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Our Bodies, Our Bank Accounts: Pregnant Workers Accommodations and Economic Security
When we think of pregnant women in the workforce, the first thing that comes to mind is often maternity leave. But, maternity leave is just one piece of the complex puzzle of policies necessary to support working mothers and working families. Another critical piece of that puzzle are pregnancy accommodations—necessary to ensure that pregnant workers can keep working to support themselves and their families throughout the duration of their pregnancy.
Reflections on Selma: Our Intersecting Struggles for Equality
This past weekend, four of the other legislative assistants and I were in Selma for the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the March to Montgomery. We had planned our trips months prior to the event, and although I was excited to be a part of this important milestone, I became more and more nervous as the Jubilee approached. With each passing day, I continued to read about the barriers to marriage equality in Alabama, and although I clearly had no intention of getting married while in Alabama, it reminded me that Alabama has the lowest support for marriage equality out of all fifty states and lacks non-discrimination protections for LGBT individuals. I would be leaving the queer-friendly bubble of Washington, D.C. for a state where I could not as easily assume people’s support for my rights. It was ironic that I would be going to a state to mark a landmark moment in civil rights history while that same state was currently in the throes of resisting equality for LGBT people.
Down to the Wire: Less Than a Week till Israeli Elections
Israeli citizens will elect a new government in just five days, in what many have called Israel’s most important election ever. Israelis find themselves at a crossroads, with real debates about whether the Jewish state should expand settlements, engage in peace negotiations, ensure protections for women and members of the LGBT community and treat all religions equally.
Short-Term Shelter, Long-Term Respect
Last month, the Department of Housing and Urban Development released new guidelines which call on single-sex emergency shelters and other facilities to “place a potential client (or current client seeking a new assignment) in a shelter or facility that corresponds to the gender with which the person identifies,” while taking health and safety concerns into account. This guidance builds upon HUD’s 2012 regulation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in programs and shelters receiving HUD funding and is an important victory in the fight to provide shelter for people experiencing resources.
Keeping Kids Well Fed and Fueled in the Classroom
Too many children are going to school hungry. We are all told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but imagine that day after day, having breakfast may not be a stable option for you or your family. And imagine that food is scarce for other meals as well. How well could you do on tests? On papers? In class discussions?
A study recently released by No Kid Hungry found that three out of four public school teachers also say that students regularly come to school hungry. Though child nutrition programs like the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, already exist, these programs need to be strengthened. Breakfast is connected to benefits in the classroom: a majority of teachers see students paying better attention in class and having improved attendance. 48% of educators also note that their teens have fewer disciplinary problems when they eat breakfast.
The Power of Prophetic Rage
This past weekend I had the great privilege of being a part of the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, AL. Along with my roommate and four of other legislative assistants (and we later joined up with RAC Director Rabbi Jonah Pesner and Deputy Director Rachel Laser), I headed south to honor the work of those who risked and gave their lives for the Civil Rights Movement and to rededicate myself to continuing their work today. While I expected the weekend to be meaningful, I didn't understand the full power of participating in the anniversary commemorations until I actually arrived in Selma and was able to hear the stories and wisdom of those around me.
Putting the Jew in Sustainable Food Justice
By Becky Wasserman
Sustainable food is trendy. More and more, people gloat about the heritage, organic, local tomatoes they bought from the farmer’s market and scoff at the McDonald’s burger. While it’s great that more people are starting to consider the human and environmental impacts of their consumption habits, an even bigger hurdle awaits in finding ways to make this food accessible to everyone. The good news is that Jewish communities are on the forefront of the fight for sustainable food justice.
From Page to Practice: Reinterpreting the Helms Amendment
Since his inauguration in 2009, advocates for reproductive rights have been urging President Obama to reinterpret the Helms Amendment, which bans American foreign aid for abortion services in all circumstances. Though certainly not the only dangerous, anti-choice policy in U.S. law, Helms stands out as the lowest hanging fruit on these issues. This is especially the case because while most of these reproductive rights-related policies take the form of legislation and apply immediately individuals across the country, the Obama Administration administers the foreign aid that would be sent to clinics around the world. Thus, it is in the power of the executive branch to reinterpret the Helms Amendment, so that entities like USAID who oversee some of the granting process, will change the rules for grantees who offer reproductive health services.
Join Rabbis Organizing Rabbis at CCAR Convention
by Rabbi Rachel Timoner
“Who knows whether you have come to your position for such a time as this?"
Last week we told the story of Mordechai calling Esther to action for her people just days before our country commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, Alabama. We honored Esther and Mordechai, who risked their lives to rid their community of the injustice Haman intended to perpetrate, and then we honored Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Joshua Heschel, John Lewis and many others who risked their lives to rid our country of the injustice perpetuated by structural racial inequality.
Selma: Honoring Our Past, Looking to the Future
Last weekend, a handful of RAC staffers made a trek from the snowy northeast to Alabama, where they joined thousands converging on Selma to observe the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. Carrying a RAC banner, they joined a crowd in a symbolic reenactment of a march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where civil rights activists 50 years ago met a violent, now-infamous confrontation with police.
But historical commemoration was not the only theme of the weekend. Diverse social justice organizations led programming ranging from educational community organizing workshops to impassioned religious gatherings. A bipartisan Congressional delegation led by Rep. John Lewis discussed using policy to address voting rights, systemic poverty, and criminal justice reform. And a multicultural, interfaith crowd gathered in a small, historic Reform synagogue to honor the Jewish commitment to the civil rights movement, past, present, and future.