Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

Pushing for Better Wages, Not Necessarily Giving Them: Conservative Leaders Support ‘Living Wage’ and Magen Tzedek, but So Far Little Change at Shul

Published October 07, 2009, issue of October 16, 2009,

Full article at http://www.forward.com/articles/116270/,Excerpt on JRF congregation Adat Shalom, Bethesda, MD http://www.adatshalom.net/,  One synagogue that did systematically decide to pay a living wage is Adat Shalom, a Reconstructionist congregation in Bethesda, Md. The rabbi at Adat Shalom, Fred Scherlinder Dobb, raised the issue in 2001 — eight years before Jacobs’ teshuvah passed — when the Washington, D.C., City Council passed a living wage ordinance. Scherlinder Dobb faced opposition from the congregation president at the time, Judith Gelman, who is an economist.

“As an economist I thought it would break the bank,” Gelman said, looking back.

Scherlinder Dobb did not give up. His board calculated that paying two janitors a living wage would cost $8,000 extra a year — 1% of their annual budget, or $35 per member each year. For the janitors at the time, this meant $10.20 an hour with health insurance, or $11.80 without. The congregation ultimately reached this standard by raising more revenue and reshuffling its budget priorities.

The executive director at Adat Shalom, Sheila Feldman, said that she tried to promote what Adat Shalom had done at meetings of executive directors from synagogues across the Washington area — but she always heard that the other synagogues could not afford it.

“Believe me, my synagogue was in no better shape than theirs,” Feldman said.

One person who was eventually convinced was Gelman, the economist and executive director. She said she was surprised by the benefits that the move brought to the synagogue — most of all the quality of the employees who were attracted, and the lack of employee turnover. She also heard from one janitor who went to a doctor as soon as he got health insurance, and ended up catching a life-threatening illness early.

“To this day,” Gelman wrote in an essay about her experience, “he says that the congregation saved his life.”

See

http://jrf.org/living-wage,

http://jrf.org/omer/2006/4/living-wage-handbook,

http://jrf.org/resources/files/Tikkun%20Olam-Liebling.pdf,

http://jrf.org/files/PEARL%20-%20Tikkun%20Olam.pdf,

Contact Nathaniel Popper at popper@forward.com

North American Solar and Renewable Energy Campaign in the Jewish Community

The year 5769 (2008-2009) will be the little known Jewish year of “Birkhat HaHammah” the “blessing of the sun.” Every 28 years, the ancient rabbis demarked a time in the Jewish calendar that celebrates the ceremonial return of the sun to its original place in the cosmos during creation.

JRF, as part of a national coalition participated in this rare event to focus on solar power and energy stewardship. Our commitment to a dynamic Judiasm on a Sustainable Planet will continue!  read more »

Peri SmilowPeri Smilow, nationally recognized contemporary Jewish singer, songwriter, performer, and educator, will present her music and spirit at Columbia Jewish Congregation in Columbia, MD, on Saturday, April 25, 2009, at 8:30 pm. The concert will begin with a beautiful Havdallah service, ending the Sabbath. A concert will follow the service, and a “meet the artist” reception will follow the concert.  read more »

Peri’s music and message of “repairing the world” have been heard throughout the United States, Canada, England, Singapore, and Israel.

Submitted by Rochelle L. Stanfield  read more »

Adat Shalom members engage in a home-improvement project with Sukkot in Spring in April 2008.One of them was a scientist, another a journalist. Also in the group were a psychologist, a telecommunications analyst, a public relations manager and the owner of a video production company. A typical Jewish crowd at a Washington cocktail party? Not this time. These guys were outdoors sweating in the hot April sun, building a sidewalk in front of a modest house in an impoverished District of Columbia neighborhood.

Historic Savage Mill
Plan to join us on Sunday, March 22nd for the Chesapeake JRF Annual Celebration in support of Reconstructionist Judaism, our congregations and JRF. Tzadik Award and Ira & Judith Eisenstein Service Award to be presented; Yehudit Award for Leadership and Creativity to be presented to Special Honoree Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat, Founding Director of Youth and Camping. Register Online Now.  read more »

When: Friday, May 23, 8 PM
Where: Oseh Shalom, 7515 Olive Branch Way, Laurel, MD

This special evening at Oseh Shalom is third in a series featuring intellectual inquiry woven into the Friday evening service.

Featured speakers from The Interfaith Alliance (TIA) are Ari Geller, Director of Communications, and Preet Singh, Deputy Director of Public Policy. TIA is a nonpartisan organization whose goal is to promote the positive and healing role of religion in public life.  read more »

When: Saturday night, April 5th, 8:00 p.m.
Where: Oseh Shalom Congregation, Laurel, MD.

Craig TaubmanCraig Taubman, a renowned singer and songwriter, will be giving a concert at Oseh Shalom dedicated to Tikkun Olam! This concert is being sponsored by Oseh Shalom Congregation including the Music & Arts Fund, the Social Action Committee, the Mens' Club and the Sisterhood; and Chesapeake Region JRF, Adat Shalom and Beit Tikvah. This concert is appropriate for adults, teens and families.  read more »

Download the attached event flyer and help spread the word!

The Chesapeake JRF Regional Council, the Afternoon of Honor Committee, and Chespeake Regional Director Jackie Land are excited to announce the Chesapeake JRF Afternoon of Honor and Celebration, on March 16, 2008 at Savage Mill at 4:30 p.m. We are looking forward to a great event of regional celebration followed by dinner and a social hour.

Invitations have been mailed out. We encourage safe and easy online registrations

This year we are thrilled to be honoring the following honorees from our Chesapeake Region congregations:

• Adam Reese and Rich Scissors from Oseh Shalom
• Judy Young from Columbia Jewish Congregation
• Lisa and Steve Libowitz from Beit Tikvah
• Garry Grossman, Josh Levin and Carol Bloomberg from Adat Shalom
• Beila Organic from the Reconstructionist Havurah of Greater Washington and
• Janet Davis from Mishkan Torah

We are also very excited to be honoring our Regional Cantors and Cantorial soloists with the Tzadik Award for all they do to fill our congregations with music and spirituality: Cantors Charlie Bernhardt, Rachel Hersh Epstein, Phil Greenfield, Jan Morrison and Diane Wacks.  read more »

The Jewish peace group Brit Tzedek v'Shalom is staging a rally to support the Israeli/Palestinian peace talks which begin in Annapolis, Maryland, tomorrow. Brit Tzedek writes:

For the first time in six and a half years, we actually have real diplomacy happening, led by the United States! And you have a chance to be a part of history! Join Brit Tzedek, along with many other pro-Israel, pro-peace groups, and rally for Israeli-Palestinian peace in Annapolis!

When: Tuesday, Nov. 27th, 1-3pm
Where: Annapolis, MD

Read more on the Brit Tzedek web site.