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Check it out, Nov 22-23, 92YTribeca, NYC

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As important as moments of silence and reflection are in honoring those who have been martyred, it’s equally important to give voice to their stories and to the stories of those who are living lives in the face of a world that doesn’t understand. Along those lines, S. Isaac Dowd has written a beautiful reflection on the day, from the perspective of a transgender Jew over at JVoices.

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An anedote from June ‘08: Dr. Yaale Livnat of the Regional Council of Unrecognized Villages, spoke to a rare delegation of young American Jews at an unrecognized village not far from Wadi el Na’am. Many of the students on this particular trip had been Hillel volunteers in New Orleans after Katrina. Surveying the evidence of government neglect, corrugated aluminum and wood palette shacks, the rusty generators for heat and electricity, and the empty sandlot where participants played soccer with the Bedouin teenagers, they saw that, in their own words, “It’s the same thing.”

They’re exactly right. It boils down to this: racism. Very simple, ordinary, normal, unsurprising racism. CK over at Jewlicious wants to chalk it up to a bureaucratic “accident”. The photo caption reads, “Who exactly does this Mosque threaten? We’re knocking it down because… ?”

But those of us who’ve volunteered with the Bedouin and the NGOs which work on their behalf know the simple answer. The government is knocking it down because Bedouin who live in one place long enough approach gaining squatters’ rights. It refuses to build infrastructure because Arabs are second-class citizens. Or at least, they say, it’s the Jewish State, and Jews come first.

The Negev, government representatives claim, is the only space left for Jews to expand in Israel and the target of Ben-Gurion’s dream at that. Every inch of it needs to be saved for the Jews. And if you don’t believe me, watch Chaim Yavin’s ID Blues where he interviews a regional administrator, the guy who writes the demolition orders. And it’s not surprising, given our people’s relectance to admit that as a normal country (gasp) Israel has plenty racism to deal with.

Some people are claiming, “Oh how terrible that this mosque — and for shande, it’s an eco-mosque! — will be torn down!”

The biggest shanda is that every week, somewhere in the Negev, a house or village is knocked down. And only when it’s a freakin’ eco-project by a Bedouin who served 9 years in the IDF, do we give a shit. And still, that the mainstream Jewish press doesn’t cover it at all. If this ain’t racism, I don’t know what is. That’s the shande.

It’s not just shame on Israel — shame on the Jews.

At the time this gets posted, it will likely be too late to do anything. Demolitions are postponed, but they’re almost never recinded. Despite that, BUSTAN’s call for an intervention and the emails of the authorities in charge are below the fold.

An eco-built mosque (the first in Israel) is slated for demolition in the unrecognized village of Wadi el Na’am. This village is one of the worst places I’ve ever seen on earth - surrounded 360 degrees by heavy military and industrial infrastructure, many of the citizens living there are sick, they receive no services and are ‘on hold’ to be relocated to a government-planned town for the past few years with no date in sight. This move requires them to relinquish all land claims, and many Bedouin are resistant, though not waging a non-violent struggle.

The Jews and Arabs that built this mosque are Israelis from BUSTAN, international volunteers, and a diverse mix of families from the village. We’re trying to stave the demolition - it is an inhumane way of forcing compliance and it seriously undermines work that many Jewish and Arab NGO’s are doing to build civil society in this dry, heavily contaminated, and extremely under-resourced part of the country.

BUSTAN calls for the Israeli government to negotiate with Bedouin leadership, these demolitions are a tactic employed by the Israel Land Administration must be resisted. It is undemocratic. Please forward to this appeal to your lists and HELP in any way you can, to stop the pending demolition. This is NOT a democratic policy.

_________________________________________________

URGENT

November 17th, 2008

Wadi Na’am, Israel

The first mud and straw-bale built mosque in Israel received demolition orders late last week in the unrecognized Bedouin village of Wadi al Na’am, come help stop the demolition!
Volunteers are urgently needed starting this evening (Monday November 17th) to stay in the mosque through Thursday (November 20th) to protest and document any attempt to carry out the demolition.

To sign up for a shift, please email Tess at greencenter {at} bustan(.)org or call her at 050-371-1802, OR Josh Berer, 052 7500152, RCUV.

If you can arrive with a car to bring people to and from Wadi Na’am that is extremely helpful. We will make every attempt to provide transportation for those who need it.

There are 80,000 Bedouin Arabs currently living in 45 unrecognized villages in Israel that lack basic infrastructure, health care, electricity, and water access. Local Bedouins as well as Christian, Muslim, and Jewish volunteers from Israel, the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Africa have contributed to building the mosque over the last four months.

For more information about the mosque, please see this article from August 2008 and this post.

