.” “Oh my God,” I thought, “I get anxious if I have to delay my six month check-up.” Kenny took her hand, welcomed her like she was a patient in his office in Beverly Hills. Spoke to her reassuringly, told her what he was going to do based on the condition of her teeth, and comforted as she gripped the armrests fearfully.
As I emptied trash cans of their medical waste and ran errands I looked at these dentists who had given up a Sunday because they felt they HAD to be at those rudimentary dental stations. I kept asking “my guys” if they wanted a break – “nope, just bring me another one, there are lots of people waiting.”
“How do they do this?” I thought.
Shortly before we left, I watched as David helped another middle aged Latina woman into his chair. With the help of a translator she told him what was wrong and then basically surrendered herself to his skilled hands. Like the old woman in the story she was helpless and needed to rely on him to alleviate the pain that she’d suffered with for so long. He, in turn, worked carefully and compassionately to remove what was left of her decayed teeth. I almost gagged as I watched him work. And then came the moment that gives me chills to even tell you: when he was finished she got up from the chair tentatively, took his hand and said: “Dios te bendiga” --God bless you. When. . .was the last time you said: “God bless you” to your dentist?
This was a powerful experience. Infuriating, as I saw first hand the failures of our society. Painful, as I had to tell people that the doctor could only take care of one tooth today and the others would have to continue hurting. Heartbreaking, as I heard people’s stories of pain, suffering and despair. And at the same time it was inspirational–all these doctors took time from their lives and showed up! It was uplifting – the nurses who work so hard all week also came and offered their care. And it was incredible – to see what good people could do for others.
On the way home I asked Kenny and Gary about the experience. I thought they might express frustration with the rudimentary equipment, exasperation with the uncomfortable chairs or the less than conducive setting. Without hesitation they both said: “it was amazing!” “A chance to do the work I love for no reason than to offer my skills to another.” Almost apologetically I asked them if it felt spiritual. “Absolutely.” “Why? I asked.”
“Our days in our offices are long, everyone is a demanding client so there’s a level of tension that comes with that. This was just us doing the work we love to do– dentistry – even if it wasn’t high tech or complicated – and the feeling of giving our time freely to another person was powerful.” I’m telling you the story now because I’m the converted Litvak in the rebbe’s story – I watched these four dentists as they cared for these afflicted people and I saw them ascend to heaven. . .if not higher!
What is it that made the rebbe ascend beyond heaven?
What is it that made the dentists find their time at the Forum to be so uplifting and spiritual?
Why are these kinds of human to human contact so meaningful?
I find the answer in a powerful story from the Torah. It tells of the reunion of the brothers Jacob and Esau. The two brothers had been separated for decades after Jacob fled his parents’ home because he had stolen the first born rights from his brother. It was a manipulative, deceptive act that resulted in an estrangement that divided the brothers deeply. Jacob was fearful that his brother would take revenge and spent his whole life avoiding him until finally, their wanderings brought them face-to-face. Jacob anticipated a battle or at least a powerful blow from his brother. Instead, Esau embraced him, kissed him and as he looked into his eyes said: “Brother to see your face is like seeing the face of God.” The tension ended, the brothers wept and the legacy of painful separation ended.
That’s the answer! When we offer another our compassion, our skills, and our care we see the face of God.
When the rebbe looked at the old woman – he saw the face of God.
When I looked in little Mireleh’s laughing eyes – I saw the face of God.
When the dentists David looked into the woman who said: “Dios te bendiga” – “May God Bless you he saw the face of God.
I know, that when that woman looked up from her chair with trust and hope into David’s eyes, she knew she was looking into the face of God as well.
I am struggling here to define one of the most powerful feelings I know. I’m telling you stories because are no words. Seeing the face of God is to see another with caring, compassion and love. It is a type of love that is different from the love we have for our family or friends– it is a love that reaches out to others because they are human and in need. And the actions that result from that love are an expression of the deepest spirituality that I believe we can ever experience.
I’m describing a kind of spirituality that is very different from that which we might find in ritual or prayer. “Face of God” spirituality comes when our engagement with the world transcends just “me” and connects me to a purpose that is beyond me and almost completely selfless. This is the spirituality that drove Mother Theresa her entire life. Some of you are nodding your heads. You’ve had those times. You’ve had the experience of extending your heart, your hands, your soul to another person and felt the sense of fulfilment that comes through the acts and through the relationship that is like no other.
