(L to R) Rabbis Shawn Zevit, Jonah Pesner, and Elliott TeppermanRabbi Shawn Zevit, Director of Outreach and Tikkun Olam for JRF, Rabbi Brant Rosen, Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Rabbi Elliot Tepperman, Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, myself and over 20 other leaders from 10 JRF congregations recently represented our movement in attending the second JFJ national conference on Congregation-Based Community Organizing (CBCO) in Santa Clara, CA.

At the conference 30 people joined together for a Reconstructionist caucus to discuss next steps in bringing this powerful organizing and social justice approach to their congregational life.

Rabbi Toba Spitzer was a keynote opening the conference, Rabbi Tepperman taught a text study and Rabbi Zevit and Brian Fink convened the Reconstructionist caucus session.

As part of the conference, over 500 people attended the event that called on State Assembly members and, as well as County Supervisor Liz Kniss, to take leadership on expanding health coverage to the millions of uninsured in California.

(L to R) Rabbis Brant Rosen and Steve BoothAfter hearing from PACT and PIA members directly impacted by the soaring costs of health insurance, Assembly members Beall, Lieber and Ruskin all committed to leading members of the Democratic Party to work with the Governor to produce legislation this year that will provide every Californian with access to quality, affordable health coverage.

In response to concerns about cuts in state funding to county hospitals and clinics, all three Assembly members expressed their commitment to ensuring that the county hospitals and clinics continue to receive adequate funding amidst changes at the state level.The proposal, developed by Working Partnerships USA, the County Health & Hospital System, and the Santa Clara Family Health Plan, would offer 5,000 working adults the opportunity to get coverage at no additional cost to the county.