Download the current version of the Critical Issues Action Grid.

Justice, justice shall you pursue…
Deuteronomy 16:20

Actions taken by Women of Reform Judaism and recommendations made to sisterhoods for local, state/provincial, or national advocacy and community service:

June 9, 2008, Public Education

WRJ signed on to a National Coalition for Public Education letter urging the House Appropriations Committee to let the D.C. voucher program expire. WRJ opposes the funneling of public money to private and religious schools through vouchers, and the congressionally mandated federal evaluation of the program released in 2007 found no significant differences in academic achievement between voucher students and their peers in Washington, D.C. public schools.

May 16, 2008, Breast Cancer

WRJ endorsed the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act.

May 14, 2008, To The Point: Cyclone Nargis, Economic Justice, and Violence Against Women

WRJ alerted sisterhoods to inform their members about Cyclone Nargis and how to provide help. The alert also called on sisterhoods to urge Congress to help those hurt by the recession and pass the International Violence Against Women Act.

May 8, 2008, Interreligious Affairs

WRJ signed on to a Jewish community letter to the delegates of the United Methodist Church General Conference to express appreciation for the recognition given by the conference for Holocaust awareness and commemoration, fighting anti-Semitism, and opposing proselytization of Jews.

May 6, 2008, To The Point: Israel

WRJ alerted sisterhoods to commemorate Israel's 60th anniversary.

April 29, 2008, Public Education

WRJ signed on to National Coalition on Public Education letter opposing continued funding for vouchers in Washington D.C.

April 22, 2008, To The Point: Economic Justice

WRJ alerted sisterhoods to urge their senators to restore protections against pay discrimination.

April 21, 2008, Reproductive Health

WRJ signed on to the National Coalition to Support Sexuality Education statement for submission at the 4/23 congressional oversight hearing on the public health and ethical concerns with abstinence-only-until-marriage programs domestically.

April 13 -14, 2008, Global Poverty: Women and Girls

As a member of the Women, Faith, and Development Alliance, WRJ leaders participated in launching a new initiative, placing girls and women at the focal point of the fight against global poverty. WRJ made a commitment to focus its new programming and enhanced advocacy efforts on reducing women’s poverty and promoting their well being world wide.

April 2, 2008, To The Point: Darfur

WRJ alerted sisterhoods to take action to combat malaria among Darfuri refugee families by providing insecticide-treated bed nets.  Sisterhoods were urged to include malaria as on of the plagues in their seders and to provide information about the Reform Movement campaign “Nothing But Nets.”

April 1, 2008, Health

WRJ signed on to an expanded letter, circulated by the National Council of La Raza, to the Sub-Committee on Health of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce in support of the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2007.

April 1, 2008, United Nations

WRJ signed on to a non-governmental organization letter calling on Congress to address the status of U.S. unpaid UN dues.

March 26, 2008, Global Health

WRJ signed on to an organizational letter to Congress calling for the integration of family planning programs, without restrictions, with HIV prevention counseling, testing, and treatment services in the U.S. Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008.

March 25, 2008, Sudan

WRJ signed on to a faith-based non-governmental organization letter urging Congress to provide critical funding for humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping, and U.S. diplomacy for Sudan in the FY08 emergency supplemental spending bill.

March 25, 2008, Global Health

WRJ signed on to faith-based organizational letter calling on U.S. representatives to support comprehensive and evidence-based prevention policies in relation to the U.S. Global AIDS Bill.

March 24, 2008, Education/Hate Crimes

WRJ signed on to a D.C. hate crimes coalition letter to the House/Senate Higher Education Act reauthorization conference committee calling for improvement of campus hate crime data collection.

March 20, 2008, Reproductive Health

WRJ signed on to a Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice letter to Congress calling for elimination of federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs

March 17, 2008, Reproductive Health and Rights

WRJ participated in an amici curiae brief arguing that Washington State regulations that require pharmacies to dispense birth control, emergency contraception, and all other prescribed medications and medical treatments uphold religious freedom of both pharmacists and patients.

March 11, 2008, Reproductive Health and Rights

WRJ signed-on to a coalition letter urging senators to sign on as original cosponsors of  the Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women’s Services Act.

March 10, 2008, Public Education

WRJ signed on to a letter initiated by The National Coalition for Public Education to the House Committee on Education and Labor opposing the voucherization of federal afterschool programming projects.

March 7, 2008, Reproductive Health

WRJ signed a coalition letter initiated  by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. urging Congress to oppose funding for the ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs for the 2009 fiscal year.