If you cannot make it, please fax or call the following officials to protest the demolition:

Itzhak HaKohen, the Minister of Religious Service
Fax: 02 6706157. izchakec {at} knesset.gov(.)il

Meir Shitrit, the Minister of Interior
Fax: 02 6408920. mshitrit {at} knesset.gov(.)il

Zeev Boim, the Minster of Housing and Construction, and Minister responsible for the Israeli Land Authority, and the Bedouin Minority.
Fax: 02-6496062. zaevb {at} knesset.gov(.)il

For press inquiries:

Mahmod Jarbeau at 057-466-2331 (Hebrew, Arabic) —resident of Wadi Na’am, served nine years in the Israeli military, director of the project Ra’ed Al Mickawi 052-371-1801 (Hebrew, Arabic, English)—Director of BUSTAN

Dr. Yeela Livnat Ra’anan 054-748-7005 (English, Hebrew)—RCUV

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Here’s the text of the entire statement:

The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College deplore the passage of Proposition 8 in California and similar discriminatory initiatives recently passed in Arizona, Florida, and Arkansas. We are saddened and deeply disturbed by the denial of fundamental human rights—to marry, to adopt and care for foster children—to thousands of gay and lesbian citizens across the United States. We are particularly dismayed by the passage of initiatives that have reversed previously recognized equality for same-sex unions.

Beginning in 1993, in a series of resolutions, the Reconstructionist movement has affirmed the holiness of commitments made by same-sex couples. Religious recognition of marriages does not confer the legal and civil rights and responsibilities bestowed by the state upon married couples. We recognize the right of every religious denomination to affirm its own definition of, and limitations upon, the sacred ritual of marriage. No member of the clergy should be compelled to sanctify any union that is contrary to his or her understanding of sacred text and tradition. But neither should any gay or lesbian citizen of the United States be denied the legal rights confirmed by civil marriage.

We call upon leaders of other faith communities who share the commitment to civic equality and to the separation of church and state in the realm of marriage to speak out against bans on same-sex marriage and discrimination against GLBT people in the realm of adoption and foster care. We look forward to the day when all states will grant equal access to the rights and responsibilities of civil marriage.

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This Sunday, Jewish Currents, The Workmen’s Circle and The Shalom Center are cosponsoring “Jews Uniting to End the War and Heal America,” a day-long conference featuring a remarkable list of speakers and representation from a broad, liberal Jewish spectrum.

Central Synagogue, 123 East 55th Street (between Park and Lexington Avenues), NYC, 9:30-5:15 (registration pens at 8:30)

Room is limited; preregistration is recommended! A full list of speakers, including Jewschool Founder Daniel Sieradsky, can be found at http://www.circle.org/jewsuniting/.

If we think of each human life as an entire world, as the Jewish tradition urges us to do, then the war in Iraq is a black hole swallowing galaxies. Yes, the war has moved to the backburner of public consciousness because of all the other ways in which our country is suffering from the radically ideological, and radically incompetent, Bush government. Nevertheless, ending the Iraq war and reckoning with the damages it has caused is a critical foundationstone of the “change” that Barack Obama urged throughout his campaign. Few public voices are saying so, however, and few voices are challenging the “preemptive war” doctrine or other military policies that have held sway since 9/11.

Seventy-eight percent of American Jews voted for Obama, despite all the predictions of Jewish liberal “slippage” and all of the lies and rumor-mongering that tried to provoke that slippage. Now is the time for the Jewish community to follow up its vote by breaking its silence about this war. One key purpose of the conference is to explore the complex reasons for that silence and finally release our community from its grip. We have weighed and largely withheld our words for more than five years; it’s time, now, to lift our voices and direct our resources towards the healing of America.

Here’s the schedule:

ORGANIZING FOR ACTION
Sunday, November 23, 2008 at Central Synagogue
123 East 55th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, NYC

8:30AM Registration opens for the day / Breakfast available

9:30AM Welcoming/opening remarks

• Stacey Bosworth, Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring
• Rabbi Ellen Lippmann, The Shalom Center and Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives
• Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz, poet and scholar

9:40AM-10:45AM Opening Plenary: Why the Jewish Community Must Take Vigorous Action to End the War and Heal America

• Honorable Elizabeth Holtzman, former Congresswoman, author, attorney
• Rabbi David Saperstein, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
• Ann Toback, Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring
• Rabbi Arthur Waskow, The Shalom Center

11:00AM-12:15PM 4 Concurrent Morning Sessions

A. Impacts of Iraq war and peace on the broader Middle East (from Iran to Egypt, and everything in between)

• Moderator: TBA
• Diane Balser, Brit Tzedek V’Shalom
• Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street
• Lilly Rivlin, Meretz USA
• MJ Rosenberg, Israel Policy Forum