I believe that now, during these tough economic times, when people are evaluating their life choices and life paths we have a unique opportunity that rarely affects so many so dramatically. Now, when we’re trying to restore some balance to our lives after we’ve lost it. As we’re brought low by circumstances that are both beyond and perhaps within our control we can come back differently. If our goal is to get back to exactly the same place we were before this all happened then we’re missing an opportunity. Our fast of Yom Kippur is mirrored by the economic fast that has been forced upon us. Just as the hunger of the fast weakens us and prepares us to rebuild to face the year ahead so too can this economic fast provide us with perspective to rebuild our society (starting with each of us). The Jewish message of hardship, of pain, of sorrow is that we have to come back differently. Our experiences have to transform us, change our priorities, cause us to seek fulfillment and meaning in ways we might have overlooked, ignored or avoided before. How to replace what has been loss with something that builds us up differently-- so that we are more resilient, more secure in our self-worth, involved in more meaningful pursuits than might have occupied us before this time.
I’m suggesting that we can rise higher than we’ve been before - to heaven – I’m not sure. But to a place where our lives and our values will be different from what they were in the past.
And among the choices that exist for us as we restore balance to our lives is that of reaching out to others in ways we might not have in the past. The truth about the story of the rebbe is you don’t have to be a rebbe. You can be a dentist who does pro bono work. A lawyer who takes on a few cases a year without charge. A doctor who spends a week in South America providing medical services. A grandparent who reads to someone else’s grandchild. A student who tutors a child in public school.
There’s an important caveat and a harsh truth: You can’t write a check and see the face of God. You can’t serve on a board and see the face of God. You can’t write a letter of protest and see the face of God. But, when you sit down with a little boy and say, “let’s read this book together.” When you walk into a middle school in Van Nuys and tutor a kid in math. When you sit with a group of young poor mothers and help them learn parenting skills you see the face of God.
When you offer your skills to others when the only compensation is their gratitude and the knowledge that because of our efforts they might be stronger and more capable to face the challenges in their own lives you see the face of God.
I have seen the face of God so many times this year, I can’t begin to recount all of them. I’ve seen the face of God in Father Scott Santarosa pastor of Dolores Mission Church as we spoke about ways that my community and his community can work together to help the people his little church in Boyle Heights overcome their daily challenges.
I’ve seen the face of God in Maria Rodriquez on Christmas Eve as she barked out orders to me and my family when we served the homeless at the Dolores Mission. Every year, for the past ten she gets all of her neighbors together to cook a Christmas dinner for the homeless men at the shelter at the church.
I’ve seen the face of God in Pastor Carlton Rhoden as he challenged his Baptist church to open their hearts to Gay people so that they could enjoy the rights of marriage.
These are a few of the experiences that I have had this past year and I will never be the same. I don’t want to guard them jealously for myself. I want more and more of you to experience that kind of spiritual fulfillment that comes from looking into another’s face and seeing the face of God.
Start on Mitzvah Day, November 1st, when our community volunteers throughout LA doing good for others in our city. We get about 700 volunteers. That’s great. But 7,000 of you are holding tickets to these High Holy Days. 700 is only a 10% return. Maybe great for a stock investment but not great for a Jewish community. We can do better.
But don’t stop there. Stop by your local elementary school and see if they need volunteers. Serve the hungry at SOVA or at a food pantry near you.
And, as our relationship with the Dolores Mission community in Boyle Heights gets stronger we need more and more of our congregants to step forward and get involved mentoring high school students for internships in your workplaces. We need volunteers for Koreh LA – to read to elementary school students we need athletes to coach kids for the Police Activities League out of Hollenbeck station and we need people who will sit with folks who live in Boyle Heights (people who you normally see as your waiters, nanny’s, and housekeepers) and say: Today, I’m not here to give you orders. Today, I’m here to listen and dream of what we can do together to make both of our lives better.
I want each of you to have more experiences when you give of your skills, your abilities and your time to lift another person up in ways that only you can. Because each of us has something different to bring to another. And when you do, I believe, from the bottom of my heart that your life will never be the same. There will be moments when you really will ascend to heaven. . .if not higher.