March 7, 2008, Education/Drug Policy

WRJ signed a coalition letter, initiated by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, to targeted legislators on the House/Senate Higher Education Act reauthorization conference committee to repeal the language that strips financial aid from students with drug convictions.

March 6, 2008, Juvenile Justice

WRJ recommended language and signed on to a coalition letter, initiated by the Campaign for Youth Justice, to the chair of the House Subcommittee on Healthy Families in support of the GIVE Act.  This bill focuses on engaging disadvantaged and at risk youth in service programs.

March 6, 2008, Reproductive Health

WRJ signed on to coalition letters thanking Governor Chet Culver (Iowa), for his decision not to participate in the ineffective Title V abstinence only-until-marriage program.

March 6, 2008, Juvenile and Criminal Justice

WRJ signed on to a coalition letter to Senate leadership urging active support for the bipartisan Second Chance Act, which is designed to increase public safety by reducing recidivism among those re-entering society from prisons, jails and juvenile facilities.

March 6, 2008, Global Health

WRJ worked on and signed on to a coalition letter to the acting chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee expressing concern that the US Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria Act lacks commitment to sound, evidence-based prevention activities.

March 4, 2008, To The Point: Child Care and Head Start, Mental Health

WRJ urged sisterhoods to “March Forth” to let their members of Congress know that they support increases in the new budget for child care and head start and to ask their representatives to vote for the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act.

February 25, 2008, To The Point: Call to Action, Pay Discrimination

WRJ reprinted an article from the Forward by Rabbi Yoffie calling Jews to action regarding global poverty and other concerns of the day. In addition, sisterhoods were called on to support the Fair Pay Restoration Act.

February 25, 2008, Health Care

WRJ participated in a letter from national organizations to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Subcommittee on Health in support of the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2007.

February 6, 2008, Hunger/Nutrition

WRJ signed a coalition letter to the House/Senate Conference Committee on the Farm Bill calling for improvements in the Food Stamp Program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program.

February 5, 2008, Global Health

WRJ signed on to a letter to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs urging support for the U.S. Global HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008.

January 29, 2008, Religious Discrimination

WRJ signed on to a letter from religious organizations to the chairs of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to express concerns about the lack of civil rights and religious liberty protections in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Act.

January 28, 2008, Sexuality Education

WRJ signed on to a thank you letter to Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano for her decision not to participate in the federal Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program.

January 23, 2008, Religious Discrimination

WRJ signed on to a coalition letter to the chairs of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee urging them not to advance legislation reauthorizing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Act unless changes would be made to the “charitable Choice provisions in the law.  These provisions authorize governments-funded religious discrimination in employment, threatens local anti-discrimination laws.

January 9, 2008, Sexuality Education

WRJ signed on to a thank you letter to New Mexico Governor Richardson for rejecting the Federal Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program.

January 7, 2008, Interreligious

WRJ participated in a letter from Jewish women’s organizations to leaders of the United Methodist Church expressing concern about an anti-Israel and anti-Semitic study published by a United Methodist women’s group.

December 6, 2007, Homelessness/Youth

WRJ signed on to a letter in support of the Reconnecting Youth to Prevent Homelessness Act.  It seeks to create the income security conditions and family supports needed to secure permanency for the nation’s unaccompanied and other disconnected youth, strengthen the child welfare system, and add homeless youth as a target group for eligibility for the work opportunity credit.

November 30, 2007, Hate Crimes

WRJ signed on to a letter urging the House of Representatives to retain the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 as part of the Department of Defense authorization conference report.

November 30, 2007    Health Issues

WRJ signed on to a coalition letter expressing opposition to Medicaid regulations which will hurt the ability of Medicaid patients and the uninsured to receive health services.

November 28, 2007, Hate Crimes

WRJ signed on to a letter in support of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act from a broad coalition of organizations to the chairmen of the Committee on Armed Services in the Senate and the House.

November 15, 2007, Darfur

WRJ signed a letter calling on senators to support a strong Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act, which would increase the economic pressure on the Sudanese government to end the violence in Darfur.

November 7, 2007, Civil Rights

WRJ signed on to a letter urging members of the House of Representatives to oppose an amendment to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act which would be potentially harmful to civil rights and religious organizations.

November 1, 2007, Global Reproductive Health/AIDS Prevention

WRJ signed on to a letter urging the congressional conferees on the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations bill to maintain the funding level for family planning and reproductive health programs in the Senate’s version of the bill and to adopt the contribution for the United Nations Population Fund included in the House bill.

