Advocacy is JCRC’s buzzword of the week. I’m the newest member of JCRC’s board and policy and advocacy chair of the Jewish Coalition for Racial Equity. Learning about and speaking out on issues that are important to the Jewish community is one of my greatest passions.

 

I’m so grateful JCRC provided plenty of opportunities for me to do my thing during the past week. Open to the entire Jewish community, JCRC’s Monday night meeting featured presentations from multiple senators and representatives about legislation being debated in the Capitol.

 

In addition, as part of JCRC groups, I visited Jefferson City twice within the last six days, talking to members of the General Assembly for lobby days that were organized by the Missouri Education Equity Partnership and Missouri Faith Voices. In both cases, JCRC was there to amplify the voices of others as we work together for tikkun olam. Our groups discussed issues that ran the gamut from sensible gun controls and Medicaid expansion to voter suppression and education equity.

Some meetings were smooth, others, contentious. Consequently, I asked myself whether we really were accomplishing anything by going to Jefferson City, submitting written testimony, or emailing our lawmakers about how we want them to represent us.

 

I got my heartening answer from Rep. Ian Mackey. He said by communicating with our legislators and showing up to lobby so our voices can be heard, we make a real difference in shaping what’s actually included in bills and how legislation moves forward. So, I’ll continue to read Cheryl’s Action Alerts so I can keep writing and visiting. I hope you will join me in doing this important and impactful work.

 

Shabbat Shalom,

We were honored to hear remarks and a lovely prayer from Olga Gorodetsky, who shared the story of her town and her family from Ukraine. Here is a link to the program if you missed it. Unfortunately, we didn’t record the first portion of the meeting featuring Ms. Gorodetsky’s remarks, but here are links to two stories about her and her family in the Jewish Light.

Joint Distribution Committee.

In addition, the ADL just released this link to an analysis given by Natan Sharansky on the situation in Ukraine.

JCRC was well represented at Missouri Faith Voices Lobby Day. Staff members Cheryl Adelstein and Jennifer Swanson, along with Board Member Nancy Solomon Desloge, participated with interfaith partners from across the state. Cheryl was included in a private meeting with Jay Ashcroft, the Missouri Secretary of State, where they discussed voting rights and the challenges with the Citizen Initiative petition process. While there was little agreement, the meeting was modeled on how to disagree in a civil and respectful fashion. Importantly, the Secretary of State indicated his willingness for more meetings and open dialogue.

From Left: Reverend W.T. Edmonson (Second Baptist Church, Jefferson City), Cheryl Adelstein, Secretary of State Ashcroft, Rev. Darryl Gray (Executive Director, Missouri Faith Voices, Richard Cross, Ph.D. (Lincoln University)

Charlie Brennan, Cheryl Adelstein, and Philip Deitch met to discuss the continued display of the Making History: Kansas City and the Rise of Gay Rights exhibit. Since December, the exhibit has traveled from Cortex, to The District (Chesterfield), City Foundry, The University City Loop, and Washington University. The next two stops are the Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion and the Missouri History Museum through the end of June.

We are looking for additional organizations and houses of worship to host this exhibit. It doesn’t take much space and it’s easy to install. If your organization is interested in hosting the exhibit, contact Cheryl Adelstein. We hope to rotate the exhibit through the end of 2022.

This week the Student to Student program presented to classes at Principia School. In the Bible Study class, group member Zevi showed the students his Tzedakah box that was made to look like the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple) in Jerusalem and since the class had a few spare moments at the end, he put on his Tefillin (phylacteries) and showed them how Jews wear these special boxes between their eyes and upon their arms. The students all got a glimpse of the Torah to see the Hebrew words up close. 

The Advanced Bible Study group of juniors and seniors at Principia is embarking on a trip to Israel this week, and so our Student to Student group treated them to a tour of local synagogue B’nai Amoona and then time to dialogue about their upcoming Israel trip and ask plenty of questions and learn a little Hebrew along the way! 

*Student to Student is a program of the Newmark Institute.

Tuesday, March 29

7:30 - 8 pm | MaTovu 4200 Blaine Ave *

The event will also be live-streamed (link pending)

Join us for a talk by Lewis R. Gordon about Jewish Ideas of Liberation: An Afro-Jewish Perspective. Dr. Gordon is a philosopher, musician, and public intellectual dedicated to struggles for dignity, freedom, social justice, across the globe. His writings address human beings’ relationships to reality and the many ways they abuse power in their attempt to avoid it.

After the talk, there will be a signing for his groundbreaking new book, Fear of Black Consciousness. In this original and penetrating work, Dr. Gordon takes the reader on a journey through the historical development of racialized Blackness, the problems this kind of consciousness produces, and the many creative responses from Black and non-Black communities in contemporary struggles for dignity and freedom.

Friday, March 25

9:30 am | Virtual

With antisemitism at the highest level we’ve seen in decades, we must do everything we can to remind the public about its dangers — including the threats we continue to face from enduring antisemitic tropes. ADL is releasing one new video a week in this seven-part series about the pernicious myths that have spread for centuries and still fuel anti-Jewish hate today. To read more, check out ADL's Antisemitism Uncovered: A Guide to Old Myths in a New Era.

Monday, April 11 | Virtual

6:15 pm Movie

8:00 pm Program