Focus Areas > Social Justice > Bohm Social Justice Initiative
Bohm Social Justice Initiative
- About
- Community Against Poverty Volunteer Fair
- Community Partners
- Summer SLICE Community Service Camp
- JCRC Helps to Restore Metro Cuts
- 5th Annual Electronics Recycling Drive
-
Cheshvan
Summer SLICE: Opportunity for Teens
JCRC Teens help residents of Kinloch at 2010 Summer SLICE Community Service Camp.
During the week of July 12-16, 2010, a group of teens sponsored by JCRC attended St. Louis Interfaith Community Explorations (SLICE) Camp. SLICE is sponsored by Interfaith Partnership/Faith Beyond Walls. JCRC campers worked alongside campers from the Christian, Muslim and Hindu communities serving as counselors at the Kinloch summer camp and doing yard work, organizing the library and organizing work areas at the Kinloch Learning Center. Students also learned more about poverty by participating in a Poverty Simulation on the first day of camp.
Summer SLICE students prepare for Poverty Simulation, where they role play family members from a low-income community and attempt to feed and care for their family members over the course of a simulated month living in poverty.
JCRC SLICE Campers (l. to r.): Alex Jacks, Aaron Garriga, Miranda Rubin, Maddie Lapp, Ezra Amacher, Hannah Cropf, Harika Upadhyayula, and Dena Selig
SLICE campers help organize books in the Kinloch Learning Center Library
Campers from the Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim communities form bonds as they work side by side to alleviate poverty
Get Involved for Cheshvan, Jewish Social Action Month
October 9-November 7, 2010-5771
Join with JCRC in any or all of the following free activities
For more information, contact Gail Wechsler at
314-442-3894 or gwechsler@jcrcstl.org
October 3-10--Project Noah week: come to one or more of JCRC's community wide events, sponsored by JEI. Learn more here
Toiletry Drive: Now through November 7--to benefit Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry. Sponsored by Temple Israel. Bring items to foyer at Northeast entrance of building.
More info: 314-432-8050
Clothing Drive: Now through Thanksgiving, November 25--to benefit Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Center Clothes Closet.
Sponsored by Congregation BSKI. Bring donations to 1107 Linden Avenue 63117.
More info: 314-725-6230
Outerwear Drive: October 9 through November 7--to benefit International Institute and Little Bit Foundation. Sponsored by JCRC. Location drop offs here.
Picture from last year's drive
Book Drive: October 9 through November 7--To benefit children in St. Louis public schools and Head Start programs. Drop offs at JCRC, Congregation BSKI and Congregation Shaare Emeth.
CROP Walk: Sunday October 24, Upper Muny Parking Lot Forest Park: 1-2 Registration; 2:30 walk begins--To benefit Operation Food Search and Mazon, a Jewish Response to Hunger. Jewish community participation sponsored by JCRC and Jewish Social Action Network. Contact your individual congregation for more information.
Efforts by JCRC Helped Restore Metro Cuts
By Gail Wechsler, Director of Domestic Issues/Social Justice
Gerry Greiman, JCRC President, assisting
Stuart Falk in asking a question
Concerned that major cuts in public transit slated to begin on March 30 would have a devastating effect on the poor, elderly and people with disabilities, JCRC went into action. On March 27, JCRC convened a public meeting with State Senator Joan Bray to discuss the service cuts and their impact on the entire region. Over one hundred twenty five people attended the meeting, which provided an
opportunity both to hear community leaders speak and to hear from consumers of public transit who were directly affected by the cuts.
Those attending learned that reductions in service would impact many different communities, as representatives from Missouri Council of the Blind, the Older Adults Community Action Program (OACAP) and Paraquad, as well as numerous faith leaders, took the podium to describe in real terms what loss of public transit would mean to them. Les Sterman, President of East/West Gateway Coordinating Council, spoke about his concerns about the future health of the St. Louis metro area. “Great cities have great transit systems,” he said. “If we don’t have good transportation, people are deprived of opportunity and they are deprived of choice.” Jessica Mefford-Miller, acting chief of Planning and System Development for Metro, cited several options that are being explored in light of
Metro’s financial troubles. She included state funding as one of the critical steps needed to keep Metro functioning and serving all the populations relying upon it.
“I feel very emotional about this issue,” said State Senator Joan Bray, in her opening remarks. “I can see only one real resolution immediately, and that is to use some of the stabilization money that is coming in to Jefferson City . We are desperate and we have to make it happen now.”
The public forum proved to be the beginning of many actions taken to keep the issue of Metro funding in the forefront. Clergy speaking at the forum subsequently gave sermons on the importance of advocating on behalf of restoring transit cuts. Through numerous action alerts, JCRC urged its Council and Committee members and supporters to contact their members of the State House and Senate to let them know that Metro cuts would mean fewer transportation options for those most in need and would negatively effect the state’s economy. For example, one JCRC Council member forwarded JCRC Action Alerts to all of her co-workers and JCRC received copies of numerous letters and emails these co-workers sent to Jeff City . Letters also were sent by JCRC to all members of the Missouri House and Senate leadership, including all members of the Budget Conference Committee, urging them to include funding for Metro as part of Missouri ’s share of Federal Stabilization Funds. In the final week of the session, HB 22, including $12 million in funding to restore Metro cuts coming from Federal Stabilization Funds, was voted on and finally passed by both Houses. This funding, although less than needed to restore all cuts, is unprecedented in terms of the State of Missouri providing a large infusion of money for public transit.
By continuing to keep this issue in the public spotlight and urging its members and supporters to keep up advocacy efforts, JCRC was able to make a difference in the lives of those for whom access to public transit is a critical need. JCRC will continue to monitor this issue and will continue advocacy efforts to support and expand public transit in the St. Louis region as a means of improving the economic health of the region.
About
The JCRC Bohm Social Justice Initiative works in partnership with Jewish agencies, congregations and organizations to engage Jewish individuals and groups in meaningful social justice learning and effective social action projects, most of which take place within the St. Louis interfaith/intergroup community.
Social Justice refers to the recognition of social inequality and the commitment to rectify through action, service, and education.
Social Action is our ability to mobilize on behalf of a cause – volunteering, advocating, teaching, mentoring, giving resources/goods or money.
Please see our Volunteer and Donate Goods pages to learn more about how YOU can get involved.
For more information contact Gail Wechsler (314) 442-3894 or gwechsler@jcrcstl.org
"It is not for you to complete the work, nor are you free to desist from it."
Rabbi Tarfon, Pirke Avot 2:20
.JCRC AWARDED MAZON HUNGER FELLOW
St. Louis JCRC recently was awarded a MAZON Hunger Fellow grant from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. Our JCRC was one of only six JCRCs nationwide awarded a grant. The grant will allow JCRC to hire a college student to act as a MAZON Hunger Fellow for the second half of the autumn semester 2009 and 2010 the entirety of the spring semester. The presence of a Fellow will give the JCRC greater staff capacity to work on anti-poverty activism with a strong focus on hunger advocacy issues. In addition, the MAZON Hunger Fellow program allows JCRC directors to play a direct and crucial role in the mentorship of the next generation of young leaders in the JCRC community.These fellowships were made possible through a collaboration between the JCPA and MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. MAZON makes strategic, targeted grants to agencies working on the front lines hunger relief. Its key public policy innovation is helping grantees to see advocacy and activism as legitimate-and necessary-means of advancing an anti-hunger agenda.
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