October 24, 2007, Darfur

WRJ signed on to a letter urging President Bush to fully fund US peacekeeping, humanitarian, and reconstruction priorities in Sudan.

October 23, 2007, Israeli-Palestinian Peace

WRJ signed on to a letter in support of the dear colleague letter to Secretary Rice circulated by Representative Ackerman and Representative Boustany urging a number of practical steps to bolster the prospects for success.

October 22, 2007, Reproductive Health

WRJ signed on to a letter urging senators to oppose amendments offered to the FY’08 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill that would prohibit local education agencies from providing access to birth control.

October 19, 2007, Environment

WRJ signed a letter in support of the Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act.

October 16, 2007, Environment

WRJ signed a Jewish community letter urging Congress to pass energy legislation and craft an energy policy that would put America on the path of increased energy security and a cleaner environment.

October 15, 2007,To The Point: Children's Health

WRJ called on sisterhood members to urge their representatives to vote for S-CHIP expansion to provide health care coverage to uninsured children.

October 10, 2007, Scientific Integrity

WRJ opposed an earmark to the Fiscal Year 2008 education bill that would fund curriculum that promotes teaching creationism in the classroom.

September 18, 2007, Child Care

WRJ signed on to a letter supporting an increase in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant.

September 17, 2007, Mental Health

WRJ signed on to a letter of support for the newly introduced Juvenile Crime Reduction Act, which recognizes that mental disorders are prevalent among juveniles and frequently go untreated, particularly among those identified as being in conflict with the law.

September 4, 2007, Children's Issues

WRJ signed on to letters thanking the members of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee who worked to support the increase in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant.

August 31, 2007, To The Point: Gender and Jewish Education, Earthquakes in Peru, and Domestic Worker Issues

This issue highlighted the Movement-wide seminar, Gender and Jewish Education, provided information on contributing to relief efforts in the earthquake stricken areas of Peru, and featured the newest Commission on Social Action and Religious Action Center issue packet, Ethical Practices in Employing Domestic Workers.

August 15, 2007, Medical Marijuana

WRJ signed a letter in support of a University of Massachusetts-Amherst project that would produce marijuana for use exclusively by federally-approved researchers.

July 25, 2007,To The Point: Medical Marijuana, Gender and Jewish Education

Alerted members to urge their members of the U.S. House of Representatives to vote for the Hinchley amendment to prohibit the use of federal funds to arrest and prosecute those who use medical marijuana in states that permit its use.  The Symposium on Gender and Jewish Education was highlighted.

July 20, 2007, Darfur

As a member of the Jewish Coalition for Sudan Relief, WRJ voted to support a program for Darfurian asylum seekers in Israel.

July 10, 2007, Reproductive Health

WRJ signed on to a letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives urging them to support the Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women’s Services Act.

June 25, 2007, To The Point: Child Health and Jews in Eastern Europe and Russia

Alerted members to call their members of Congress to pass the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) fully funded and reported on a recent board of governors meeting of the NCSJ: Advocates on Behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States and Eurasia.

June 20, 2007, Reproductive Health

WRJ signed a letter to members of the House of Representatives urging them to vote against the ill-advised increase in funding for the Community-Based Abstinence Education program, that jeopardizes the well being of young people.

June 19, 2007, Environmental Issues

WRJ signed on to a letter to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee urging members to support the upcoming Toxic Right-to-Know Protection Act.

June 19, 2007, Economic Justice

WRJ signed on to a letter to the U.S. House of representatives urging members to support the Supplemental Security Income Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act.

June 8, 2007, To The Point: Divestment From Sudan

Circulated the WRJ board of directors unanimously adopted statement calling for targeted divestment from the Sudan to end the genocide in Darfur and urging sisterhood members to participate in the process.

June 1, 2007, Children’s Health

WRJ signed on to a letter to the Senate Finance and House Energy and Commerce Committees urging members to vote for reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and maintain flexibility for states to cover parents.

May 30, 2007, Reproductive Rights

WRJ signed on to letters to the chairs of the House Committee on Energy and Finance and the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions opposing an amendment to the Prescription Drug User Fee that singled out mifepristone for unnecessary scrutiny.

May 22, 2007, Reproductive Rights

WRJ signed on to a letter urging targeted members of the Senate Finance, Commerce, and Energy Committees to allow the Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program to expire in June 2007.

May 21, 2007, Reproductive Rights

WRJ signed on to a letter to Congress urging members to cosponsor the Freedom of Choice Act.

