Greetings!
It was another busy week at JCRC.
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Rabbi Noah Arnow testifies before the Senate Education Committee on March 29
On Tuesday night, JCRC joined with MaTovu, Central Reform Congregation, Congregation Shaare Emeth, and Kol Rinah to host a powerful talk by Dr. Lewis Gordon, a philosopher, musician, and public intellectual dedicated to struggles for dignity, freedom, social justice, across the globe. Dr. Gordon reflected on his diverse Jewish background, the ability of Jewish community and traditions to form almost anywhere, and how community is maintained not only by what we believe but by what we do in community together.
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On Wednesday, I was thrilled to join leaders of the corporate, civic, and non-profit sectors as participants in the Greater St. Louis, Inc. Lobby Day on Jefferson City. Our first stop was for lunch at the Governor’s Mansion, a first-time visit for me. I loved the historic details and décor and was excited to find, prominently displayed in the dining room, a beautiful menorah given as a gift to Governor Mel Carnahan as a remembrance of his trip to Israel with the Jewish Federation in 1994. |
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Our day in the Capitol featured meetings with the senior leadership in both the Senate and the House and a chance to mingle with legislators during a reception. I found it interesting to reflect on the priorities of the St. Louis Chamber and how the work of JCRC complements so many of their regional aspirations, including ensuring access to employment and the development of our St. Louis talent to improve economic opportunities and quality of life for everyone in our region.
The work of the Missouri General Assembly continues, with both positive and challenging bills advancing. Our community must mobilize to support Holocaust education as well as fight against efforts to harm LGBTQ children, discriminate against immigrants, make it more difficult to vote and roll back hard-fought Medicaid Expansion.
While my week was focused on Jefferson City, Rori was in Miami collaborating with colleagues at the Miami JCRC and spending the afternoon with the Consul General of Israel. She moved on to New York where she continued her studies with the Hartman Institute. Lauren coordinated multiple Student to Student presentations focused on the upcoming holiday of Passover. And the whole team has been working to finalize the logistics for the Aurelia Konrad Community Seder planned for late April.
Thank you for your on-going support which allows us to continue this exciting work.
Shabbat Shalom,
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Cheryl Adelstein
Deputy Director
Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis
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Dr. Lewis Gordon Presents Jewish Ideas of Liberation: An Afro-Jewish Perspective,
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Through the support of several JCRC supporters, JCRC was pleased to offer a private dinner before the lecture by Dr. Gordon. Following dinner, Dr. Gordon gave an inspiring talk to more than 40 in-person attendees, as well as an online audience. It was great to be back in the room with so many members of the Jewish Community. |
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Dr. Lewis Gordon speaks to a full audience at MaTovu on Tuesday. |
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Dr. Deborah Lipstadt Confirmed as the new U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism |
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Advocacy in Jefferson City |
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In addition, we participated in the Greater St. Louis, Inc. Lobby Day in Jefferson City.
Next week, JCRC staff will be participating in the Empower Missouri Lobby Day on April 5. If you would like to join us, contact Cheryl. |
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Cheryl Adelstein at the Capitol with leaders of the corporate, civic, and non-profit sectors participating in the Greater St. Louis, Inc. Lobby Day. .
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Student to Student Weekly Highlight
Student to Student is a program of the Newmark Institute
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This week our Student to Student leaders went to Saint Louis University High School to make three presentations to their World Religions classes of Seniors. These sessions helped kick off our pre- Passover item showcase to share more about the holiday. Our Jewish students also read prayers from their own personal prayer books (Siddurim) which was very sentimental and special. Each session ended with a shofar blowing to review the ancient announcing tool and the stories that connect with it! A huge thanks to all of our student presenters this week for their hard work! |
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Still Behind Bars: Criminal Legal Reform
Thursday, April 14
7 PM CST | 8001 Dale Ave, 63117
Sponsored by Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice
*Proof of COVID vaccination required for entry
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In theory, after inmates have “paid their debt to society,” they are able to return to society and create a normal, fulfilling, and productive life. In Missouri that is far from true. Instead, these individuals face a multitude of barriers to employment, education, housing, food support, voting rights, and more. Burdensome parole requirements set the stage for recidivism – at great cost to them and to taxpayers as well.
The criminal justice reforms passed in last year’s legislative session are a step in the right direction. But they do not fully address the situation, nor are they fully implemented. In this program, we’ll gain an understanding of the status quo, what additional reforms are needed, and how we can help make them happen.
Our speakers both have intimate knowledge of Missouri’s prison system and include Beth M. Huebner, a professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Shawntelle L. Fisher, the founder and leader of SoulFisher Ministries.
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Profit and Punishment: A Lecture by Tony Messenger
Sunday, April 10
7pm | First Unitarian Church, 5007 Waterman Boulevard
A First Unitarian Church of St. Louis 2022 Clark Lecture
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Tony Messenger will speak on the topic of modern-day debtors' prisons, and how the American justice system punishes its poorest citizens financially. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and author of Profit and Punishment: How America Criminalizes the Poor in the name of Poverty, his first book. The lecture is free and open to the public. Tony will be available for a Q&A and book signing after his lecture. The book is available for purchase before and during the event courtesy of Left Bank Books.
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JCPA 2022 National Conference - Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America
Monday, April 11 | Virtual
6:15 pm Movie
8:00 pm Program
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Interweaving lecture, personal anecdotes, interviews, and shocking revelations, in WHO WE ARE — A Chronicle of Racism in America, criminal defense/civil rights lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States, from slavery to the modern myth of a post-racial America. Join us for a post-movie conversation on how we as American Jews can work to end racism in our society. Watch the movie trailer below. |
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Antisemitism Uncovered: The Myth of Disloyalty |
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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.
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Did You Miss A Recent Program? |
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You can click here to watch recordings of JCRC's recent programs on our YouTube channel.
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