HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS
More than 100,000 Gulf Coast residents are still trying to get
home or are living in inhumane conditions, two years after Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita devastated the region. The failure to achieve a recovery is startling, says
Simon Greer, president of Jewish Funds
for Justice. See below, Upcoming Events, and
volunteer for the Adult Mitzvah Corps to help rebuild a home damaged by
Katrina.
Incidents of attacks against homeless, destitute women and
men have reached their highest levels in years, according to the National
Coalition for the Homeless (NCH). And more of these heinous acts have been
committed by “bored” teenagers and young adults, “for sport.” NCH director Michael
Stoops observed that the homeless are the newest minority group in America that
is “Okay” to hate and hurt.
“Let other people’s dignity be as
precious to you as your own.”
—Rabbi Eliezer
Washington Zoning Commission Passes Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning
The Washington DC Zoning Commission recently voted in favor of
implementing a Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning (MIZ) policy, thanks to an intensive
three year advocacy campaign by Jews United For Justice
(JUFJ) and others. Washington DC now joins hundreds of other jurisdictions around
the country that have used MIZ to create affordable housing in mixed-income neighborhoods
for thousands of low- and moderate-income residents. To help ensure that the policy
will be applied fairly throughout the city, contact Julia Zuckerman at Juliazuckerman@yahoo.com.
By REBECCA S.
"I used to judge homeless people, and assume that they weren't
very intelligent. I no longer see things so black and white; everyone has a story."
By RABBI PHIL MILLER
The beauty and comfort of your home must compel you to go out
into the world and see to it that all of its residents have residences, Micah teaches.
From JEWISH COUNCIL FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS
From RELIGIOUS ACTION CENTER
By RABBI JILL JACOBS and NOAH LEAVITT, Reprinted from the Forward
While a legal case in Chicago treads new legal ground in international
jurisprudence, rabbinic law includes a large body of opinion on the displacement
of tenants. Much relates to the landlord-tenant relationship and focuses on the
question of when and how a landlord may terminate a tenant’s lease.
Since its launch in 1997, The Shefa Fund's Tzedec community investment
program has organized more than $16 million in funds from the American Jewish community
to create housing, jobs, and small businesses in low and moderate-income communities.
Yachad, the Jewish Community and Housing Development Corporation
of Greater Washington, is a non-profit organization that mobilizes the resources
of the Washington, D.C. area Jewish community to revitalize urban neighborhoods.
Yachad works together with synagogues, minority churches and other non-profit organizations
to revitalize commercial properties and maintain affordable housing. Phone: 202-296-8563.
Join the Largest Jewish Home Repair Program in the Nation: Volunteer
for "Sukkot in April," A Day to Focus on the Importance of Shelter and
Housing
On April 29, 2007, volunteers from 25 synagogues and the Real
Estate Affinity Network of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington will repair
homes in and around the Washington D.C. area. "Sukkot in April" volunteers
refurbish the homes of the elderly, disabled, and poor who can't manage the repairs
themselves. Yachad, which has sponsored the hands-on program for 15 years, renovating
more than 120 homes and community facilities, mobilizes many types of volunteers—adult
synagogue members, singles groups, religious schools, and confirmation classes.
If you can build a Sukkah (no matter what the season!), or fix a broken window
or a leaky roof, you too can help. To find out more about "Sukkot in April"
or how to put "tikkun olam "—repairing the world—into action by
starting a similar program in your community, email SukkotinApril@yachad-dc.org, visit
www.yachad-dc.org, or call 202-296-8563.
Sixty Jewish high school and college student social justice
activists are participating in American Jewish World Service (AJWS) Volunteer
Summer in Africa, Asia, or Latin America, for seven weeks, working side-by-side
with local community members.
Sixty-three Jewish teenagers from New York didn't mind
laying down the tile floors or mixing cement for the walls. In fact, they
seemed to enjoy the physical labor. They were on a mission, as part of an
"interfaith brigade": to build eight houses for impoverished families
in a rural Nicaraguan village. Seventeen-year-old Evan Lobell explains why he
volunteered for the project: "These people need help and we have the
ability to do it, so why not?"
Learn how 17-year-old Alyson Gorun spent 12 days rebuilding
homes and dreams in the horrific after-wake of Hurricane Katrina. "Taking
New Orleans by Storm" is an inspiring "Kid Power" feature in Babaganewz.
"It was 100 degrees, and I was wearing this full body suit, shoveling dirt
into a barrel," recalls Alyson. "My body was telling me to stop
working. But then I would think about the owner. It was a struggle, but I kept
working because it would help someone."
Since the Hurricane Katrina, more than 1600 Hillel students
have traveled to the Gulf Coast, mostly during spring breaks to assist in
recovery and rebuilding efforts.