May 14, 2007, To The Point: Economic Justice and Women's Rights

WRJ called on its members to call their members of Congress in support of minimum wage legislation, as well as the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Fair Pay Act to end salary gender inequities.  WRJ also urged members to call on their senators to support ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

May 11, 2007, Economic Justice

WRJ signed on to a letter to Congress in support of expanding refundable low-income tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

May 4, 2007, Children's Needs

WRJ signed on to a letter drafted by the National Women’s Law Center to House Speaker Pelosi urging that the May 22 children’s summit she is convening be the impetus for restoring support to children and their families.

April 30, 2007, Early Childhood Education

WRJ worked in coalition with other faith-based organizations in support of a dear colleague letter sent by Representative Cleaver to the members of the House of Representatives in support of Head Start and against religious discrimination.

April 26, 2007, Early Childhood Education

WRJ joined with the members of the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination in a letter to the members of the House of Representatives urging support for bipartisan reauthorization of the Head Start program and opposition to any attempt to repeal critical civil rights protections.

April 25, 2007,To The Point: Reproductive Health

WRJ urged sisterhood members to call on congress to support the Freedom of Choice Act to protect women’s reproductive health and rights.

April 24, 2007, Reproductive Health

WRJ signed on to a letter to congress urging members to become co-sponsors of the Freedom of Choice Act.

April 11, 2007, Health

WRJ signed on to a letter urging the chairs and ranking members of the House State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Committee and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Committees to increase funding for the battle against the global spread of diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.

March 28. 2007, To The Point: Middle East, Darfur

WRJ informed sisterhoods about the Union for Reform Judaism resolution on the War in Iraq and urged members to participate in a local event during the Global Days for Darfur Week of Action.

March 26, 2007, Women's Health Worldwide

WRJ signed on to letters to U.S. representatives who have not yet co-sponsored the Focus on Family Health Worldwide Act, urging them to do so, and to thank those who have signed on as co-sponsors.

March 23, 2007, To The Point: International Treaty For The Rights of Women and Sexuality Education

WRJ called on sisterhoods to advocate U.S. ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination in the Senate. It also alerted sisterhoods to urge members of Congress to co-sponsor the Responsible Education About Life Act, which would provide accurate and comprehensive sexuality education.

March 20, 2007, Global Poverty

WRJ signed on to a letter urging members of the House of Representatives to co-sponsor the Global Poverty Act of 2007, introduced by Representatives Smith and Bachus, making poverty-reduction a major priority of U.S. foreign assistance.

March 13, 2007, Hate Crimes

WRJ signed on to a letter to the House of Representatives in support of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This bill would allow the federal government to assist in local investigations and prosecutions of hate crimes that are motivated by a bias against the victim’s sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.

March 13, 2007, Early Childhood Education

WRJ signed a Coalition Against Religious Discrimination letter calling on members of the House Committee on Education and Labor to oppose an amendment to Head Start reauthorization that would jeopardize application of state and local civil rights laws.

March 2, 2007, To The Point: Children's Health Care, Family Health, and International Women's Day

WRJ urged sisterhoods to call on their members of Congress to pass legislation that would permit states to provide medical coverage to lawfully residing immigrant children and to co-sponsor legislation to fund family planning programs world wide.  It also included comments by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in honor of International Women’s Day.

March 2, 2007, Women's Health

WRJ signed a letter to Congresswomen Slaughter and DeGette in support of the Prevention First Act, which is an omnibus family planning initiative that expands access to preventive health care services and education programs to help reduce unintended pregnancy and prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

March 1, 2007, Women's Health

WRJ signed a letter to Congress asking for increased funding for the Title X Family Planning Program, a vital health care safety net for low-income women.

February 27, 2007, UN Peacekeeping

WRJ signed on to a Better World Campaign letter to Congress, urging prompt support for UN funding and peacekeeping.

February 26, 2007, Children's Health

WRJ joined the Campaign for Children's Health Care in calling on Congress and President Bush for comprehensive, affordable, high quality health coverage for all children.

February 26, 2007, Children's Health

WRJ signed on to a letter to Congress urging support for legislation granting states the option to cover lawfully residing immigrant children and pregnant women under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

February 23, 2007, To The Point: Breast Cancer Research, Darfur, and State Mandating of Human Papilloma Virus Inoculation

WRJ called on sisterhood members to: advocate co-sponsorship of the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act by their senators and representatives; and to urge President Bush to push the Sudan government to cooperate with international efforts to end the genocide.  The To The Point also recommended that sisterhoods hold programs to discuss the controversial state mandating of the human Papilloma Virus vaccination for girls entering the sixth grade.

