Shalom,
Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate, once said that “when Jews and Arabs
get together, live together - they create their own miracle...” SocialAction.com
takes an in-depth look at the remarkable, if not miraculous, Arava Institute, where
young Arabs and Jews study/live/work cooperatively together, in the Israeli desert,
to solve the region’s environmental challenges. On a much smaller scale, you can
help solve a few of those challenges by following the Coalition on the Environment
and Jewish Life’s 10 ways to fight global warming. You can make a difference.
We also recommend a book about how and why crucial research on
environmental causes of cancer has been kept from the general public; commend Steven
Spielberg for quitting the Olympic Games as an artistic advisor because of China’s
abhorrent policy on Darfur; question whether the Holocaust is an appropriate topic
for a musical; and support, as Americans and as Jews, the Senate’s vote opposing
the use of torture. Plus much more. Act Now,
with Wisdom and Compassion.
Carol Kort
Editor, SocialAction.com
socialaction@jflmedia.com
The Arava Institute for Environmental
Studies is the premier environmental teaching and research program in the Middle
East, preparing future Arab and Jewish leaders to cooperatively solve the region’s
environmental challenges. Located in the heart of Israel’s Arava desert, the Institute
is a unique oasis of environmental education, research, and international cooperation
that also fosters, among young Jews and Arabs, peace-building, long-term relationships,
and leadership skills.
In “Nature Knows No Borders,” David Weisberg describes this remarkable
experiment: “Amazingly, in a place known for war,” he writes, “an organization has
found a recipe for building peace—not through building walls, but by building bridges.”
Global warming is the defining issue of our time. The average
American uses enough energy to release about 50,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per
year! COEJL (the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life) suggests 10 ways
to help slow global warming—and save money over the long term—by reducing household
use of energy. Here are 5 of them. Click on COEJL’s website to view the others:
- Insulate
your home, tune up your furnace, install a programmable thermostat, and keep
the thermostat low.
- Look for
the “Energy-Star” label on appliances, indicating certification as a highly
energy efficient product. Energy Star, a U.S. EPA program, certifies all major appliances,
furnaces, boilers, computers and monitors, and even entire new homes.
- When purchasing
your next vehicle, select the most fuel-efficient model possible.
- Buy products
in reusable or recyclable packaging, recycle all newsprint, cardboard, glass,
and metal, and buy recycled products.
- Advocate
for strong governmental action to reduce carbon emissions, including mass transit,
stricter vehicle emissions standards, and energy-smart community planning.
Join COEJL Action.
By Devra Davis
(Basic Books, 2007)
“If we want the world of the future
to be healthier than that of the past, we can start with ending the protection of
toxic trade secrets and taking more realistic looks at the combined impacts of modern
agents on our lives.”
—Dr. Devra Davis
The Secret History of the
War on Cancer, by Devra Davis, COEJL (Coalition on the Environment and Jewish
Life) Board Member and Director of the first-of-its-kind Center for Environmental
Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, vividly portrays, decade
by decade, how crucial research on environmental causes of cancer has been kept
from the general public. The War on Cancer, largely run by industry leaders that
made cancer-causing products or profited from drugs that treat but do not prevent
the disease, downplayed or suppressed potentially life-saving research on factors
known to cause cancer, including tobacco, toxicity in the workplace, radiation,
or the global environment. A portion of the profits from this gripping story goes
to support research on cancer prevention.
Steven Spielberg, celebrated film director and founder of the
Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, quit as an artistic adviser to
the 2008 Games in Beijing because of China’s policy on Darfur. His conscience would
not allow him to work on the Olympics while “unspeakable crimes” continued to be
committed in the Darfur region of Sudan. He asked the Chinese government to use
its influence in the region “to bring an end to the human suffering” and to push
the Sudanese government to accept a UN peacekeeping force. Spielberg’s statement
was released the same day 9 Nobel Peace laureates, including Elie Wiesel, urged
China’s president to stop supporting and protecting the Sudanese government. How
can you help? By joining the American Jewish World Service Darfur Action campaign
http://www.ajws.org/emergencies/darfur/.
SocialAction.com’s Thumbs Up—Thumbs Down!
The unprecedented recent apology to
Aborigines (indigenous Australians) by the country’s prime minister marked a national
Yom Kippur of sorts. Australian Jews, who have been at the forefront of the reconciliation
effort, applauded the official statement that acknowledged the “profound grief,
suffering, and loss” inflicted on Aborigines. Read more about the Jewish activists
who encouraged the Australian government to say, finally, “Sorry.”
