December 20

1. Chanukah - Remember Israeli Captive Soldiers and Take Action on Their Behalf
Take action for the freedom of the three kidnapped Israeli soldiers: Gilad Shalit was abducted into Gaza and Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were abducted across the Northern border into Lebanon last summer. Their whereabouts remain unknown. “Light a Candle of Hope”, a virtual candle-lighting program was created by the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency for Israel in partnership with YNETNEWS, to “light the darkness” of Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, and Eldad Regev. Join now with the 25,000 people around the world who have already participated in this virtual candle-lighting ceremony by clicking on http://or.ynet.co.il.

You and your sisterhood members can also take action by joining an effort to bring international attention to the plight of Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, and Eldad Regev, as well as to the continuing plight of Ron Arad (captured in 1986), Zachary Baumel, Yehudah Katz, and Tzvi Feldman (all captured in 1982), as well as Guy Hever (missing since 1997),  by adding your name to a petition at www.freethesoldiers.org.

2. Needs of Jewish Military Personnel
Cynthia Wolf and Andrea Cannon have done additional research, enabling them to update the original list and to provide e-mail addresses for most of the contacts to whom to send packages for Jewish military personnel. It is advisable to e-mail the contacts before preparing packages to insure that they are still at the address given. You will also find out what is needed by the troops at the time that you are sending your packages.

3. WRJ Leaders Report on Important Organizational Meetings
WRJ leaders have recently attended important interorganizational and interreligious meetings.  Connie Kreshtool, past WRJ president, represented us at a December 5th meeting of the Board of Directors of NCSJ:Advocates on Behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States and Eurasia. The agenda included reports on sister city programs, anti-Semitism, and the United States perspective on the region. 

As past WRJ president and co-chair of the Commission on Interreligious Affairs of Reform Judaism, Judith M. Hertz participated in the International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee (ILC) Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa last month. During the 18th ILC meeting of the ILC in Buenos Aires, Judith informally mentioned to the chairmen that she was the only woman present and that additional women delegates would enhance the proceedings. The 19th meeting in Cape Town included women as observers during the entire the program. The theme of the 19th ILC meeting was “Dignifying the Divine Image: Jewish and Catholic perspectives on health care” with special reference to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Read Judith’s report, supporting materials, and the joint declaration of the conferees at http://interreligious.rj.org/ILC19thMeeting.htm.

December 15

1. Eradicating Women's Poverty Military Needs
In January of 2006 Women of Reform Judaism adopted the resolution Ending Global Poverty, endorsing the UN Millennium Development Goals, which include: eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; improving maternal health; and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.  Long experience in international development has revealed the need to link these goals to those ending discrimination against women. It has also been shown that when access to economic opportunity and skills training are available to women, they pull themselves out of poverty and can also avoid or escape many situations that make women vulnerable to abuse and violence.

The Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive (GROWTH) Act would support global programs providing access to economic opportunity and appropriate skills training for women. Sign the Women’s Edge Coalition petition to Congress asking for support of the GROWTH Act.

2. CBS to Run Program on the Long-Secret German Archive on the Holocaust
This Sunday, December 17 (7PM ET/PT on CBS) on “60 MINUTES” will run a program about a long-secret German archive that houses a treasure trove of information on millions of victims of the Holocaust. Until recently, the archive was closed to the public. When the German government agreed to open the archives this year, CBS News’ Scott Pelley traveled there with three Jewish survivors who were able to see their own Holocaust records. Additional information is available on the CBS website (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/07/08/60minutes/main13502.shtml).

WRJ is informing you about this program, which we have not seen, because of its relevance to the controversy in the wake of the meeting of Holocaust deniers in Iran earlier this week.

December 8

1. Military Needs
WRJ Responds On May 22, 2006, the Women of Reform Judaism Board of Directors adopted the Needs of Men and Women in the United States and Canadian Armed Forces resolution. In addition to important advocacy efforts, the resolution calls on WRJ members to remain alert to the special needs of Jewish military personnel at home and abroad, and to write letters and send packages particularly during Jewish holidays. WRJ board members Cynthia Wolf and Andrea Cannon have compiled a list of contacts through whom letters and packages can be delivered to Jewish servicemen and servicewomen as well as a list of items needed by one of the military hospitals, with an address to which packages can be sent.