B. Impacts of the Iraq war on human rights and civil liberties in the US

• Moderator: Rabbi Simkha Weintraub, Rabbis for Human Rights-North America
• Honorable Elizabeth Holtzman, former Congresswoman, author and attorney
• Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Rabbis for Human Rights-North America
• Michael Ratner, Center for Constitutional Rights

C. Oil, war and climate crisis

• Moderator: Marc Sussman, The Climate Project/Air America
• Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, Baltimore Jewish Environmental Network
• Emmaia Gelman, Center for Working Families
• Steve Kretzmann, Oil Change International
• Charles Komanoff, Carbon Tax Center

D. Healing veterans, their families and the families of the war dead

• Moderator: Myriam Miedzian, author “Boys Will Be Boys: Breaking the Link Between Masculinity and Violence”
• Jan Barry, Veterans for Peace, Vietnam Veterans Against the War
• Penny Coleman, author “Flashback: Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, Suicide and the Costs of War”
• Sue Niederer, Goldstar Families for Peace

12:15-12:45PM Lunch break—no formal sessions at this time

12:25-12:35 Optional Film Screenings “Soldiers of Conscience” and “The End of America”

12:40-12:45PM Musical Performance

• Adrienne Cooper, Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring
• Cantor Jonathan Gordon, Woodlands Community Temple

12:45PM-1:05PM Afternoon Keynote Remarks/An Insider’s View from the Hill

• Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
• Introduction: Marty Schwartz, Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring

1:05-1:30PM Views to the Hill and Beyond

• Introduction: Rokhl Kafrissen, Jewish Currents
• Leslie Cagan, United for Peace and Justice
• Jeremy Ben-Ami, JStreet

1:30-2:45PM Afternoon Plenary: Confronting the War in the Jewish Community at this Historic Moment of Opportunity

• Moderator: Lawrence Bush, Jewish Currents
• Rabbi Marla Feldman, Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism
• Rabbi Peter Knobel, Central Conference of American Rabbis
• Sammie Moshenberg, National Council of Jewish Women
• Rabbi Arthur Waskow, The Shalom Center

3:00-4:15PM 4 Concurrent Afternoon Sessions

A. Domestic economic consequences of the war and peace

• Moderator: Gary Ferdman, Common Cause
• Bill Lipton, Working Families Party
• Liza Featherstone, journalist and contributing editor to The Nation
• Bill Tabb, Queens College

B. Jewish values, texts, and organizing with rabbis and synagogues

• Moderator: Rabbi Ellen Lippmann, The Shalom Center and Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of Our Lives
• Rabbi Rebecca Alpert, Temple University
• Rabbi Or Rose, Hebrew College
• Rabbi David Shneyer, Am Kolel

C. Building a Jewish anti-war activist network

• Moderator: Marty Schwartz, Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring
• Jeffrey Dekro, The Shalom Center and founder of The Shefa Fund
• Mark Johnson, Fellowship of Reconciliation/Olive Branch Interfaith Partners for Peace
• April Rosenblum, author “The Past Didn’t Go Anywhere” and contributor to “Righteous Indignation”
• Rabbi Michael Rothbaum, Hillels of Westchester
• Tammy Shapiro, Union of Progressive Zionists
• Dara Silverman, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice

D. The Media & Changing Jewish Public Opinion

• Moderator and respondent: Esther Kaplan, The Nation Institute
• Jeff Cohen, Park Center for Independent Media
• Dan Sieradski, Jewish Telegraphic Agency

4:30-5:15PM Closing Keynote Remarks/Close of the Day

• Introduction: Adrienne Cooper, Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring
• Keynote: Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
• Robert Kaplan, Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring
• Jeffrey Dekro, The Shalom Center

5:15-6:00PM Musical Performance

• Basya Schecter and Pharoah’s Daughter

5:30-5:40PM Optional Film Screenings “Soldiers of Conscience” and “The End of America”

6:00PM Close of the day

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Jewschool’s very own Mobius joins distinguished panels of local, everyday Jewish changemakers in NY and those who attend will benefit from activism skillshare workshops, networking, an earload of local social justice opportunities, and mishegaas.

Sunday, November 23, 2008
Washington, DC
Sixth & I Synagogue
4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 7, 2008
New York, NY
NY Society for Ethical Culture
4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Judaism was meant to be revolutionary. Check the info below the fold.

Inside the Activists’ Studio - DC

Sunday November 23, 2008
Sixth & I Synagogue, Washington, DC
4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Registration begins at 3:30

We’ll start the evening with fabulous workshops by:
Ilana Lipsett, Political Director, SEIU 32BJ
Marta Beresin, Attorney, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
Adam Tenner, Director, Metro TeenAIDS
Rebecca Shaloff, Co-Op America
Scott Rechsler, Ashoka Foundation
Lindsey Morris, Casa of Maryland

And end the evening with a panel of amazing local change-makers:
Sarah Ackerman, Sexual Health Educator
Josh Hart, Advisory Neighborhood Commission Member
Alisa Glasman, Lead Organizer, Action in Montgomery
Jakir Manela, Kayam Organic Farm Director, Pearlstone Retreat Center

Moderated by: Ronit Avni, Founder of Just Vision

To register for DC, please click here. 
Got Questions?  Want to Volunteer?  Contact us at jposilkin {at} ajws(.)org or 202-842-1178.

