Ground zero protests are fanning the flames of bigoted hostility toward Muslims akin to anti-Semitism and communist witch hunts. JALSA believes the hot rhetoric is an affront to cherished American values of religious freedom and tolerance of diversity.

Look at this video of a Brownshirt-like responses at “No Mosque Here” rally: http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/08/22/black-muslim-same-difference/

See our JALSA statement on controversy around Muslim community center planned for lower Manhattan and links to articles of special merit.

Slate provides a serious look at the state of maternity leave.  Recently, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that Massachusetts law did not protect individuals who took more time than explicitly stated in the state law – 8 weeks.  In the case under review, the employee had relied on verbal permission.

See Slate article for an understanding of the limits of state and federal law and how badly we lag behind all other developed countries in the world on the matter of paid leave.   See Slate:    slate.com/id/2263065

It’s August and some commentators have suggestions that there is a compassion-fatigue over the land.  Nevertheless, it is not possible to ignore the suffering of 14 million people whose homes are now under lakes of water.  At least 1200 people have died and many more are at extreme risk from disease and death in the months ahead without food, water, shelter.

Two important relief drives we call to your attention:

American Jewish World Service and Joint Distribution Committee:
AJWS has been working in Pakistan since the 2005 earthquake. With five trusted grantee partners on the ground they are well-positioned to respond to this latest crisis.

AJWS grantee partners in Pakistan are saving lives by mobilizing emergency support for victims of the flooding and helping to prevent the spread of disease. They are erecting temporary shelters for those whose homes have been destroyed, facilitating access to clean drinking water in government relief camps and working with local and national government authorities to expedite the relief process. As a result of the 2005 earthquake, these organizations already have extensive experience in responding to disasters.

With your support today, AJWS will be able to fund the immediate distribution of Aid-Bags to affected families in the worst hit areas. These Aid-Bags contain essentials: food, water, pots, pans, clothing and other necessities that will sustain these families for a week to ten days. In the longer term they anticipate working with these groups to enable them to play a part in rebuilding their country.
Read more…

There have been an exciting set of reforms in Massachusetts recently, focusing on creating a more equitable and sustainable food system.   Among the most exciting of these reforms was the passage of the Massachusetts School Nutrition Bill, and Mayor Menino’s creation of a city “Director of Food Initiatives.”

As the state moves forward in implementing these new policies and structures, JALSA is proud to host Edith Murnane, the brand new Boston Director of Food Initiatives.  Ms. Murnane began her career as a chef in Boston who championed urban farming, and went on to serve as Manager for Sustainable Food Programs at Community Servings, a home-delivery hot meal program serving the home-bound and ill, (that JALSA leaders initiated many years ago.).

Ms. Murnane will be speaking about her plans for the new position, particularly how her work will be affected by the newly passed School Nutrition Bill and Food Policy Council Bill.  We encourage you to come join this important discussion.

RSVP to jalsaoffice@gmail.com

Friday, October 29th, 12:30-1:30pm.
The JALSA Office.
18 Tremont Street, Suite 320
Boston, MA 02108

Hope you’ve all seen the decision by the First Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the Federal District Court in the case involving the Genocide curriculum guide.

JALSA had joined a brief with members of the Armenian community to support the earlier decision and the right of the school department to determine what ought to be in the Curriculum Guide. JALSA had encouraged passage of the original legislation which directed that students study genocide in school, with the selection of possible courses of study from several historical events including the Armenian Genocide, the Cambodian Killing Fields, the European Holocaust, the Irish Hunger Famine, the Middle Passage of the Slave Trade, etc. JALSA believed the Curriculum Guide set out possible directions for the course of study, but did not prevent teachers or students from bringing additional materials to the classroom. The notion that elimination of material (provided by Turkish challengers to the understanding that the massacre of Armenians by the Turks during WWI was genocide) by the Commissioner of the Department of Education in the Department’s suggested list of resources was not a prohibited limit on freedom of speech. (more on this case coming)