RABBI'S NEWS: Praying with our Legs

Dear Friends,

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s colleague and good friend, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heshchel, was asked upon his return from the march from Selma to Montgomery how he felt about his experience.  He replied:  "I prayed with my legs." 

Please join me in these actions that will enable us to "pray with our legs" as well!

Yours in peace and justice,

Rabbi Neil

Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels

Tell the JNF not to Evict Palestinians from East Jerusalem

After a wonderful weekend of Muslim-Jewish dialogue, camaraderie and the beginning of joint commitment to do our part in the effort to rebuild the American International School in Gaza (attacked by Hamas for many years because of its Western curriculum and hit by an Israeli missile in 2009) another urgency arises.

A family of twelve that has lived in their house for forty years is about to be evicted from an East Jerusalem neighborhood under the auspices of a nit-picking, draconian law that allows Israel to "dance around" the realities of consequences of territorial acquisition.

BECAUSE OF MY LOVE FOR ISRAEL, and because I want Israel to be at peace, I cannot remain silent while such an injustice is about to occur. It is ironic that I was in this neighborhood just this past summer accompanying our congregant, Lynn Harrell, when he used the waters of an ancient aqueduct located there as his conversion mikvah. It was a peaceful morning. We came to the waters early because Palestinian children play in the waters in the afternoon. For me, it feels like an abuse of the area and of basic, Jewish values for such a violation of a family's history and stability to take place there. Please join me in protesting this unnecessary cruelty and very "un-Jewish" way for our Jewish State to choose to act.

Click here to take action

ACTION ALERTS!

The Religious Action Center of of Reform Judaism urges us to take immediate action on three items:

Justice Cannot Wait:

Tell Your Senators to Fill Judicial Vacancies Immediately

click here

Free Alan Gross from Cuban Prison

click here

and 

Extend Federal Unemployment Insurance

click here

I encourage you to notify your senators and representatives by phone.

I made all three phone calls.  It took two minutes – total!  Please help!  Please pray with your…fingers and your phone!

To find your congressperson's phone numbers click here

I am very happy to report to you that Santa Monica now has the only unionized carwash in the country!

Bonus Carwash, 2800 Lincoln Blvd. deserves your support and patronage!  Two years ago, at Passover and just recently on Labor Day weekend, Beth Shir Shalom hosted the courageous “carwasheros” who put their livelihoods and security on the line by struggling for union recognition (as part of United Steelworkers). We should be proud that our community was part of their support network. 

Here’s a link to a card the “carwasheros” want you to bring with you to your next carwash at Bonus and give it to the cashier.  The card expresses our appreciation to the owners and managers of Bonus for their commitment to decent wages and working conditions as well as giving continued support to the workers.  Don’t forget to sign the card. Just another way in which Beth Shir Shalom prays with its legs!

Pray with your legs!