February 5, 2007, To The Point: Minimum Wage and Holocaust Commemorations

WRJ urged members to support a clean minimum wage bill, the first in over ten years, and reported on UN Holocaust commemorations in New York and Geneva.

January 30, 2007, Juvenile Justice

WRJ signed on to a juvenile justice coalition letter to the Senate calling for comprehensive community planning to reduce youth homicides.

January 12, 2007, To The Point: Global and Domestic Hunger

WRJ urged members to call on Congress to expand the McGovern-Dole school feeding program to reach additional school-age children in poor countries. Sisterhoods were urged to sign on to a letter calling on lawmakers to renew the Food Stamp Program and to address benefit inadequacies and improve access for vulnerable people.

January 12, 2007, Minimum Wage and Stem Cell Research

WRJ President Rosanne Selfon reported on a visit to the House of Representatives with First Vice President Lynn Magid Lazar and other Reform Leaders to advocate a clean minimum wage bill and expanded stem cell research.

January 12, 2007, Hunger

WRJ signed on to a letter to Congress urging strong nutrition language in the 2007 farm bill.

January 10, 2007,  Juvenile and Criminal Justice

WRJ signed a letter to Congress urging support of the bipartisan Second Chance Act of 2007, which would increase public safety by reducing recidivism.

December 21, 2006,  Child Care

WRJ signed a letter seeking to address erosion in federal child care funding by urging members of Congress to provide an increase of funds for the Child Care and Development Block Grant in the FY 2007 Continuing Resolution.

December 21, 2006, Public Education

WRJ signed a joint organizational statement calling for a shift in the No Child Left Behind Act’s emphasis from applying sanctions for failing to raise test scores to holding states and localities accountable for making the systemic changes that would improve student achievement.

December 20, 2006, To The Point: Captive Israeli Soldiers, Needs of Jewish Military Personnel, Interorganizational and Interreligious Meetings

The issue included: urging sisterhood members to take action on behalf of captive Israeli soldiers; updating contact information for sending packages to Jewish military personnel; and providing reports by WRJ leaders on  meetings of NCSJ (Advocates on Behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States and Eurasia) and of the International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee.

December 15, 2006, To The Point: Eradicating Women's Poverty, CBS Program on Long-Secret German Holocaust Archive

Called on members to sign a petition to Congress urging support for the Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive Act. Evidence indicates that when women have access to economic opportunity and skills training they pull themselves out of poverty and can escape situations that make women vulnerable to abuse. Notified sisterhoods about a program on a German archive that houses information on millions of Holocaust victims.

December 13, 2006,  Minimum Wage

WRJ signed on to a letter to the Senate calling for support of a meaningful increase in the minimum wage as presented in the Fair Minimum Wage Act.

December 12, 2006,  Children's Health Care

WRJ signed on to a letter to President Bush calling for making health care coverage for children a top priority.

December 8, 2006, To The Point: Military Needs, Reproductive Rights, Teen Pregnancy

This issue covered: action by WRJ leaders in compiling contact lists for sending letters and packages to Jewish military personnel; update on the defeat of the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (H.R. 6099), which would have required medical personnel to give women seeking abortions unproven and ideologically-based information about fetal pain; and an authoritative study casting doubt on the alleged benefits of abstinence-only-until-marriage pregnancy prevention programs.

December 6, 2006, Public Education

WRJ signed on to a coalition letter to the U.S. Senate opposing expansion of the District of Columbia private school voucher "pilot" program.

December 1, 2006, To The Point: Israeli/Palestinian Cease Fire, World AIDS Day

Informed sisterhoods about the editorial in the Forward on the Israeli/ Palestinian cease fire and urged sisterhood leaders to bring the ideas presented to their sisterhoods and congregations. Called on sisterhood leaders to urge their members of Congress to co-sponsor the "Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth Act of 2006."

November 8, 2006, Violence Against Women

WRJ signed on to a letter requesting the House and Senate appropriations committees to support a five million dollar appropriation for UNIFEM to end violence against women and girls worldwide.

November 3, 2006, Israel

Informed sisterhoods about ways to commemorate the life and work of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the results of the World Zionist Organization elections, and the need for sisterhood Israel chairs and committees.

October 31, 2006, Sexuality Education

WRJ signed a letter thanking Governor Jon Corzine for his decision to reject federal abstinence-only-until marriage program funding due to its overly restrictive nature and  because the federal requirements contradict New Jersey’s own educational standards.

