Hello, Social Action Committee and All Those who strive for Tzedek (Justice) and act with Chesed (Loving Kindness),
Climate Covenant 2022
The time has passed that individual action – recycling, composting – is enough. We must come together as Reform Jews and join with others across lines of race, faith, and wealth in joint action to end our dependence on fossil fuels and stop global warming. A move toward more sustainable, clean energy will also make us less susceptible to energy spikes, as we see especially now, due to international turmoil, significant weather events, and the whim of fossil fuel providers and refiners.
Please join me (Stacey Farber) as part of CGOH's delegation for the launch of Climate Covenant: A RAC-NY Multi-Year Campaign to Combat Climate Change.
You may join whichever zoom is most convenient, but you will need to register in advance to get the Zoom information. Speakers on the launch will include, among others, Rabbi Jennie Rosenn from Dayenu and Shiv Soin from TREEage, a youth and BIPOC-led climate justice group.
Please also save the date for our upcoming Capital Region Retreat, which will be held on May 22, 2022 from 10am - 2pm at Congregation Beth Emeth. It will be an exciting, rich opportunity to network with other Reform Congregations in the Capital Region, as well as come together and tackle one of the largest issues facing us today - climate change.
Again, please register for one of the two Zoom launches and spread the word!
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USCRI (United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants) Volunteering
A week ago we commemorated a Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) Refugee Shabbat during Friday night services. We were joined by Sara Lowry, Staff Attorney for USCRI-Albany, and Johanna Uber,(Department of Justice) DOJ-accredited representative to USCRI. They shared with us the refugee's journey through the many phases and many years ... and we learned that a very, very small number of those refugees actually make it to the U.S. to only, again, begin a difficult, confusing, exhausting journey toward permanence and sustainability (if they get the significant resources required).
This is where you come in ... and thanks to many of you who have already reached out asking how to help. USCRI very much welcomes the assistance of volunteers and item donations. To volunteer, please find the USCRI Volunteer application attached. You may volunteer as an individual and/or as part of a CGOH group event.
When completing the application, please see the question: How did you hear about USCRI-Albany?
- If you wish to volunteer as an individual only, please write: CGoH: Individual
- If you wish to volunteer as a CGOH "Good Neighbor Team" member for group events only, please write: CGoH: GNT
- If you would like to volunteer as an individual and for CGOH group events, please write: CGoH: Both
Some of you expressed interest in the Clinics, and I've been told that they *absolutely* have a need for individuals who are comfortable doing front-desk intakes. If there are specific activities - such as clinics or maybe working the donation warehouse - please feel free to specify these activities in your application, even if there doesn't appear to be a "check box" for them.
When you have completed your application, please send it to Kate Shelly at KShelly@uscrimail.org. Her email (and mailing address) is on the application, as well. Kate will let me know who is interested in CGOH group events, and I will be sure to include you in communications of upcoming activities.