2. Good News: Reproductive Rights
On Wednesday the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act of 2006 came to a vote in the House of Representatives and did not pass. Although the vote was 250-162 in favor of the bill, it required two-thirds of the House to pass, because the supporters used an expedited procedure to bring it to a vote during this session of Congress, while anti-Choice legislators have a strong majority. When the new Congress convenes in the new year there will be many more pro-Choice legislators in the House and Senate.

Seeking to deter women from seeking reproductive health care, the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act (H.R. 6099), would have required doctors and other medical professionals to give women coming for abortions ideologically-based arguments and information about fetal pain that is scientifically unproven.

3. Important Report: Teen Pregnancy
Over the past several years WRJ has signed on to, and urged sisterhoods to support comprehensive sexuality education and oppose abstinence until marriage programs, because the latter programs do not work. We anticipate that we will have to come to you again over the next few years for your support on this issue.

A definitive new study reveals that the teen pregnancy rates are down primarily because they are using contraceptives more effectively.  The research conducted by Columbia University and Guttmacher Institute investigators, looks at data from the federal National Survey of Family Growth to determine the relative contributions of abstinence and contraceptive use to this decline. The analysis reveals that most of the decline in teen pregnancy was due to more sexually active teens using contraceptives in 2002 than in 1995.

The study casts doubt upon the benefit of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs pregnancy prevention for teens. “The authors recommend that public policies and programs should vigorously promote the provision of medically accurate information on condoms and contraception, and support increased availability and accessibility of contraceptive services and supplies for teens, since these activities have the greatest impact on teen pregnancy declines.”  For more information on this issue, go to the Guttmacher Institute fact sheet Teen Pregnancy and Sex Education Q&A.

December 1

1. Israeli/ Palestinian Cease-Fire: An Editorial By Rabbi Eric Yoffie
"Let Cease-fire Arm Voices of Mideast Moderation", an editorial by Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, was reprinted, with permission from the December 1, 2006 issue of the Forward, in today’s 10 Minutes of Torah.  Rabbi Yoffie introduced his comments with: “At last, a flicker of hope on the peace front. The cease-fire, we fervently pray, will hold. A flicker of hope, and a welcome opportunity to reenergize American Jews, particularly those of moderate views, and to engage them more intensively in the search for peace.”  He described the complexity of American Jewish perceptions and concerns about Israel and offers three steps that we can take at this time.

First, Rabbi Yoffie considers American involvement essential to “create the conditions for negotiations and diplomatic progress,” and recommends calling for American participation in the process. Second, he suggests that we “vigorously oppose extremist voices in the Jewish community, both here and in Israel.”  Third, he calls on us to speak up about the principles that are the basis of our relationship with Israel: the right of every Israeli child “to play and sleep in peace”; an end to terrorism; respect for Palestinian aspirations for independence and seeing a ”two-state solution as the only viable answer to the current crisis.”

Ask your rabbi to give a sermon discussing Rabbi Yoffie’s editorial or devote part of your next sisterhood meeting to using the ideas presented in the editorial as the subject.

2. World AIDS Day Recommendations for Sisterhood Action
December 1st is World AIDS Day – In much of the world sexual ignorance and local cultural values in conjunction with gender economic and social power imbalances make women particularly vulnerable to gender based violence and HIV-AIDS.  Congresswoman Barbara Lee has introduced the Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Women and Youth Act of 2006 with 57 co-sponsors. See the PATHWAY Act Background (DOC 30.72 KB), provided by the Center for Health And Gender Equity, for more information about the act.  Urge your sisterhood women to call their members of Congress (Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121), urging that they become cosponsors of the Protection Against Transmission of HIV for Woman and Youth (PATHWAY) Act. Make your calls as soon as you can.

The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism provides suggestions for additional ways you, your family and your sisterhood can observe World AIDS Day; No Day But Today: World AIDS Day-Dec. 1.