Social Justice at Temple Israel

Ohel Tzedek: Tent of Justice
"Justice, Justice Shall You Pursue" - Deuteronomy 16:20

Getting involved in Ohel Tzedek ("Tent of Justice"), Temple Israel's social justice initiative, is a great way to make meaningful connections within our community. We engage in grassroots organizing to address the root causes of injustice through building relationships within and outside of our congregation and engaging in a variety of issues which reflect our values and our stories. All are always welcome to be a part of social justice in this community. This year, we are currently engaged in the following issue areas, although this list grows and evolves as we do:

'V'Nishma: And We Will Listen'
A Community Conscience Listening Campaign led by Ohel Tzedek
On Friday, January 14, 2011, at the MLK/Shabbat Tzedek service, Rabbi Matt Soffer announced the launch of V'Nishma: And We Will Listen, a Community Conscience Listening Campaign led by Ohel Tzedek.

From now until Passover, our festival of freedom, our community will engage in a listening campaign.  Our purpose is to consult our collective conscience to identify the issues of social justice that currently weigh on our hearts and minds.  By sharing and listening, we will build relationships across our community, inspiring, anchoring, and empowering our actions with the stories of our lives.

In the past our listening campaigns have led to our leadership role in landmark accomplishments, including achieving Equal Marriage in the Commonwealth, the passage of the Anti-Bullying law, and with our GBIO partners, establishing the 120 million dollar Affordable Housing Trust Fund, creating the Moving from Debts to Assets financial education and incentive program, and bringing meaningful Heath Care Reform to Massachusetts.

The V'Nishma Campaign had its culminating event, the "V'Nishma Summit," on Tuesday, May 17th.  The results of V'Nishma, including our next steps, were presented at TI's Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 2.

Join us as we continue to organize our community to pursue justice together!

Health Care Cost Control
The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) Health Care Cost Containment Team is part of a larger movement nationwide - the Campaign for Better Care - to understand and reform health care payment systems to both improve the quality of care and curb costs.  The Health Care team has arranged a series of Research Actions to inform our work as we go forward. The goals of these Actions are threefold: 1) To learn how the health care system works, 2) to identify different perspectives and interests at play, and 3) To build relationships with key leaders and decision makers.

So far, we have met with Dr. Sarah Iselin, President of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Foundation, Dr. Gary Gotlieb, CEO of Partners Health, and Thomas O'Brien, from the Office of the Attorney General. We have upcoming meetings with Andrew Dreyfus, CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Robin Callahan of MassHealth.

Our inability to account for rising health care costs is choking-out other crucial services in our communities. Since 2001, the combined cuts in public services (Public Health, Education, Public Safety, etc) have amounted to 19%. Health care costs have increased by 37%.  The correlation is clear.  Governor Patrick has made health care cost containment a priority in this next year. 

Anti-Usury Campaign & Move Our Money
Join us as we campaign to move individual bank accounts out of the "Too Big to Fail" banks and into banks that abide by MA interest cap laws.  Move Our Money grew out of the larger Anti-Usury campaign.  This far-reaching campaign to act against predatory lending and other banking practices designed to keep people in debt earned a great victory when we helped to move $243 million of MA-state money out of usurious banks and into MA-chartered banks.  The campaign is currently operating at several levels, most notably: nationally and internationally through the 10% is Enough campaign, and locally through Move Our Money. For information and to get involved, contact Adam Greenspan.

Transgender Legislation
We are working to ensure the passage of current legislation which would designate assault against transgender individuals as a hate crime and would make it illegal by Massachusetts state law to fire an individual because of their gender expression or identity.  Temple Israel members have lobbied their legislators and helped to make our own community a safe space for everyone.  To get involved, please contact Shari Friedman or Karen Roberts.

More
To get involved in issues such as Access to Higher Education, to share your story with an Ohel Tzedek leader, or to learn more about social justice at Temple Israel in general, please contact social justice co-chairs, Cindy Rowe or Nick Decaneas, our amazing and talented social justice organizer, Ilana Lerman, or Rebecca Herst.

Direct Service Work
Temple Israel has long-standing relationships with several great organizations that work towards a more just world through Direct Service.  You can further this work by joining the efforts of:

The Greater Boston Food Bank (contact Sue Misselbeck)

Jewish Family & Children's Services Family Table (contact Michael Malamut)

The Jewish Coalition for Literacy - volunteering in a literacy program at the William Henderson Inclusive School in Dorchester (contact Rhea Bufferd)

Sunday's Bread - serving food at the Church of St. John the Evangelist on the first Sunday of every month (contact Rebecca Herst).

For more details, please visit our Direct Service page!

Partnerships

GBIO
Temple Israel is a founding member of the Greater Boston Interfaith Initiative.  Learn more about GBIO.

AMETI
One of our sacred partnerships with Bethel AME Church members is AMETI - joining our two communities as we work together to address the humanitarian needs of the Sudan region.  We just celebrated the miraculous opening of a school for girls in the Akon Village, a project of My Sister's Keeper, with whom we work on these issues.  To get involved, please contact Priscilla Golding.