Just Congregations: A Year in Review

Just congregations is the National Department of the Union For Reform Judaism that Guides our work at Stephen S. Wise Temple. Here is their end of year message.

Dear Friends,

In just a few short hours, the shofar will once again intone its call: return again. Echoing through the halls of our synagogues and onto the streets of our communities, its timeless blast connects us to the past and our future all at once. It connects us to the Jews of ancient Israel, to our immigrant grandparents, and to our children’s children. It calls us to return, reflect, and renew; it calls us to wake up. We are charged not only to search our own souls, but to judge our communities: are we congregations of righteousness and mercy?

This year of all years, with the economic collapse, rampant joblessness, a plague of foreclosures, and suffering in our pews and in our neighborhoods, we are called to act. The staff and leaders of Just Congregations will continue to foster sacred communities that reach across lines of race, class and faith to build the power for redemption. Thank you for your leadership and support of Just Congregations.

As we reach the conclusion of the 5769 we wanted to share some reflections with you on our accomplishments. In the last three years since the launch of Just Congregations, congregation-based community organizing has spread rapidly within the Reform Movement. All over the country Reform Jews are working across lines of faith, race, and class to improve life in America. In the process, our member congregations are deepening their sacred communities of prayer, study, and justice.

As a result of Just Congregations efforts, the number of Reform congregations belonging to broad-based community organizing groups has doubled, growing to more than 75 synagogues. Scores more are engaged in the process of joining local groups. Reform congregations were part of founding assemblies of new community organizing groups in Washington State and Virginia, and our synagogues are at the center of emerging projects in New York and New Jersey. Just Congregations continues to work with congregations of all sizes in our target metropolitan areas—Chicago, Boston, New York, Los Angeles and Dallas. Many flagship Reform synagogues are “Just Congregations,” including Central Synagogue in New York City, Congregation Beth-Am in Los Altos Hills, Stephen S. Wise Temple and Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, Temple Emanu-El of Dallas, Temple Israel of Boston, and Temple Sholom in Chicago.

Just Congregations has become the premier organization bringing American Jews into the vibrant organizing that already engages and animates Protestants, Catholics, and Muslims, African-Americans, Latinos, and many others to deepen relationships and to find solutions to our common problems. Just Congregations is pleased that our efforts are responsible for so many significant moments of fellowship and common cause:

In Los Angeles, congregants at five Reform synagogues connected to Latino and African-American churches about common fears of losing homes. Working through their local community organizing group, One LA, they championed a strategy to reduce the number of homeowners facing foreclosure and the potential deterioration of neighborhoods. Their initiative led the Los Angeles City Council to vote unanimously to fund a $1.5 million pilot foreclosure prevention project with an aim to replicate it in multiple neighborhoods.

Troubled by overcrowded public schools in New York City, Central Synagogue used its new organizing skills in a matter of months to enter into relationship with the New York City Department of Education and play an invaluable role in determining how and where to open a new, much-needed local school in the coming year.

Jewish doctors and low-income immigrant patients in Dallas joined to expand medical care. Their efforts through Dallas Area Interfaith were instrumental in the passage of a $747 million bond to create 800 new beds at a high-quality but overcrowded public hospital which serves as a safety net for low-income Dallas residents. The hospital is the largest in Dallas County, and so busy that they have nine maternity wards; a study found that the hospital was more than 50% undersized for its volume of patients. Temple Emanu-El has gone on to play a central role in expanding local health care, including engaging the Federation in plans for a mobile low-cost health clinic hosted by congregations throughout the county.

