By Leora Greene In April 2015, when I was 15 years old, I came home from getting my braces off to learn that my grandfather had taken his own life after fighting with anxiety and depression for many years. My family and I felt a strange mix of emotions all at once: anger, sadness, and […]
By Michael Chaskes “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” — Pirkei Avot, 2:21. During the first 47 years of my life, I could have counted my brief number of excursions into political advocacy on one hand and still had a few fingers remaining. But […]
By Lindsay Morgenstein As the calendar turns to 2019, we can now focus on the next twelve months and the pressing issues facing our nation. This may not be a midterm or presidential election year, but there are still a number of crucial justice issues I hope we can address in 2019. Here’s my justice […]
[UPDATE (Jan. 10): Join JCJ at 9:00 a.m. on January 19th for a pre-Women’s March Shabbat experience. We will be meeting in the parking lot on S. Broadway, between 2nd and 3rd streets (next to 213 S. Broadway). The March will begin at Pershing Square and everyone will congregate around Grand Park. This is a perfect in-between […]
By Sam Wolf In the midst of the Administration’s continued attacks on refugees and asylum seekers, I feel compelled to speak out. Let me tell you why. On April 15, 1940, my great grandparents — Ferenc Rakos and Aranka Neufeld — arrived in New York on the USS Manhattan. It was a long journey from […]
On Thursday, December 6th, the Jewish Center for Justice joins with the greater California community of advocates who are bringing justice and hope to migrant families and asylum seekers at the border. To take action today, call your Member of Congress (you can reach U.S. Representatives by calling 202-225-3121, and U.S. senators by calling 202-224-3121). Here’s how to figure out who […]
By Dr. Jennifer Weiss The sound of metal-on-metal isn’t unfamiliar to doctors who have spent a career treating bullet wounds. Even modern basins made from plastic make a particular noise once a bullet has been deposited. Those sounds aren’t easy to forget because they are sensory memories of the destruction that gun violence leave in […]
As we rededicate ourselves to a year of justice and action, we also must think about how to educate ourselves on the important issues of our time and the roles we play in living a life guided by our core Jewish values. Each night of Hanukkah, with the candles burning brighter, may our conversations be richer, […]
In response to Women’s March California and other local chapters clarifying their separation from the harmful affiliations of national Women’s March leaders, Jewish Center for Justice Board Chair Julie Bank and Manager of Jewish Engagement and Advocacy Leah Sternberg issued the following statement: From the moment JCJ opened its doors, we have supported Women’s Marches […]
This Giving Tuesday, the Jewish Center for Justice community would like to direct your attention to several organizations and causes we have worked with this past year that are making a difference on important issues which we care about deeply. With so many amazing groups across the country doing impactful justice work, you may be […]
