Reconstructionist Movement and Global Jewish Community tikkun olam/social justice efforts for 5773- 2012/13

JRF is committed to leading and supporting congregations in Tikkun HaNefesh V'Olam, the healing and repair of the individual person and the world at large. JRF is also a committed member of the National Jewish Social Justice Roundtable, the Green Hevre and multiple other ongoing and situational partner organizations and issues.

Reconstructionist Movement resources: http://jrf.org/tikkun-olam-resources
Omer Social Justice Initiative Home Page: http://jrf.org/omer/home
PEARL Leadership Programs on Tikkun Olam: http://jrf.org/pearl/archive
General Social Justice Resources: http://jrf.org/tikkun-olam-issues
RRC Social Justice Program: http://www.rrc.edu/academics/rabbinical-program/social-justice-organizing-program
How to make decisions about what to be involved in: http://www4.jrf.org/guidelines-for-social-justice-advocacy

2012-13/ 5772 Calendar Year major Tikkun Events

October 2012
Saturday, October 9th: Shabbat Noach Global 350 Climate Change: http://jrf.org/Shabbat-Noach-Global-350
JCPA ANTI-POVERTY MONTH http://jrf.org/fight-poverty-with-faith

Nov 2012
International Jewish Social Action Month: http://jrf.org/jewish_social_action_month December 2012
Rabbis for Human Rights Shabbat, http://jrf.org/Human-Rights-Shabbat

February 2013
February Jewish Disability Month, http://jrf.org/node/1743 (use their resources, study JRF Task force report- dedicate a Shabbat next month, etc.)
http://jrf.org/Jewish-Disability-Awareness-Month

March 2013

April 2013
Immigration Reform and HIAS "We Too Were Strangers" Passover Initiative http://jrf.org/Immigration (where does their local CRC/Federation stand on these issues as well as encouraging participation in Passover initiative)

JCPA Child Nutrition Passover Seder http://jrf.org/Hunger-Seder (April 2013)

May 2013

May 1 Deadline for application for JRF-Greenfaith Environmental Certification and Fellowship Programs http://jrf.org/Greenfaith

June 2013
National Religious Campaign Against Torture Torture Awareness Month
http://www.nrcat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=298&Itemid=219

Ongoing:

Tikkun Hanefesh V'Olam: Growing the Soul: Self, Community and World: (2010 audio and print resources now available at www.jrf.org/omer/2010

Externally affiliated organizations and project partners: http://jrf.org/external-affiliations

Ongoing International Relief Efforts JRF is an Executive Council Member of the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief https://www.jdc.org/jcdr_main.html, http://jrf.org/darfur-resources and http://jrf.org/East-Africa-Relief

Climate Change Initiative http://jrf.org/Jewish-Climate-Change-Initiative

Sustainable Synagogue Initiative http://jrf.org/Sustainable_Synagogue_Resources

Health Care Reform Interfaith Coalition http://jrf.org/Health-Care-For-All (ongoing work since passage of bill focusing on coverage for immigrants and persons with disabilities, reproductive choice coverage among other areas.

Global Anti-Poverty campaign: http://jrf.org/ONE-AntiPoverty and http://jrf.org/hunger

Immigration Reform http://jrf.org/Immigration

Congregation-based Community Organizing: http://jrf.org/cbco

GLBT rights and same-sex marriage resources: http://jrf.org/node/1742

HaKotel L’Kulam — The Western Wall Should Be For All http://jrf.org/Women-of-the-Wall

National Jewish Get out the Vote Initiative http://jrf.org/Get-out-the-Vote

Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) http://www.jewishpublicaffairs.org/ (Getting involved with your local JCRC- looking for people to be involved in the annual Plenum in Washington (e.g. http://jrf.org/2009+JCPA+Plenum+Resolutions/) The Jewish Council for Public Affairs serves as the representative voice of the organized American Jewish community in addressing the mandate of the Jewish community relations field. The mandate is expressed in two, interrelated goals:

• To safeguard the rights of Jews here, in Israel, and around the world; and, in order to accomplish that,

• To protect, preserve, and promote a just American society, one that is democratic and pluralistic.

Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice http://www.rcrc.org National Christian, Jewish and other religious organizations work through the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice to ensure reproductive choice through the moral power of religious communities. It seeks to give clear voice to the reproductive issues of people of color, those living in the poverty, and other under-served populations.

National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) http://www.ncbi.org/
Encourage their local participation where there is a chapter. NCBI has chapters in 60 cities where diverse leaders in the community work together in coalition to lead prejudice reduction, inter-groupconflict resolution, and coalition building programs. JRF member congregations could become involved with NCBI in their local communities or have local NCBI leaders come and lead programs in their congregations.

Mazon: Jewish Response to Hunger http://www.mazon.org/
Encourage their communities to give 3% from simchahs. Relevant Resources: Mazon Canada ; JRF Hunger Initiative Founded in 1985, MAZON (food in Hebrew) is a national, nonprofit agency which provides food, help, and hope to hungry people of all faiths and backgrounds. It allocates donations from the Jewish community to the most effective hunger relief organizations in the United States, Israel and in poor countries worldwide. As MAZON 'partners', congregations raise funds for hunger-relief during the High Holy Days and other times. Many Jews also give to MAZON three percent of the cost of weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and other joyous events.

The Informed Meetings Exchange (INMEX) http://www.inmex.org/
Encourage them to use this website before booking any hotel functions. INMEX offers groups a way to avoid labor disputes at their meetings and conventions. The Informed Meetings Exchange (INMEX) was to research, analyze and disseminate information about the global hotel industry. It enables member organizations to make informed decisions about how and where their meeting and convention dollars are spent. Each INMEX member organization wants to maximize the quality of their events and the impact their meeting and convention dollars have on hotel workers' lives and the communities they live in. http://www.forward.com/articles/check-out-working-conditions-before-checking-in-fo/

National Jewish Social Justice Roundtable

The Jewish Social Justice Roundtable, founded in 2009, is a collaboration of 21 Jewish social justice organizations working to elevate the role of social justice in the Jewish community and create a unified and robust Jewish social justice movement. The Roundtable is supported by the Nathan Cummings Foundation.

American Jewish World Service; AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps; Hazon; Jewish Community Action; Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston; Jewish Council for Public Affair; Jewish Council on Urban Affairs; Jewish Organizing Initiative / Center for Jewish Organizing; Jewish Reconstructionist Federation; Jewish World Watch; Jews United for Justice; Keshet; MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger; National Council of Jewish Women; New Israel Fund; PANIM Institute of BBYO; Progressive Jewish Alliance & Jewish Funds for Justice; Rabbinical Assembly; Repair the World
Union for Reform Judaism/ Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism/Just Congregations; Uri L’Tzedek

See also:
• Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations
http://www.conferenceofpresidents.org/
• International Association for Religious Freedom
http://www.iarf.net/
• International Jewish Social Justice Network
http://www.koldor.org/
• Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL)
http://www.coejl.org
• The Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief
http://www.jdc.org/jcdr_main.html
• The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
http://www.rcrc.org/
• Secure Communities Network
http://www.scnus.org/
The World Union for Progressive Judaism
http://wupj.org/