In Chicago, members of Congregation B’nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim in Glenview, IL and the Third Baptist Church, an African-American church on the South Side of Chicago, joined with other member congregations of United Power for Action and Justice to successfully pass legislation allowing parents to use their own health insurance to cover young adults (ages 19-26). These congregations were united by shared concern for their own children: young adults in college, out of work, or struggling to find jobs with good benefits who consequently lacked health coverage. Inspired by the relationships that emerged from their work together, BJBE and Third Baptist Church have begun to learn more about each through joint worship, study, conversation - and even sharing bagels and lox!

In New York’s Westchester County eight Reform synagogues are jointly exploring the creation of a new broad-based community organizing group that will build the power necessary to create social change—the first time that Jewish congregations could be the catalyst for an organizing group.

We are proud that, city by city and case by case, such relationships and shared concerns have led to tangible, high-profile victories saving homes from foreclosure, expanded hospital facilities, increased health care coverage, created new public schools, and more.

In the past year, Just Congregations began to expand from our focus on local victories to explore a new strategy around supporting two major national campaigns. The PICO National Network recently took a successful local fight to expand children’s health care to a national level in partnership with many faith communities. PICO played a central role along with the Reform Movement’s own Religious Action Center in the current health care debate, emphasizing the need to insure all citizens. Thanks to Rabbi David Saperstein, as part of Just Congregations support for this effort, Rabbi Jonah Pesner appeared on CNN as a key religious figure in the health care debate. In addition, seventeen affiliates from the Industrial Areas Foundation in the Midwest and East Coast came together this year to address the crushing effect of debt in America in the form of credit cards, pay day lending, and other usurious practices. The campaign has engaged state attorneys general, members of Congress, and figures in the Obama administration, and aims to have a national impact on the regulation of debt, particularly protecting the poor. The potential for the Reform Movement to engage in these and other national campaigns is exciting.

Within the Reform Movement, Just Congregations continues to build the current and next generations of social justice rabbis. One of the elements that most determines a congregation’s success in community organizing is the presence of a clergy member who is committed to and trained in the skills of congregation-based community organizing and is able to anchor the congregation’s organizing efforts. Increasing the number of clergy engaged in synagogue organizing and helping them to develop their organizing skills is one of Just Congregations’ core strategies. In the past few years, approximately one hundred students have been trained in the skills of congregation-based community organizing on all three domestic campuses of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion through our work with Jeannie Appleman, Director of Seminary Leadership Programs of the Jewish Funds for Justice. Thanks to support from the Hilda and Jacob Blaustein Foundation, this year, for the first time, Just Congregations was able to offer the most promising students congregational organizing internships in synagogues in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, allowing them to gain both practical and theoretical experience.

In addition to our investment in future clergy, Just Congregations spent the past year developing a corps of rabbis through ongoing mentoring by Jonah Pesner and Lila Foldes; by hosting a mifgash (encounter) between nineteen American rabbis who organize and Israeli rabbis interested in learning about organizing at the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) convention in Jerusalem in February 2008; and by building on that mifgash through our first ever day-long rabbinic gathering held in Chicago in June 2009, attended by 28 rabbis from our target cities and several rabbinic students who are congregational organizing interns. The June 2009 Chicago gathering was a unique opportunity for rabbis to share best practices, ask challenging questions, and engage in Jewish learning, inspired by the teaching of Rabbis Richard Levy and David Saperstein. At the gathering, the group committed to continue working together: meeting once or twice a year; holding periodic conference calls and webinars to learn from each other’s local successes; holding small local or regional gatherings; writing articles for an upcoming issue of the CCAR journal; and over time, exploring coordinated action and campaigns with the Religious Action Center and community organizing networks.

The greatest resource of the Reform Jewish Movement is our people: the rabbis and cantors of the present and future, and the members of Reform synagogues with whom we are privileged to work. Through our work with them we are inspired by the opportunities laid out before Reform Jewry today—the opportunity to build relationships across lines of faith, race, and economic background; the opportunity to act on our values; the opportunity to make positive change for all Americans. We commit to continue to delve deeply, to build capacity, and to make congregation-based community organizing the norm in American Jewish life.