October 26, 2006, Civic Responsibility

Urged sisterhood members to vote and to work with congregational leaders to bring out the vote.

October 17, 2006, Breast Cancer

Targeted sisterhoods in Texas and Oklahoma to petition legislators in the House and Senate to bring the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act to the floor for a vote.

October 16, 2006, HIV/AIDS

WRJ signed a petition urging President Bush to fight HIV/AIDS by empowering women around the world to protect themselves.

October 16, 2006, Children's Health Care

Alerted sisterhoods to the findings released by the Campaign for Children’s Care that more than nine million children in the United States are uninsured and urged sisterhood members to sign the campaign’s petition calling for comprehensive health coverage for all children.

October 11, 2006, Reproductive Health

WRJ signed on to a letter to governors and state secretaries of health to alert them to Fiscal Year 2007 U.S Department of Health and Human Services restrictions on how states may use the Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage program funds.

October 11, 2006, Elderly and Disabled Refugees

WRJ signed on to a letter initiated by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society to Senators Gordon Smith and Herbert Kohl, who introduced legislation last year to extend the eligibility of disabled and elderly refugees to Social Security Income for two years, to renew their leadership on this issue.

October 10, 2006, Children's Health

WRJ informed Illinois sisterhoods about the state’s Department on Healthcare and Family services program “All Kids’ Days” to inform families about state resources for uninsured youngsters.

September 28, 2006, Reproductive Rights

WRJ signed a letter to the Senate from Jewish organizations opposing the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, a bill that would limit young women’s access to abortion.

September 26, 2006, Environment

WRJ signed on to a faith community letter to the secretary of the interior emphasizing the importance of conservation legislation such as the Clean Water Act.

September 21, 2006, To The Point: Global Warming, Reproductive Rights

WRJ called on sisterhoods to participate in a nationwide Jewish campaign to address the global warming crisis and urged them to become informed about the friends of the court brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in Gonzales v. Carhart, challenging the federal abortion ban on religious grounds.

September 15, 2006, UN Conference, Interreligious Programming in Israel

WRJ reported on the UN Conference ”Unfinished Business: Effective Partnerships for Human Security and Sustainable Development,”  for which WRJ leaders played important roles in planning and implementation and on interreligious programming in Israel.

September 15, 2006, Israel

WRJ alerted sisterhoods in the New York/ New Jersey metropolitan area to participate in an Israel Solidarity rally in support of Israel and Israel’s captured and missing soldiers.

September 13, 2006, Genocide in Darfur

WRJ alerted sisterhoods in the New York/ New Jersey metropolitan area to participate in a major rally on September 17th to call on international leaders to end the suffering in Darfur.

September 12, 2006, Reproductive Health and Rights

Signed on to a Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice amicus brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of respondents in Gonzales v Carhart and/or Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood, dealing with the constitutionality of the so-called “partial-birth abortion” ban without a health exemption for the woman.

August 31, 2006, Genocide in Darfur

Alerted sisterhoods to participate in rallies around the country, but particularly in the New York Metropolitan Area, to urge the UN General Assembly to end the suffering in Darfur.

August 25, 2006, Reproductive Health

Signed on to a letter expressing appreciation to the forty-eight senators who voted in favor of an amendment that would have invested in comprehensive sexuality education and teen pregnancy prevention initiatives and encouraging them to become co-sponsors of  the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act.

August 9, 2006, Israel

Forwarded a report from Rabbi Stanley M. Davids, president of ARZA, on the asymmetry of perspectives of Israelis and American Jews on the war in Lebanon and two of Israel’s borders, and stressing the need to address this asymmetry as soon as possible.

August 4, 2006, Israel

Endorsed an emergency appeal by Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, calling for support of Israel by mobilizing our communities and raising funds.

August 1, 2006, Reproductive Health and Rights

Signed on to a letter from the religious community to the House of Representatives urging co-sponsorship of legislation that would provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with a clear timeline to consider the over-the-counter-sale of Plan B emergency contraception.

July 21, 2006, Health

Circulated information about a podcast on health dangers in everyday cosmetics.

July 19, 2006, Israel

Alerted members to rallies and other events to support Israel and available resource pages to support Israel during this time of conflict.

July 17, 2006, Health

Signed on to a letter to the Senate in support of legislation to authorize federal funding of research using stem cells remaining in clinics subsequent to in vitro fertilization.

July 17, 2006, Women's Issues

Supported a position paper on reform of gender architecture at the United Nations.

July 14, 2006, Israel

WRJ urged sisterhoods in the New York and Washington metropolitan areas to rally in solidarity with Israel.

