A Word From Social Justice Coordinator Jason Taper Shalom y'all!
Social justice is more important now than ever. I'm sure I don't need to say why. I'm sharing opportunities to organize and respond from home, if you're not protesting in the streets. And if you are out there, please get a free COVID test.
I've received a record number of folks reaching out in the past 2 weeks, asking how our community can get involved in the struggle for racial justice. I am immensely proud to see this outpouring of support. The injustices of white supremacy are right in front of our eyes. Our community could choose to hide in the daily privilege of whiteness, not subject to the systemic racism of the criminal justice system. We could feel helpless to uproot entrenched injustice as old as the country itself.
But you aren't hiding, and you aren't helpless.
You have asked me how you can help--and that's all below. But before I get to that, I wanted to express my incredible gratitude to our community. The work will be hard, and so I pray that this is not just an isolated moment of awareness, but the beginning of our rededication to social justice. The work will be hard, the realities depressing and seemingly insurmountable. But the alternative to action is complicity, and you have roundly rejected that. In the words of Pirke Avot, it is not upon us to complete the work; neither are we free to desist from it.
Shalom y'all!
Social Justice is more important now than ever. I'm sure I don't need to say why. I'm sharing opportunities to organize and respond from home, if you're not protesting in the streets. And if you are out there, please get a free COVID test.
I've recieved a record number of folks reaching out in the past 2 weeks, asking how our community can get involved in the struggle for racial justice. I am immensely proud to see this outpouring of support. The injustices of white supremacy are right in front of our eyes. Our community could choose to hide in the daily privilege of whiteness, not subject to the systemic racism of the criminal justice system. We could feel helpless to uproot entrenched injustice as old as the country itself.
But you aren't hiding, and you aren't helpless.
You have asked me how you can help - and that's all below. But before I get to that, I wanted to express my incredible gratitude to our community. The work will be hard, and so I pray that this is not just an isolated moment of awareness, but the beginning of our rededication to social justice. The work will be hard, the realities depressing and seemingly insurmountable. But the alternative to action is complicity, and you have roundly rejected that. In the words of Pirke Avot, it is not upon us to complete the work; neither are we free to desist from it.
We will be asking for volunteer leaders to commit to particular initiatives, from nonpartisan civic engagement to advocacy, in the coming weeks. We will continue to have community discussions and education on anti-racism.
Regardless of shul affiliation, the point of contact for every initiative listed would be happy to have your help. And if you simply want to ask how best to be an ally, or how we got here, please reply to this email or call me. Please ask me instead of your Black friends. My email is jason.austinsocialjustice@gmail.com, and my number is 469-834-9987. Thank you for your first steps, and please don't let them be your last.
Forward,Jason Taper
Social Justice Coordinator
Temple Beth Shalom & Congregation Beth Israel
_______________________________________________________Anti-Racism ResourcesIf you'd like anti-racism resources, here are two sets: CBI's anti-racism resources and Resource Guide to Creating Change in Austin. Please especially consider the donation links within those. Also, clergy from both Temple Beth Shalom and Congregation Beth Israel addressed the current protests over racial injustice through the statements linked here. _______________________________________________________
RISE Fund for COVID-19 Relief
If you or someone you know needs RISE Fund emergency assistance, click here for a list of participating organizations that can help. The RISE fund is a local $15M COVID-19 relief fund.
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Offer Your Input on City of Austin
Budget Priorities
Please let Austin City Council know your budget priorities by July 1 through this survey.
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Important Voting Dates and Deadlines
Joint Primary Runoff: July 14, 2020
• June 15, 2020: Last day to register to vote or make a change of address/name. If you have moved, changed apartments or your name, your voter information must be updated.
• July 2, 2020: Last day to request a mail ballot. (Application must be received by this date)
Early Voting in Person:
• Monday, June 29, 2020-Thursday July 2, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Sunday, July 5, 2020, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
• Monday, July 6, 2020-Friday, July 10, 2020 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Mail Ballot must be received by the early voting clerk by:- 7:00 PM on July 14 if mailed but does not have a postmark or delivery receipt
- 5:00 PM on Wednesday, July 15 if mailed and postmarked or has a delivery receipt showing the voter submitted the ballot for delivery by 7:00 PM on July 14
- 7:00 PM on July 14 if hand delivered to the early voting clerk
*In other words: mail your ballot well before the deadline!