Just Congregations believes that now more than ever we need Jews to be in relationship with other religious, racial, and ethnic groups to solve the most pressing problems facing our nation and to strengthen Jewish life in America.

As the call of the shofar echoes in our hearts and thoughts we wish you a year of sweetness, joy, and the blessing of justice.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Founding Director

Lila Foldes, Assistant Director

Julie Chizewer Weill, Coordinator of Institutional Advancement

Beth Kozinn, Programs Administrator

Just Congregations

781-449-0404

www.urj.org

Something to think about this Rosh Hashanah.

The power of giving. View the video here.

Giving from their Hearts

There is a phrase in the Torah that tells about the sacred work that the Israelites did to build the holy tent of worship during the wanderings in the dessert. It is said that the people gave from the service of their hearts. It was work that came from the deepest recesses of their souls, was freely given and uplifted the giver spiritually. That ancient notion captures the efforts of the four dentists that I accompanied from our congregation, and additional doctors who joined the dozens of medical professionals offering their services pro-bono at the RAM/LA urgent medical needs event at the Forum in Inglewood.

They faced thousands of desperate people who waited in line from the earliest hours of the morning to get a number that might allow them admittance to the medical services offered at the Forum. I accompanied the dentists and watched as the extracted, filled, cleaned and attended to the endless line of people seeking treatment. No sooner would the occupant of the portable (and uncomfortable) dental chair move on, the instruments swapped for newly sterilized ones, when another patient would be ushered to the doctor's ready hands. Many doctors asked their hygienists and assistants if they would accompany them, and sure enough they eagerly woke up at 4:45 a.m. to get to the Forum in time for the 6:00 a.m. start. If there were any regrets over a Sunday peering into very neglected mouths or longings for warm sheets for a few more hours of sleep not a soul uttered them. Instead there was an overwhelming willingness to attend to as many patients as possible under less than comfortable conditions.

I asked Kenny Jacobs and Gary Solnit (temple members) if they felt that there was spirituality in the work they were doing today. Both responded with surprising rapidity, "it was the most fulfilling few hours I've had in a long time. " Gary said: "Sometimes my days go slowly in the office, today it was different, I felt like the six hours passed in the blink of an eye." When Kenny asked his employees if they would join him, two of his assistants volunteered to join him for the morning.

Michael Simmons didn't even get up from his perch on the uncomfortable chair from which he did his dental work. His assistant of 20 years came along and she willingly fetched new instruments for Michael each time he finished one filling or extraction and was ready for the next. By last time I checked, Michael had seen over 12 patients in the six hours.

David Levine did triage -- he peered into the mouths with the dental light attached to his glasses and using his skills and knowledge determined which one procedure was the highest priority for each patient -- given the large number of patients and the small number of dentists and hygienists it wasn't possible to address all the problems in those sorely neglected mouths. Compassionately and carefully he completed the forms and sent his clients off to wait in line for their procedures.

It was a powerful day for me as I emptied trash cans full of medical waste, ushered patients to their dentists and tried my best to answer the questions about procedures at RAM/LA. I watched dozens of dentists eagerly attend to their patients, each doing his or her best to provide the care that would enable each person to resume some level of normalcy to their impaired lives.

Make no mistakes, this was a sacred event. Doctors and medical professionals offering their skills, grateful patients expressing profound thanks to their caregivers. There were no arguments, no angry exchanges, no one, not a soul of the thousands who filled the arena floor lost patience with another. All knew that this was truly a service of the heart and the recipients clearly understood that there were both receiving care and giving their trust, their health and their hearts to the generous and compassionate professionals who opened their hearts to skillfully minister to those in need.

RAM/LA continues at the Forum through August 18th. Volunteers are always needed. Find out more here.

For LA Times stories and editorials about the event. Follow these links:
How L.A.'s massive free clinic event came together

At free clinic, scenes from the Third World

The sick status quo

Were you there? Write a post for our Social Justice Blog or just let us know that you gave of your time and skills so that we can recognize you here.