Announcement: Jewish Community Action is Committed to Working for Marriage Equality

JCA stands for equality. Our tradition teaches us to pursue justice and to uphold the dignity of each person. In this spirit, JCA will partner with OutFront Minnesota, Minnesotans United for All Families and other groups to support marriage equality and defeat the 2012 marriage amendment. We believe in equal rights for all Minnesotans, and oppose enshrining discrimination into our state constitution. The tide of justice will roll forward, and we hope you will join us by getting involved.

In standing up for civil rights issues in the 1960s, Rabbi Max Shapiro addressed the challenges of racial inequality: “There is a religious standard by which man relates to his fellow man. ‘All men are brothers.’ ‘He who honors his fellow man honors God.’ No religious person—no Jew—can dispute this.” This sentiment holds true today and reminds us of our call to justice.

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On September 19, 550 individuals from communities of faith united in a campaign kickoff training to enhance our voice for marriage equality. The event took place at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis in the evening. Approximately 50 Jews attended a JCA-convened break-out session, where Rabbi Melissa Simon of Shir Tikvah framed the issue from a Jewish perspective.

The event, organized by OutFront Minnesota and Minnesotans United for All Families, officially began the faith-led effort to win the freedon to marry for all loving couples in Minnesota, first by defeating the 2012 anti-marriage constitutional amendement.

Read an article on www.TCJewfolk.com by JCA staff member Carin Mrotz that details her both her personal story and re-caps the powerful event. Read the article here.



Read Rabbi Melissa Simon’s post about this issue here.

For more information about the anti-marriage amendement, or how you can get involved, contact Adele or Carin at (651) 632-2184.

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Healthy Communities for All!
This meeting will address the housing crisis in St. Paul
October 11, 2011, 7:00-8:30pm
St. James AME Church

The economic crisis has hit the people of St. Paul hard. Residents have lost millions of dollars of wealth through the housing crisis. Foreclsoures are ravaging the most vunerable neighborhoods. At the same time, our $1 billion public investment in the Central Corridor Light Rail may increase the danger that low-income residents and people of color who live in the Corridor will be displaced.

It's time for a bold plan to address these problems and make St. Paul a healthy Community for all!

For more information about this meeting, call us at (651) 632-2184
 
(This meeting is organized by ISAIAH, Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation, Housing Preservation Project, and Jewish Community Action.)

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Help prevent foreclosures - Attend a doorknock! If you want to participate in upcoming doorknocks (most Thursday evenings), or if you have questions about our foreclosure work, call Dave at (651) 632-2184 or email.

Click here to read a recent article in Finance & Commerce about what the city of Minneapolis plans to do to rebuild in aftermath of the devastating tornado that hit the northside in May.
(JCA's Dave Snyder is featured.)

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Adele Brown, Senior Organizer, attended a policy briefing at the White House on July 29, 2011 with other JCA members. Here are her thoughts about this exciting opportunity:

"Last week in Washington D.C. was a turning point. No, not the debt ceiling negotiations - Friday, July 29th marked the first time progressive Jews from throughout the country joined together to meet with the White House Staff.

Eleven JCA members joined 170 Jews from 21 other social justice organizations, all members of the Jewish Social Justice Round Table.  The Round Table is a collaboration of organizations from across the country committed to building the Jewish community’s power to affect change on social justice issues, cutting across lines of race, faith and class.

The group had four simultaneous briefing sessions with members of the administration, addressing issues of food security, health care, education and housing.  In the housing briefing session with Helen R. Kanovsky, General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, JCA board member, Andrea Rubinstein shared a moving story of how her Jewish values guide her in her work with Northside residents to stop mortgage foreclosure.

Being in a group of 170 Jews who care so deeply about our country’s social justice issues was inspiring.  We spent the day in conversation with some of our government’s top leaders, addressing the pressing issues facing our nation, bringing to life a core tenet of Judaism, social justice.

I had the opportunity to join Round Table Leadership in the Roosevelt Room of the west wing of the White House in a private meeting with Jon Carson, President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.  Sitting around a conference table in a room adjacent to the oval office was awe inspiring, and to have the ear of the administration was so meaningful.  We asked hard questions and told the administration what we need from our President so that we can have success on the ground. It is so important that the White House knows that there are members of the Jewish community who care deeply about the issues affecting everyone in our country.   

This historic gathering of diverse Jewish social justice organization was an amazing start to raising the profile of our Jewish social justice values, and we are on a path to bring equity to communities around the country.  Last week in Washington D.C. was a turning point, and we ask you to join with JCA to be part of this community working for justice."

If you have questions about the trip to Washington D.C., please contact Adele at (651) 632-2184 or email.