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On the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Raising Our Voices for Reproductive Justice
On January 22, we commemorate the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that established the constitutionally protected right of a woman to choose whether or not to have an abortion. The Court held that under the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of due process, the government’s interest in protecting potential life does not always outweigh a woman’s right to privacy in her health decisions. Though this constitutional protection still exists, subsequent court decisions and state and federal laws have slowly chipped away at the decision, establishing significant obstacles to abortion access and leaving our Roe rights at risk.
In Mourning for France, Reminded of the Importance of Religious Freedom
On Tuesday night, many in the Washington, D.C. community — myself among them — gathered at Adas Israel Congregation for an event convened by AJC (and cosponsored by the Religious Action Center) in solidarity and remembrance with the People of France and the Jewish Community.
It was a beautiful event, including speakers such as Jason Isaacson, AJC Associate Executive Director for Policy, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and His Excellency Gérard Araud, Ambassador of France to the United States.
Momentum Builds in Support of Paid Leave with Leadership from the President
On Thursday, President Obama announced several new initiatives to benefit America’s working families, especially the over 40 million American workers who do not currently have paid sick days.
President Obama has signed a memo directing federal agencies to provide their employees with six weeks of paid parental leave. In addition, the President has called on Congress to pass the Healthy Families Act, which was introduced in the last Congress by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-3). This legislation would allow American workers to earn seven days of paid sick leave and has yet to be reintroduced in the new Congress. Urge your Members of Congress to support paid sick days for working families today!
High School Student Lobbies Against Torture at L’Taken
Last week, Bailey Roos of Temple Beth El in San Antonio, Texas lobbied her members of Congress in support of the American Anti-Torture Act last introduced in the 112th Congress as part of our L’Taken social justice seminar. In her speech, Bailey talked about her own perception of torture as it related to her Jewish values and her experience visiting Israel last summer:
#SOTU Preview
On Tuesday night, the Sergeant-at-Arms for the House of Representatives will stand on the floor of the House chamber and announce to the assembled Members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices, Cabinet members, an array of guests in the gallery (including the First Lady and Dr. Biden) and millions of the American people watching live, “Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States!” This now-iconic declaration opens the State of the Union ceremony, as the President ascends the dais, hands copies of his speech to the Vice President and the Speaker of the House, and begins his address.
RAC Submits Public Comments to President’s Policing Task Force
The Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which President Obama created by Executive Order in December, convened for the first time on Tuesday, January 13. The first listening session was on “Building Trust and Legitimacy” and included testimony from five different panels of witnesses representing members of the law enforcement community, local politicians and mayors, community representatives and civil society leaders. The Task Force also solicited public comments – see below for an excerpt of the RAC’s comments and click here to read the comments in full.
Doing Well by Doing Good
Doing the right thing paid off at the bottom line. How often can you say that about doing a mitzvah? My experience with solar power at the Cape Cod Synagogue has been just that: our investment in renewable energy has been a positive for the environment, an expression of our Jewish values, and a net budgetary savings.
Supreme Court Ruling Upholds Key Religious Freedom Protections
Earlier today, the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in Holt v. Hobbs, holding that under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), prisoner Abdul Maalik Muhammed could grow a half-inch beard while incarcerated in Arkansas. This decision upheld the fundamental religious freedom rights of all people, of all backgrounds, and is heartening in light of the current debate over religious exemptions. The Union for Reform Judaism, the Central Conference of American Rabbis and Women of Reform Judaism were pleased to join an amicus brief coordinated by American Jewish Committee on the side of Mr. Muhammed.
Why I’m on the ARZA Slate
When the ARZA slate for the World Zionist Congress elections was officially announced last week with my name on it, I was humbled. The World Zionist Congress is the democratic body of the Jewish people worldwide that will meet this fall for the first time since 2010, and as a member of the ARZA slate, I will have the opportunity to represent Reform values to the World Zionist Congress and advocate for more funding to programs that promote religious pluralism, equality, and peace in Israel.
Yet aside from being humbled, I thought back to my experience on my Birthright trip three years ago. I remembered my night out in Tel Aviv and my trip to the Western Wall, but the most lasting images are from all those hours I spent on our tour bus, crisscrossing from Haifa to Tiberias to Jerusalem to Beersheva. I remember most strongly the scene as we left Tiberias, driving up the winding roads from Lake Kinneret to the hills beyond. Looking out the window, I saw the yellow-brown grass everywhere, green bushes dotting the landscape and the occasional signpost that listed our location in Hebrew, Arabic and English. The land looked so serene from my seat on the bus, equal parts austere and equal parts welcoming.
Bo: Liberation
By Sarah Newman