July 14, 2006, Israel

Provided sisterhoods with a URJ briefing on the attacks on Israel along with resources for action.

July 13, 2006, Reproductive Health and Rights

Signed on to a letter to the Senate opposing legislation that would impose dangerous obstacles to teens seeking abortions.

July 12, 2006, Public Education

Signed on to a coalition letter opposing proposed changes to the District of Columbia private school voucher program that would increase the income cap for participation, thus expanding the program.

July 11, 2006, Voting Rights

Signed on to a Jewish and an interfaith letter to Congress supporting full representation in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate for the residents of Washington, DC. 

July 7, 2006, Children's Health

Signed on as a supporter of the Campaign for Children’s Health Care.

June 23, 2006, Health: HIV/AIDS

Signed on to a coalition letter to the chair and ranking member of the Senate sub-committee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, calling for support of funding for global HIV/AIDS programs and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

June 19, 2006,  Genocide in Darfur, Children's Health, Women's Health

WRJ alerted sisterhoods to contact the president urging rapid appointment of a presidential envoy for Sudan; the humanitarian and political situation on the ground is deteriorating daily and the peace agreement is fragile. The alert also reported on the launching of the Campaign for Children’s Health Care and a webcast at www.sharsheret.org. of a roundtable discussion, “Young Women Facing Breast Cancer: What We Need To Know.”

June 9, 2006, Children's Health

Informed sisterhoods about the 2006 Children’s Sabbath programs to be held in congregations nationwide, October 20-22, 2006, which focused on children’s health.

June 8, 2006, Reproductive Health

Signed on as a supporter of the No More Money Campaign to stem funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, because evidence has shown that they are ineffective and potentially harmful.

June 2006, Reproductive Health

Signed on to an amicus brief in the case, Gonzales v. Carhart, which demonstrated to the court that there are religious groups that oppose the federal “Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003.”  Those signing the friend-of-the-court brief hoped to encourage the court to strike down this law.

May 26, 2006, Military Needs

WRJ informed sisterhoods that the board of directors adopted the resolution “Needs of Men and Women in the United States and Canadian Armed Forces” and provided recommendations for action.

May 19, 2006, Reproductive Health

Urged sisterhoods to sign a letter to members of the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee opposing funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs because they are not effective.

May 17, 2006, Voting Rights

Signed on to a letter to members of the House Government Reform Committee to support the “DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act.”  The bill would provide Washington, DC residents with a voting member of the House of Representatives.

May 17, 2006, Genocide in Darfur

Signed on to a letter to the UN high commissioner on human rights calling for the appointment of a large team of human rights monitors and advisors to help ensure that the Darfur cease-fire becomes effective and that refugees and the displaced can return safely.

May 8, 2006, Health

Alerted members to call their senators to oppose “The Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act of 2006,” which would reduce needed health services now covered by insurance and increase costs for consumers.

May 8, 2006, Reproductive Health

Signed on to a letter to the House of Representatives supporting an amendment to the “FY 2007 National Defense Authorization Act” that would insure availability of emergency contraception by prescription at all military health facilities.

May 5, 2006, Children's Issues

Signed on to a letter to the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations urging a substantial allocation to fund child care, Head Start, and other critical discretionary developmental programs for children for FY 2007.

May 4, 2006, Health

Signed on to a letter to the Senate opposing the “Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act” which would override state laws requiring health insurers to cover cancer screenings, diabetes, pre-natal care, and other important health care needs.  It would also override state laws that prevent insurers from varying premiums based on health status, age, gender, and location. 

April 18, 2006, Reproductive Health

Joined with organizations urging members of the House of Representatives to co-sponsor the “Focus on the Family Health Worldwide Act of 2005,” which would provide for additional U.S. assistance to international family planning programs.

March 28, 2006, Reproductive Health

Endorsed the “Focus on the Family Health Worldwide Act of 2005.”

March 27, 2006, Genocide in Darfur, Reproductive Health

Informed members about a special webcast on the Israeli elections, registration for the SAVE DARFUR: Rally To Stop Genocide, and the “Focus on the Family Health Worldwide Act of 2005.”

March 20, 2006, Reproductive Health

Signed on to the amicus brief in the matter of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, Inc., et. al. v. Nixon, et. al., which argued that the teen assistance ban unconstitutionally infringes on the free exercise of religion.

March 17, 2006, Economic Justice

Endorsed the principles in the Interreligious Working Group on Domestic Human Needs reflection on the federal budget. It states, “The federal budget should share the burdens of taxation, according to one’s ability to pay, and distribute government resources fairly to create opportunity for all.”

