Updated - May 11, 2009 17 Iyyar 5769
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IMPENDING SUPREME COURT VACANCY!
What Happened, What's Next and What YOU Can Do!
Justice David Souter announced that he will be retiring from the Supreme Court at the end of the term. Supreme Court Justices exercise great power to interpret law and shape our nation. Pending good behavior, they serve lifetime appointments (they can remain on the bench for as long as they are interested and/or able to effectively fulfill their responsibilities). Anyone President Obama nominates has the potential to influence federal jurisprudence for decades, therefore we must get involved. Click HERE to learn more.
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STAND UP FOR REFORM JUDAISM IN ISRAEL
Rabbi Miri Gold has served as the Rabbi of Birkat Shalom congregation in Kibbutz Gezer since her ordination as a Reform Rabbi by the Hebrew Union College in 1999. 16 other local rabbis serve the area of the Gezer regional council and receive a State salary. Rabbi Miri Gold, who serves the entire region, is not recognized by the State because she is a Reform rabbi. Out of the thousands of rabbis recognized by the State of Israel there is not a single Reform rabbi!
In 2005 The Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism filed an appeal with the Israeli Supreme Court through the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), demanding that Rabbi Miri Gold is recognized by the State. The court has ordered the State to present the criteria according to which rabbis are recognized. To this day the State has not replied. This fall we hope that the State will present an equal and just set of criteria, such that is accepted by the Supreme Court.
Please sign the petition which will be sent to President Shimon Peres in support of Rabbi Gold.
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FAIR TRADE
There is nothing in the world more grievous than poverty - the most terrible of sufferings. Our teachers have said: if all the troubles of the world are assembled on one side and poverty is on the other, poverty would outweigh them all. (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 31:12). Jewish teaching emphasizes that all human beings are made in the image of God and that we have an obligation to protect our earth. As Jews, we learn that the highest level of tzedakah is for a person to assist those in need to become self-sufficient (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah 10:7-14). A commitment by our community to ensure that our consumer habits do not hinder economic advancement for others around the globe is one aspect of what this means. To learn more about the Reform movement's commitment to Fair Trade and specific things that you can do, visit http://rac.org/advocacy/issues/fairtrade/.
Woodlands Community Temple is joining the Fair Trade movement by making Mirembe Kawomera Fair Trade Ugandan Coffee available.
Social Justice Gift Shop: The Social Action Committee has teamed up with Woodlands' Judaica Shop to form a Social Justice Gift Shop. And, the two, together, have teamed up with Global Goods, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting social and economic justice by increasing awareness of community-based organizations (CBOs), opening new markets for their products, and providing grants focused on sustainable community development. Global Goods works with the CBOs to bring their products to market. Each item is made from sustainable resources and produced according to fair trade principles. The CBOs each operate small-scale enterprises as part of their social mission so that, in addition to generating revenue, they serve as vocational training facilities for impoverished community members, all of whom receive a fair living wage. This is a Win/Win/Win/Win deal.
- The Social Action Committee wins by advancing one of its critical missions: promoting the highest rung on Maimonides’ ladder of tzedakah.
- The Judaica Shop wins by advancing one of its critical missions: fundraising for our temple (receiving a percentage of the revenue from items sold).
- Our congregants win by being able to purchase incredibly beautiful handmade products not otherwise readily available – colorful raw silk scarves from a Cambodian artisans’ cooperative, adorable hippos made by disadvantaged and disabled people in townships outside Capetown, and exquisite bags embroidered by Guatemalan craftspeople, to name a few.
- And the women who create these items win by being justly compensated for their work and by becoming able to develop their skills and support their families.
These Global Goods products (as well as the Mirembe Kawomera coffee) were introduced at Woodlands on Mitzvah Day 2006 at a special Social Justice Boutique and, again, the following week at Woodlands’ Holiday Boutique.
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