Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

JRF, a member of the Jewish Council of Public Affairs and an affiliate member of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, joins in supporting the JCPA's 2007-8 National Anti-Poverty Campaign.

There shall be no needy among you. (Deuteronomy 15:4)

See a summary of the JCPA Confronting Poverty Campaign.

INTRODUCTION:

The JCPA proposes the launching of a national anti-poverty campaign to:

• Re-energize the organized Jewish community around combating domestic poverty
• Strengthen the natural connection between direct service and anti-poverty advocacy in the Jewish community
• Enhance and coordinate anti-poverty activism taking place in communities around the nation
• Foster partnerships between agencies to further the goals of the initiative
• Ensure that poverty becomes a first-tier issue in the 2008 elections
• Provide technical assistance to Jewish organizations for social justice work; and
• Attract new members both affiliated and non-affiliated with the organized Jewish community, particularly young people.

GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING:

Community engagement will be structured according to working groups— clusters organized according to different aspects of poverty centering on issues such as:

• Hunger and Food Insecurity
• Affordable Housing
• Environmental Justice and Poverty
• Healthcare
• Education

Through the campaign, these clusters will meet via conference call at least once a month to set priorities and advocacy/service goals, share best practices, and coordinate programming for maximum effect. When anti-poverty legislation relevant to a particular cluster needs grassroots action, the JCPA will help the communities mobilize activists. When a particular community service project draws large numbers of young people to the CRC, that community will share materials with other members of the cluster to help duplicate successful results. These working groups will be the force behind the campaign, ensuring grassroots involvement and continuity of activism and community service.

NATIONAL PROGRAMMING:

• JCPA Executive Director and local communities will be taking the food stamp challenge
• Monthly themes around the Jewish holidays for the campaign’s first year
• Network and Partnership Opportunities
• Online Activist Manual and Reference Guide and development of a poverty Speaker’s Bureau
• Consultation and Technical Assistance

OTHER ONGOING CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES

• Weekly D’var Torah on domestic poverty issues.
• Monthly nationwide calls to highlight themes that do not necessarily fit into one specific cluster or monthly theme, but should be mainstreamed into the entire campaign. Ideas include: poverty and disability, public-private partnerships to address poverty, poverty and gender, the role of business, poverty amongst the elderly, poverty and immigration, children’s poverty, and poverty and globalization.

CONCLUSION

As the Confronting Poverty campaign is implemented, Jewish communities across the country will engage in community service and anti-poverty activism in a broader and deeper sense. Within the Jewish community, there will be a strengthened connection between the services we provide and the advocacy needed to affect systemic change. Our partners -- other faith groups, civil rights organizations, unions and businesses, and government officials -- will recognize the Jewish community’s commitment and our activism will inspire deeper and more powerful relationships that will strengthen coalitions around our other priorities, including Israel. Finally, as momentum builds, the profile of poverty will be raised in town halls, school houses and political campaigns across the country, galvanizing a true national commitment to take the concrete steps needed to significantly reduce poverty in the next ten years.

If you are interested in joining the JCPA campaign or receiving resource materials on how to take the food stamp challenge, please e-mail Melissa Boteach or call her at 202-212-6039.

See JRF resources on hunger and poverty.