March 14, 2006, Genocide in Darfur

Alerted leaders to urge their representatives to support the “Darfur Peace and Accountability Act.”

March 8, 2006, Reproductive Health

WRJ Washington task force members participated in an International Women’s Day event, highlighting the need for more U.S. aid to international family planning programs.

March 3, 2006, Violence Against Women, Trafficking

Signed on to a letter urging senators to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill that  does not endanger immigrant victims of family violence and trafficking.

March 2, 2006, Genocide in Darfur

Alerted sisterhoods about the Save Darfur Rally to take place in Washington, DC on April 30, 2006.

March 1, 2006, GLBT Issues

Signed on to a letter to Congress expressing deep concern about the Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to remove a website that sought to provide basic preventative health information to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons.

February 28, 2006, GLBT Issues

The RAC posted a statement on its webpage on marriage equality and religious liberty by WRJ executive director Shelley Lindauer opposing the Marriage Protection Amendment. The amendment would make permanent the inequality that same-sex couples face by denying them the government benefits that heterosexual couples receive.

February 24, 2006, Women's Health

Alerted members to call their congressional representatives to support the Department of Defense Peer-Reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program.

February 24, 2006, Economic Justice

Signed on to a Coalition on Human Needs letter to Congress expressing deep concern about misdirected priorities in the federal budget. It deplored cuts in health care, nutrition, services to prevent abuse and neglect, Social Security, and housing, endangering basic health and economic security for millions.

February 13, 2006, Public Education

Signed on to a coalition letter to Congress opposing a grant program in the president’s 2007 budget proposal which would divert funds from the public education system to private and religious schools through vouchers.

February 10, 2006, Israel

Executive director Shelley Lindauer alerted leaders of the need for full sisterhood member participation in the World Zionist Congress election.

February 10, 2006, Genocide in Darfur

Alereted members about the Million Voices for Darfur campaign to call for an end to the genocide.

February 8, 2006, Hate Crimes

Signed on to a Senate letter calling for speedy passage of the “Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act,” which includes sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, and disability as protected classes.

February 6, 2006, Israel

Circulated a letter from Rabbi Eric Yoffie, URJ president, and Robert Heller, chairman of the Union board, urging sisterhood leaders to vote for the ARZA slate in the WZO elections.

February 2006, GLBT Issues

Signed on to a coalition letter asking members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to urge the Department of Health and Human Services to restore a website that sought to provide basic preventive health information to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.

February 1, 2006, Reproductive Health and Rights

President Bush highlighted his priorities for the coming year in the State of the Union Address. The Religious Action Center’s response, “2006 State of the Union: Reform Leaders Respond” features insights by Shelley Lindauer, WRJ executive director, in relation to reproductive rights and sexuality education.

February 1, 2006, Holocaust Commemoration

WRJ leaders attended the historic first annual UN commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The many powerful speakers movingly reiterated that the world must never again allow such horrors to occur – and called for a UN response to end the genocide in Darfur.

January 30, 2006, Judicial Nominations, Economic Justice

Alerted sisterhood leaders to oppose both the Alito nomination and budget cuts that would hurt the poor.

January 10, 2006, Holocaust

Informed and urged members in the New York metropolitan area to attend a United Nations memorial event on the Holocaust.

January 10, 2006, Global Health: HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria

Signed on to a letter to President Bush urging that he continue to show leadership in addressing global AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria by providing major increases in all aspects of the U.S. government effort. Global experts have found that more than $24 billion is needed in 2007 to provide prevention, care and treatment for these global pandemics. The U.S. share would be approximately $7.4 billion.

January 10, 2006, Judicial Nominations, Economic Justice

Called on leaders to urge their Senators to oppose the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Alito and to urge their Representatives to oppose the Deficit Reduction Reconciliation Act which includes devastating cuts to vital social services.

January 9, 2006, Trafficking in Women

In coalition with the organizations of One Voice: Jewish Women for Israel, WRJ worked on and sent letters to Israeli officials calling for specific steps to end trafficking in women in Israel.

January 9, 2006, Judicial Nominations

Rosanne M. Selfon, WRJ president, and Shelley Lindauer, executive director, wrote to Senator Specter, chair of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and Senator Leahy, ranking member, urging opposition to the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito, Jr. to the Supreme Court because of concern that he will be unable to put aside his private views to dispense equal justice for all.

For WRJ’s critical issues action taken prior to 2006, please visit our archives, here.