Saturday, October 07, 2006

High Holidays Video: 2006

Watch If Not Now, When?, a short film in which Jews speak out against the illusion of Jewish consensus on Israel.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Friday, September 29, 2006

Philly High Holiday Press Release and Images: 09-28-06

Contact: phillysolidarity@gmail.com

Thursday, September 28, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia Jews Honor High Holidays with
"10 Days of Jewish Solidarity with Palestine & Lebanon " Campaign

Activists Hang Banners Calling for an End to U.S. Military Aid to Israel

STILL AND MOVING IMAGES AVAILABLE

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia Jews continued to honor the High Holidays this week by unfurling banners reading "U.S. Jews Say: Stop U.S. Military $ to Israel " and "U.S. Jews Stand Against Israel's War Crimes." Similar banners have adorned bridges over interstate highways throughout the city in honor of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the holiest days of the Jewish calendar.

The "10 Days of Jewish Solidarity with Palestine & Lebanon" campaign began on Rosh Hashanah, Friday, September 22. It continues through Yom Kippur on Monday, October 2. The campaign is coordinated with groups of Jewish activists in Boston, Detroit, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Angeles.

"In this period of reflection and renewal, it becomes all the more urgent to separate a centuries-old complex and living tradition from a highly militarized and relatively new state," said a health care professional and participant in this week's actions.

During the high holidays, Jews traditionally reflect and atone for the individual and collective injustices each person has committed or allowed to happen. The national campaign calls on Jews of conscience to honor the High Holidays by taking action in solidarity with the people of Palestine and Lebanon. According to its mission statement, the campaign calls on Jewish communities to question the effect of the U.S. government's unconditional political and financial support of Israeli policy.

These protest actions come one month after Jewish groups in Philadelphia, New York, and San Francisco hung banners, held a die-in, and committed civil disobedience in response to Israel's war in Lebanon and the unquestioned U.S. government support for it.

Since June, the actions of the Israeli military have resulted in the deaths of over 1,600 people in Lebanon and over 200 Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. This crisis in Gaza is only the latest chapter in the consistent displacement and dispossession of the Palestinian people from their homeland that has been an inherent part of Israeli state-building. Such violence is an affront to the historic Jewish commitment to justice, say campaign organizers.

"Many American Jews don't support Israel 's recent actions in Lebanon. There is no Jewish consensus on this issue," said a Philadelphia rabbinical student who recently returned from a month on the West Bank documenting human rights abuses against Palestinians.

























Friday, September 22, 2006

Boston Images: 09-21-06

Boston Jews Confront Combined Jewish Philanthropies Board with Message: In the New Year, Support Justice, Not War, In Palestine and Lebanon.


Boston


Boston


Boston

Thursday, September 21, 2006

High Holidays Campaign Statement

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
And when I am only for myself, what am I?
And if not now, then when?
— Rabbi Hillel

Campaign Statement

We call on Jews of conscience to honor the High Holidays by taking action in solidarity with the people of Palestine and Lebanon. At this time, our tradition asks us to reflect and atone for the individual and collective injustices we have committed or allowed to happen. We are mobilizing Jews across the U.S. to honor Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur through educational, spiritual and creative actions, that challenge the violence done in our name in Palestine and Lebanon.

We raise our collective voice to condemn the destructive policies and practices of the State of Israel. Specifically, as Jews living in the United States, we call on our communities to question the effect of our government’s unconditional political and financial support of Israeli policy. This uncritical support has enabled the continuing oppression of the Palestinian people and Israel’s historic and current military aggression in the region, including the recent war in Lebanon.

Since June, the actions of the Israeli military have resulted in the deaths of over 1600 people in Lebanon, and over 200 Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. In Gaza, Israel has continued to violate the well-being and self-determination of Palestinians by sealing Gaza’s borders and destroying civilian infrastructure, leaving over 1.4 million people with little access to water, electricity, food and medicine. This crisis in Gaza is only the latest chapter in the consistent displacement and dispossession of the Palestinian people from their homeland that has been an inherent part of Israeli state-building. This history is an affront to the historic Jewish commitment to justice and it must be examined and questioned.

Our silence about these injustices is a dishonoring of Yom Kippur – an ancient commitment to reflecting on and taking account of our individual and collective actions. Hope for a new year of reconciliation can only be found by taking responsibility for our actions, and working for justice in Palestine and an end to Israeli aggression Lebanon.

We invite Jews of conscience to join us in honoring our tradition of self-reflection in the New Year by taking creative action in solidarity with the people of Palestine and Lebanon. We celebrate the possibility of transformation made possible through our collective accountability.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

National High Holidays Actions & Events

READ THE FULL CAMPAIGN STATEMENT HERE.