_______________________________________________________Nonpartisan Civic Engagement
Temple Beth Shalom and Congregation Beth Israel are both committed to get our temples to 100% voting. For information about how we plan to do so, click here.
As you know, Texans have the opportunity to vote in the July 20 run-off election for a variety of state and local offices. The pandemic has complicated voting procedures around the country, and more of us are seeking to vote by mail. If you wish to do so, we encourage you to download and send in a vote-by-mail application. The application must be received by July 2 to receive a ballot by mail. You can download the application here. The application has the address where you need to send the completed form and contact information if you have questions.
Qualifications to vote by mail include any of these:
• People over 65
• People who are sick or have a disability, and
• Those out of the county on Election Day.
Despite recent varying court decisions on mail-in ballots, the Travis County Clerk and Texas Supreme Court have stated that the determination of sickness or disability rests with the individual voter (read more on TexasTribune.org). If you are below 65, will be in town on election day, and feel that by voting in person during the pandemic puts your health at risk, you can claim sickness or disability. If you complete the application, be sure to sign it and place a postage stamp on the return envelope. You will find more information on voting by mail here.
As we get closer to the November election, we as Reform Jews in Austin will have opportunities to work on voter engagement efforts and to challenge voter suppression tactics as part of a coordinated effort by the Religious Action Center of the URJ. This work is exciting and reflective of our values of inclusion. Watch for more details later this summer, and please remember to vote in July. _______________________________________________________ Reform Congregations--Immigration Work Website
Check out Daniela Weil's immigration advocacy website to find the latest actions and her thoughtful analysis, updated frequently. ______________________________________________________________ Opportunities for InvolvementReligious Action Center, Texas
Contact: Rabbi David Segal, dsegal@rac.org;
Jason Taper, jason.austinsocialjustice@gmail.com
Social Justice Opportunity: Civic Engagement Coalition Working Groups
RAC-TX is working on three major nonpartisan issues to ensure that our democracy is strong and our elections are free and fair. If you're interested in getting involved, you can join a training (below) in one of these areas. The groups are:Using this toolkit, the RAC's goal is to empower every congregation's members to achieve 100% voting. This includes using the TX Empower App , a tool for tracking contacts and engaging voters within your congregation and social network. Think of it as digital Jewish Geography for civic engagement.- Religious Freedom in Elections:
RAC-TX is in conversation with Texas Civil Rights Project and others about how to raise a religious voice for mail voting and other election protection measures. Please contact us if you are interested in joining.- Fighting Voter Suppression:
RAC-TX is partnering with Reclaim Our Vote, a nonpartisan group whose mission is to counteract the effects of voter suppression on communities of color. Reclaim Our Vote offers regular training for their voter outreach tools like phone banking and postcards to engage marginalized voters.
Ongoing Action: Postcards for Democracy
Click here to order postcard kits to contact low-propensity voters of color to help them register and vote.
Student Civic Engagement Trainings
June 29, July 28, and August 23
Register now
These trainings, designed for voters and youth activists (ages 14-29), will frame the larger civic engagement campaign and then split into one session for high school students and one for young voters in college, graduate school, and beyond.
Work So Far:
The RAC officially launched the Every Voice, Every Vote: the Reform Movement’s 2020 Civic Engagement Campaign on May 7. Throughout the year, Reform Jews like us fight injustice by talking directly to our nation’s leaders. Our goal is not the success of one party, but the empowerment of our own community and ensuring that public policies reflect our Jewish values.
To that end, RAC-TX joined the Texas Voter Protection Coalition and held a meeting with Travis County Voter Registrar Bruce Elfant. A meeting is scheduled with Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir, as we seek to hold accountable major stakeholders in our elections.
Even before the COVID-19 crisis, this coalition was advocating for a list of reforms to ensure Texas has fair, accessible, effective elections. The urgency of this effort has only increased, and our state’s ability to protect the vote is a cornerstone of democracy and influences every other issue we work on.
CBI Social Action Committee Core Team
Contact: Mindy Lee | mindyem@gmail.com
Liz Mitlak | mitlakej@gmail.com
Action Item: Apply to Vote by Mail!
