About JALSA
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When you join JALSA as a member for 2011, you become an essential part of a progressive public policy organization, inspired by Jewish traditions and teachings, leading the way in protecting civil rights and constitutional liberties, and fighting for social and economic justice. As a member of JALSA, you can be proud of your organization for: * Fighting for environmental and food justice; * Defending the rights of all workers, including immigrant workers, to organize; * Leading the effort to pass sick days legislation; * Submitting amicus briefs in key discrimination, religious accommodation, and free speech cases; * Standing up for progressive taxation; * Opposing discrimination against the LGBT community; * Protecting public school funding, and oppposing privatization and high-stakes testing; and * Creating the “First Friday” speaker series to engage with top level policymakers each month. For more information on JALSA’s ongoing work, click here. How can JALSA remain such a reliable voice, even in tough economic times, representing progressive views at key moments in the legislative and judicial process? It’s because we have a strong membership base -including you – behind everything we do. Please send in your 2011 dues today so that JALSA can continue to work with you to realize our shared vision for a more just world. |
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Sincerely,
Andrew Fischer, Esq Sheila Decter President Executive Director |
JALSA is a special interest group. Our special interest is promoting the general welfare; safeguarding access to equal opportunity; and eliminating the legal, societal and economic barriers that stand between too many and the promise of the American dream.
We are a membership-based non-profit organization based in Boston. We are dedicated to being a strong, progressive, inter-generational voice, inspired by Jewish teachings and values, for social and economic justice, civil rights, and civil liberties for all peoples.
Recent efforts include:
- Strengthening the state’s commitment to quality public education by working with legislators and educators to ensure adequate funds, reduce dropout rates and close achievement gaps;
- Working on cutting edge issues, like green jobs, to ensure that low-income and minority communities have access to job training and green employment opportunities.
- Addressing health as a civil right, supporting the improvement of and access to health care for people of all incomes;
- Continuing legislative and judicial activities to prevent discrimination against members of gay, lesbian, and transgender communities; and
- Providing advice to tenants and homeowners facing foreclosure, and working on statewide legislation to remedy the effects of the mortgage market collapse;
Major victories and Accomplishments:
- Coordinating an ongoing effort to focus on civil rights through counsel with the state’s senior level civil rights officer, a position created in response to our coalition’s advocacy;
- Bringing together scientists, academics, and advocates in support of the state’s stem cell law;
- Founding Community Servings, the hot meals program for people with AIDS and other life-threatening diseases, and their caregivers.
- Successfully protecting the constitutional right of religious freedom by coordinating two amici briefs in two important cases on religious accommodation before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