New York | Seattle | Boston | Philadelphia | Bay Area

NEW YORK


JATO HIGH HOLIDAYS EVENT


Thursday, September 28, 2006 from 7:00PM to 9:00PM

Organized by: Jews Against the Occupation/NYC

Contact: jatonyc AT yahoo.com


Join Jews Against the Occupation to welcome the New Year. Enter into a space of personal and communal reflection as we discuss the year's events in Israel, Palestine and Lebanon and journey through the Days of Teshuva reasserting our commitments and renewing our drive for action. Let us come together to recount where we have been and envision new directions for future work to end the occupation. Snacks and schmooze to follow.


Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center

107 Suffolk Street between Rivington and Delancey Streets

(Subway Directions: F to Delancey St, or J,M,Z to Essex St)


Jews Against the Occupation is an organization of progressive, secular and religious Jews of all ages throughout the New York City area advocating peace through justice for Palestine and Israel.


SEATTLE



TASHLICH L'TZEDEK


Sunday, October 1st, 2006

Organized by: Jewish Voice for Peace, Seattle

Contact: info AT jvpseattle.org


The traditional Tashlich ritual of the Jewish New Year allows for reflection and accountability for our actions/inactions of the past year. We will create a community space where we can reaffirm our commitment to working for justice in the Middle East.


Jewish Voice for Peace is a national organization opposed to Israel's military aggression and occupation of Palestinian land. The Seattle chapter engages in ritual and political activity in support of self-determination of Palestinian and Israeli people.


BOSTON


TASHLICH



Thursday, September 21, 2006

Contact: JewsforJustice AT gmail.com

Where: Post Office Square (Intersection of Congress and Milk Streets)


Young Jewish people will gather to hold a Tashlich ceremony. At this high holidays' ceremony, they will throw bread crumbs into the fountain to symbolize the casting off of collective wrongdoings from the previous year.



CONFRONTING Combined Jewish Philanthropies


Thursday, September 21, 2006

Contact: BostonJewsforJustice AT gmail.com


Young Boston Jewish activists will confront the Board of Directors of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) at their board meeting. Focusing on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, they will demand that CJP reflect upon their support for Israel's bombing campaign in Lebanon; occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem; and ongoing attacks on the Gaza Strip. As is traditional for the high holidays, the group will be dressed in white and will sound the shofar (ram's horn) as a wake-up call to CJP about their role in the Middle East and the opinion of young Jewish Bostonians about this role.


DISTRIBUTING Pledge Cards to Support Palestine at Boston Area Synagogues


Saturday, September 23 and Monday October 2, 2006


The High Holidays are often a time when synagogues offer their members pledge cards for suggested donations to Israel. This year, in response, Boston Jews will meet High Holiday service attendees at each of the Boston-area synagogues on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with pledge cards suggesting commitments to support Palestine and Lebanon.


YOM KIPPUR COMMUNITY BREAK-FAST


Monday Evening, October 2, 2006
Contact: BostonJewsforJustice AT gmail.com


Activists and allies will join together for a break-fast dinner to signify the end of the 10 Day Solidarity period and the beginning of a New Year of commitment to justice for in Palestine and Lebanon.

PHILADELPHIA


Contact: PhillySolidarity AT gmail.com


Several events organized by Jews in Philadelphia will take place during the 10 Days of Solidarity. For more information about their High Holiday activities or future events, please contact the organizers at the above address.


BAY AREA


Please join Bay Area Jews of Conscience in honoring the high holidays and our commitment to challenging the violence done in our name by the State of Israel. We are a network of Jewish Palestine solidarity activists committed to making visible our opposition to the historic and most recent crimes against humanity committed by the state of Israel in Gaza, Palestine and Lebanon.


ROSH HASHANAH Synagogue FLYERING


Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23, 2006

Organized by: Bay Area Jews of Conscience

Contact:: JewishConscienceBayArea AT gmail.com


Focusing on the theme of Jewish community accountability for the actions of the State of Israel, flyering will take place on the evening or morning of Rosh Hashanah at the services of selected progressive Bay Area congregations.


WOMEN IN BLACK TASHLICH


Sunday, September 24, 2006 at 3PM.

Organized by: Bay Area Jews of Conscience

Contact: JewishConscienceBayArea AT gmail.com


Bay Area Jews will participate in the Bay Area Women in Black Tashlich ceremony at the Emeryville Marina.


YOM KIPPUR BREAK-FAST Cultural/Political/Religious Event


SUnday Evening, October 2, 2006

Organized by: Bay Area Jews of Conscience

Contact: JewishConscienceBayArea AT gmail.com


Bay Area Jews will participate in a joint Jewish and Muslim Yom Kippur/Ramadan solidarity Break the Fast fundraiser and potluck dinner. They will raise funds for humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza and Lebanon, asking for admission donations on a sliding scale.


The event will feature Muslim and Jewish ritual, spoken word, dancing, and music. Location to be announced.