Another reminder, as it's incredibly important. Elections determine whether our representatives share our values, so we ask that if you're 65+ or have a disability, you apply to vote by mail. For the Travis County Primary Runoff & Special Elections on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, the last day to apply for Ballot by Mail is Thursday, July 2, and early voting has been extended to Monday, June 29-Friday, July 10.
Ongoing Actions:
• Immigration Justice: Continued activities around immigration justice are taking place in our community, especially with Refugee Services of Texas. Specifically, please refer families you may be assisting, donate to a COVID-19 relief fund, or to sign up to be a volunteer through RST. And please visit Daniela Weil's immigration advocacy website for more opportunities!
• Civic Engagement: Our new civic engagement issue team is working in coordination with RAC-TX to advocate for universal, no-excuse vote by mail and to support safe and fair elections, particularly during the current COVID-19 crisis. Temple Beth Shalom Social Justice Core Team (Anti-Poverty)
Contact: Larkin Tackett, 512-657-9383, larkin.tackett@gmail.com
Ongoing Actions:The Anti-Poverty Action Team met with City of Austin staff about aligned efforts and narrowed options for how to define poverty and opportunity. Next week, there are four opportunities to join house meetings to learn with members of the Capital Idea, Family Independence Initiative, and LifeWorks. Info below.
Upcoming Event: House Meetings
When: June 16 (11-12 and 6:30-7:30) and June 18 (1-2 and 6:30-7:30)
Where: Via Zoom, link here
Work So Far:* Education about strategies highlighted in NY Times, Tamarack Institute (Canada), and Central Iowa
* Partnering with other Austin organizations (LifeWorks, Community First! Village, and Capital IDEA) to conduct house meetings to understand issues and identify leaders of families impacted by poverty.Jewish tradition is filled with commandments to help the poorest among us: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the widow and orphan. When we organize to place working class voices at the center of how our community morally responds to poverty, we not only improve the advocacy we undertake, but fundamentally empower those who the Torah compels us to uplift. Advocates for Social Justice Reform (Criminal Justice)
Contact: Bob Batlan, bobbatlan1@gmail.com
Email Bob for a Zoom invitation and/or to join our mailing list.
Upcoming Events: - Internal planning meeting
- Meeting with Bradley Hargis of CAPDS
- Meeting with Trudy Strassburger of the Justice Coalition
- Meeting with Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion
Recent Work:- We met with Travis County Chief Public Defender Adeola Ogunkeyede on June 8 to assure successful startup of the new Travis County Public Defenders Office. She helped us craft a plan to seek additional funding and partnership with the City of Austin. We started a communication plan to inform City officials of the unmet needs.
- We met on June 1 with Sheriff Hernandez and discussed actions by Travis County relative to the safety of incarcerated individuals and criminal justice staff during the COVID crisis. We also received a brief update on the Sheriff’s Departments response during recent demonstrations.
- We also met on June 1 with former County Judge Eckhardt to learn about needed communication strategies to help residents know what services are available in response to COVID.
- As we requested, Travis County submitted a grant proposal to Texas Indigent Defense Commission to do a pilot project to improve legal representation during the magistration.
- Attended various meetings and seminars on Criminal Justice Issues and Public Policy.
"Justice, justice, you shall pursue." A just system of laws is ingrained from Leviticus through King David through every contradicting comment in the Talmud. Even an eye for an eye is blind to whose eye is taken, so we organize for a criminal justice system that is truly fair and impartial. Refugee Services of Texas
Contact: Lynn Burdick | lburdick@rstx.org
Ongoing Action - Asylum Seeker Assistance Program (ASAP) Referral:
Asylum Seeker Assistance Program (ASAP) Referral:
Local donors raised sufficient funding to begin the ASAP (Asylum Seeker Assistance Program) in May. RST posted the position for a part time case manager and had an incredible internal candidate – Ahmed Abbas.
Ahmed is in the process of enrolling the 20 Austin Sanctuary families to assist them with case management services. In the past, The Austin Sanctuary network has primarily focused on providing transportation for court hearings in San Antonio for these families. During the pandemic the ASN volunteeers have been trying to help scrounge funds and goods to meet basic food and rent needs for these families who are not eligible for stimulus or other federal funds. The first go-round of Rise funds the volunteers with ASN and the families called and called and none got RISE funds. Now RST (Ahmed) and ASN volunteers are scrambling to help these families apply for the second round. I’m worried the same thing will happen.