Produced by: The AJWS-AVODAH Partnership, in close collaboration with Jews United for Justice, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Young Leaders and Sixth & I Synagogue. Co-sponsored by: Zeek: A Journal of Jewish Thought and Culture and Jewschool.com.

Inside the Activists’ Studio - NY

Sunday, December 7th
4pm – 9pm, registration at 3:30pm
Location: NY Society for Ethical Culture
Address: 2 W.64th Street, New York, NY (near Columbus Circle)
Cost: Sliding scale, $8 - $18 (nobody will be turned away for lack of funds)

Join us to learn from and be energized by local Jewish change-makers and to celebrate the multitude of ways we are all working to create a more equitable world.

Panel discussion with:

Abby Bellows – Congregational Organizer, NW Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition
Daniel Marks Cohen – Real Estate Developer, Social Activist, and Philanthropist
Batya Schwartz Ehrens – Attorney and Immigrant Rights Advocate
Sam J. Miller – Writer/Organizer, Picture the Homeless

Moderated by Cindy Greenberg – Independent Consultant, Activist / Organizer, Political Theater Artist

Skills-share workshops with:

Miriam Barnard, Senior Director of Development, Fortune Society
Andrew Boyd, Founding Partner of Agit-Pop Communications
Jen Chau, Founder of Swirl
Shuli Passow, Director of Community Initiatives, Jewish Funds for Justice
Daniel Sieradski, New Media Entrepreneur
and others!

Reception with music and a light dinner will follow. 

Register for NYC here.

Hosted by the AJWS-AVODAH Partnership and our partners:
Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, the New Israel Fund’s New Generations, and Young Leaders of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.

Co-sponsored by: Bronfman Youth Fellowships, Congregation Beth Elohim, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, Jewish Funds for Justice, Jewschool.com, Uri L’Tzedek, Village GAP: Jewish Grads And young Professionals at NYU, and Zeek: A Journal of Jewish Thought and Culture.

With special thanks to the Jewish Women’s Foundation.

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Mechon Hadar is excited to announce that it is now accepting applications for the both the summer 2009 session and the first-ever year-round session (2009-2010) of Yeshivat Hadar.

Yeshivat Hadar Summer 2009
Yeshivat Hadar offers 36 fellows an intensive program in the heart of Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The 8-week experience (June 14 - August 8, 2009) will combine traditional text study, egalitarian prayer and social action with a special focus on personal religious growth. Yeshivat Hadar will create a community of learning which will include seminars, havruta (paired learning), elective classes and time for independent study. Students will complete the program equipped with greater textual competence and broader knowledge of the Jewish tradition as a whole. Students will commit to bringing lessons from their summer experience to their local community.

Yeshivat Hadar 2009-2010
Next fall, Yeshivat Hadar will launch the first full-year, full-time egalitarian yeshiva in North America. The program will offer 15-20 fellows an intensive program in New York City, anchored around empowerment, community and the search for meaning and purpose in Jewish life. Fellows are expected not only to participate in the program but to be partners in its launch as well. While the dates are still being finalized, prospective fellows should be available from September 2009 through May 2010. Like the summer program, the year-long program will create a community of learning which will include seminars, havruta (paired learning), elective classes and time for independent study. Students will complete the program equipped with greater textual competence and broader knowledge of the Jewish tradition as a whole. Students will commit to bringing lessons from their summer experience to their local community.

In recognition of the intense time and energy commitment required by the fellowship, Yeshivat Hadar is pleased to offer a generous stipend, intended to cover the cost of tuition and living expenses. Participation in the program is a selective process, and prospective students must complete a full application, as well as references, by February 1, 2009. Finalists will be interviewed, and fellows for both programs will be notified in mid-late March.

For those in the New York area, we invite you to join us for an evening of learning with us on Thursday night, January 15th, 2009, 7-9 pm, at West End Synagogue, 190 Amsterdam Ave (near 69th Street), which will once again host Yeshivat Hadar in 2009.

For more information (including student qualifications and a tentative schedule with course descriptions), and for the full application, please visit www.yeshivathadar.org. For any questions, feel free to email us at info {at} mechonhadar(.)org.

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Well, actually I have no idea what the problem was, as I’m not really much of a techie.

We have taken several steps to try and fix the problems, and hope that we have the problem under control. We apologize for the sporadic outages, and welcome everyone back to the joyous world of Jewschool. Thanks for your patience.

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