They were world-class theoretical physicists who
immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union seeking a better future. Instead,
on February 3, Lyubov Razdolakaya was killed and her husband, Eduard Gedalin, wounded
critically, in a suicide bombing in Dimona. After arriving in Israel, the couple
joined the Ben-Gurion University program for immigrant scientists, where they worked
together in the lab. But few knew of their significant achievements in particle
physics.
Read what our writers have to say about the next parashat of the Torah.
A Spanish musical based
on the diary of Anne Frank has split those charged with protecting the legacy of
the young Holocaust victim, including her last living relative. He and other critics
say a format meant to entertain is unacceptable and will stray from the brutal truth
of her book and its tragic story, while backers insist it will help spread Anne’s
message of tolerance. “The Diary of Anne Frank: A Song to Life” is set to open in
Madrid on February 28, 2008. What do you think? Is the sound of music suitable for
the Diary of Anne Frank? Email socialaction@jflmedia.com
with your opinion.
“To be a beacon of justice to the world,
our nation cannot continue to engage in enhanced interrogation techniques which
in many cases have proven to be torture by another name.”
—Mark Pelavin, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
The Religious Action Center of Reform
Judaism hailed the Senate vote opposing torture and called on the President
to sign the bill into law. “Congress has taken a major step toward ending U.S. sponsored
torture by passing the Intelligence Authorization Conference Report,” said RAC associate
director Mark Pelavin. “Jewish tradition teaches us that a spark of the divine exists
within each individual. It is in that spirit that we have long opposed the physical
or mental torture of any individual, for to do so defiles God’s creation.” For more
on what you can do, contact Sean Thibault or Jonah Perlin, 202.387.2800, news@rac.org.
Looking for a different, more meaningful way to get to know Israel?
Project Shinui (in Hebrew it means “change”) offers tailor-made volunteering services
across Israel for tourists, students, or people making aliyah, matching socially-minded volunteers with transitional placements
that suit their needs, abilities, and interests. Working side by side with Israeli
activists, Project Shinui volunteers gain first-hand knowledge of the complexities
and challenges facing Israeli society by working for organizations that deal with
civil rights, coexistence, women and society, immigrant absorption, sexuality and
diversity, and animal rights. Coming to Israel? Take time out for social activism.
Applications can be made individually or as a group from this site or by contacting
Shinui@themerkaz.org
Upcoming Events: See our Calendar for more events
February 28-March 2, 2008, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
KOACH, the college program of the United
Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, is holding its 18th Annual KOACH Kallah, February 28-March 2, 2008, at Northwestern
in Evanston, Illinois. Students from campuses throughout North America will come
together for a weekend of learning, sharing, friendship, community service projects,
an update on Israeli current events, and a taste of Chicago. Limited scholarships
are available. Contact the rabbi from your home congregation and your Hillel Foundation
for funds as well. Apply online now!
March 24-March 26, 2008, Renaissance Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Join visionaries and innovators from
academia, philanthropy, journalism, and the Jewish world to explore the role of
the university and the Jewish community in imagining a more civil society. “The
University and the Jewish Community” Summit is for anyone interested in the intersection
of academia and the Jewish community. Faculty members, trustees and regents, college
presidents, student affairs professionals, administrators, philanthropists, Hillel
board members and professionals, Jewish community leaders, and student leaders will
find targeted programming, including input from nine esteemed university presidents,
applicable to their work. Registration is now
open. For more information, e-mail summit@hillel.org
Two Rides in 2008: May 20-27 and Nov. 11-18
The Israel Ride is an incredible opportunity
to experience the beauty of Israel from the saddle of a bike, while raising money
for two noteworthy organizations. The Ride’s 5-day itinerary includes the Jerusalem
forest, the Mediterranean Sea, the Negev, Mitzpe Ramon for a restful Shabbat, the
Arava Institute on Kibbutz Ketura, Eilat, and a swim in the Red Sea. Check out this
year’s new features. The 2007 Ride sold out, so register
early.
The 2008 Hazon New York Jewish Environmental
Bike Ride
August 29-September 1, 2008, New York
Become one of 400 participants for
this popular, worthwhile, and exciting annual event. Registration is now open for
the 2008 NY Ride. Sign up early so you won’t be disappointed. The 2007 NY Ride raised
nearly $350,000. 30 organizations
have received grants from Hazon. For more information, call 212-644-2332 or
email nyride@hazon.org.
Together, we can make
a difference.