Please contact CM Alter or Mayor Adler on behalf of these families and ask for their help to ensure that these families are included in the second round. Helping these families with food and rent is a joint project of both congregations, and these families are incredibly food and rent insecure.
Upcoming Event: World Refugee Day on Saturday, June 20--free, live online events starting at 11 a.m.
Ongoing Donation and Volunteer Needs: - Emergency Assistance Fund--monetary donations for rent/utility assistance, food security, technology devices, and internet access
- Babies, babies and more babies! We had two families welcome a new member into their family. We need diapers (size 2), wipes and formula.
- Feed a family [from home] - If you're uncomfortable or unable to go out, you can still make a difference by "adopting" a family. We'll supply the grocery list, all you have to do is go online, order groceries and set up delivery through Amazon, Instacart or other delivery service. This will be posted as an ongoing opportunity on Volunteer Hub.
- ESL Teachers [from home] - Learning English is a top priority to help our clients acclimate into their new communities. Adapting to our current circumstances, we are looking for ESL teachers to help with online lessons.
- Youth Mentor Program. The Youth Mentoring Program's goal is to match community members with refugee youth ages 15-24 for the purpose of education support, career guidance, cultural learning and friendship. Pairs are expected to meet 8 hours per month for a 6 month period, working on goals set by the mentee. Pairs might also enjoy recreational activities, college visits or other activities to help the mentee integrate into their community. Spanish, Dari and Pashto speaking members especially needed. Also, we would love to connect with specialists in the medical field, law and engineering/tech. If you are interested in being a mentor or learning more, contact Chloe at cscarborough@rstx.org or Marissa at mmelnikov@rstx.org.
- Needed for VOCA Program (Victims of Crime Act Program- formerly the STEP program for survivors of trafficking): Any type of gift cards, esp. for groceries.
Our own people’s history as “strangers” reminds us of the many struggles faced by immigrants today, and we affirm our commitment to create the same opportunities for today’s refugees that were so valuable to our own community when we fled our gravest dangers.
ICE Reform Advocacy
Contacts: Maria Reza, Daniela Weil
Ongoing Action: Demanding Release of T. Don Hutto Detainees
Grassroots Leadership is asking folks to call (script here) and ask for the release of the women inside T. Don Hutto detention center, as they have little to no access to medical resources (the women inside have no choice but to purchase a bar of soap for $4 because the jail won't supply them with basic necessities). These are all women who are seeking asylum and have absolutely no need to be detained inside a hazardous jail, especially during an epidemic.Work So Far: Organizing against ICE contracts and inhumane treatment of detainees, including research, elected official contact, and protests.
Our Jewish values compel us to show compassion to these women who fled their countries after seeing their families being killed, crossed the ocean and arrived in a place they considered a safe haven. The dangers of Germany then and Guatemala now both compel allyship. Austin Sanctuary Network
Contacts: Jessica Duran, Daniela Weil
Social Justice Opportunity: Supporting Hilda and Iván in sanctuary
Work So Far: This organization has been protecting Hilda Ramirez and her son Iván, who are Guatemalan asylum seekers, from ICE detention and deportation to certain danger, for four years.
“The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love them as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” So we show our love and solidarity with Hilda and Iván whenever we can.
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)
Contacts: Nancy Wolf, Russ Apfel
Ongoing Actions (please contact Nancy Wolf if interested):
• Attorneys to work remotely assisting asylum seekers: hias.org/take-action
• Girls Forward: Looking for adult women mentors for teen refugee girls. Virtual tutoring and mentoring: info@girlforward.org
Work So Far: During our Jews for Refugees assembly held on February 2, 2020, we were privileged to have many non-profits attend. HIAS, our partner in this endeavor, put together a flyer entitled "What Should We Do Next?" with opportunities to get involved in the following categories: Advocacy, Donations, and Direct Volunteer/Service. Of course, our world has changed during the pandemic, as we all face medical, economic, and social/emotional challenges. These challenges are often magnified for our refugee and asylee populations. Our shared histories and current circumstances reveal how we are all dependent on one another in ways that we perhaps could not have understood even just several weeks ago.
Our own people’s history as “strangers” reminds us of the many struggles faced by immigrants today, and we affirm our commitment to create the same opportunities for today’s refugees that were so valuable to our own community when we fled our gravest dangers.
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