NCJW, Jewish Organizations, and Jewish Clergy Urge Congress to Help, Not Harm, Our Communities
Dear Members of the 118th Congress,
The Talmud (Shavuot 39a) teaches that we are all responsible for one another. As such, Jewish tradition emphasizes the importance of honoring every person’s dignity and caring for our communal and social well-being. Our past and present experiences as Jews further underscores our obligation to ensure that all people have what they need to thrive, in solidarity with others.
This means that our nation’s programs and services must meet the needs of women, children, and families — ensuring they have food to eat, places to call home, safe places to learn, jobs with equal pay and paid sick leave, the ability to love who they want, and health care that is affordable and accessible. But funding for these vital programs and services are being held up in Congress, where some lawmakers are threatening to shut the government down over anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-diversity, education and inclusion amendments. The inclusion of these amendments–and attempts to shut down the government over them–would have disastrous consequences, as these bills must be passed by midnight on September 30.
Funding bills are moral documents; they are opportunities for our nation to show how we treat those that are most vulnerable. Together, we call on Congress to pass bills to fund vital government programs and services that support and enrich our communities rather than harm them.
Respectfully,
National Jewish Organizations:
ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal
Ameinu
American Jewish World Service
Avodah
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action
IKAR
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action
Jewish Center for Justice
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish Democratic Council of America
Jewish Labor Committee
Jewish Multilracial Network
Jewish Women International (JWI)
Keshet
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
NA’AMAT USA
National Council of Jewish Women
Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies
Rabbinical Assembly
Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
Shalom Bayit
The Workers Circle
Union for Reform Judaism
Women of Reform Judaism
Women’s Rabbinic Network
Jewish Clergy:
Cantor Lauren Furman Adesnik
Cantor Sheri Allen
Rabbi Laura Bellows
Rabbi Leah Rachel Berkowitz
Rabbi Amy B. Bigman
Rabbi Dana Z. Bogatz
Rabbi Gary M. Bretton-Granatoor
Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. Bronstein
Sass Brown, Rabbinical Student
Rabbi Max Chaiken
Rabbi Paul F. Cohen
Rabbi Abby Cohen
Rabbi Stephanie Crawley
Rabbi Faith Joy Dantowitz
Rabbi Benjamin David
Max Davis, Rabbinical Student
Rav Tyler Dratch
Rabbi Jessica Dressin
Rabbi Ellen W Dreyfus
Rabbi Elizabeth Dunsker
Rabbi Judith B. Edelstein
Rabbi Nora Feinstein
Cantor Devorah Felder-Levy
Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife
Rabbi Joshua Fixler
Rabbi Allison Flash
Rabbi David Gelfand
Rabbi Gary Glickstein
Rabbi Brian Glusman
Rabbi Keren Gorban
Rabbi Lisa S. Greene
Rabbi Michael G. Holzman
Rabbi Mark Hurvitz
Rabbi Jessica Jacobs
Cantor Rachel Gottlieb Kalmowitz
Leah Kiser, Ordained Kohenet
Rabbi Elias Lieberman
Rabbi Sharon Mars
Rabbi Dr. Sabine Meyer
Cantor Sarah Myerson
Rabbi Michael Namath
Cantor Julie Newman
Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch
Rabbi Salem Pearce
Rabbi Hara Person
Rabbi Ethan Prosnit
Rabbi Jennifer Queen
Rabbi Michael Ramberg
Rabbi Stacy Rigler
Rabbi Mira Rivera
Rabbi Shoshana Rosenbaum
Rabbi Francine Roston
Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg
Rabbi Neil Sandler
Rabbi Simone Schicker
Rabba Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez
Rabbi Ilana Schwartzman
Rabbi Julie Schwarzwald
Rabbi Scott Shafrin
Rabbi Becky Silverstein
Rabbi-Cantor Alan Sokoloff
Rabbi Raphael E. Spitzer
Rabbi Joshua Strom
Rabbi Jenna Stein Turow
Rabbi Shira Stutman
Rabbi Jessie Wainer
Cantor Risa Wallach
Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg
Rabbi Michael Weiss
Rabbi Marina Yergin
Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel
Rabbi Irwin Zeplowitz
Cantor Michael Zoosman
Rabbi Julie Zupan