Offset the carbon dioxide emissions of daily life or travel by planting a tree or purchasing carbon offsets that support renewable energy.
On average, supermarket food travels 1,500-2,500 miles before reaching your table. You can minimize the pollution caused by food travel while supporting your local farming community by shopping at farmers markets.
Walk more, drive less! It’s good for your health and the environment.
Restore affordable birth control for college students and low income women. More than 3 million college students and 750,000 low-income women recently lost access to the affordable birth control they depend on. When Congress passed the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, every college and university health center and over 400 community health clinics were inadvertently cut off from a longstanding ability to buy low cost birth control. Tell your Members of Congress to fix this harmful mistake now.
End hunger in America! Take the Food Stamp Challenge to call attention to the 35 million people that go hungry every year in the richest country in the world. Then let your member of Congress know that it’s time to pass a Farm Bill that will give the food stamp program the funding it deserves.
Advocate for health care reform in your state. Support Rabbi Eric Yoffie’s 2007 Biennial initiative on state health care reform. Get in touch with the coordinating congregation in your state and learn what efforts have already begun and how you can help.
Save money on your energy bills and reduce your home’s carbon emissions by replacing your incandescent bulbs with Compact Florescent Lightbulbs. CFLs use 75% less energy than traditional bulbs and last nearly 10 times as long.
Stand with workers. When you go on a trip, try to stay in a unionized hotel. Hotel housekeepers often struggle to make ends meet; their jobs pay as little as $8.50/hour and often offer no health care benefits. Unions help workers gain needed benefits Sign the pledge to travel justly and be an ally to working men and women.
Help end malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Union for Reform Judaism along with Nothing But Nets has pledged to donate 50,000 nets to prevent the spread of malaria throughout Africa and specifically in the countries of Chad and the Central African Republic. Donate a net or, even better, run a fundraiser at your synagogue to get others to do the same.
Help rebuild the Gulf Coast. More than two years after the devastation wreaked by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, over 100,000 low-income people remain displaced from their homes in the Gulf Coast. Volunteer with the URJ to help rebuild. And urge your Members of Congress to make rebuilding the Gulf Coast the national priority we know it must become.
Engage in trade that’s fair. Fair trade coffee provides a decent living to farmers in the developing world while ensuring the environment is simultaneously protected. Bring fair trade coffee to your office or temple café and spread the word about a sustainable world.
Provide affordable housing to all Americans. Be an advocate for low-income families by supporting the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act. One of the leading causes of homelessness is lack of affordable housing; in 2008, all people deserve a roof over their head.
Learn more about the conflict in Darfur by watching a movie. Unfortunately, many Americans remain unaware of the details and background of the conflict. Several provocative films have been released which help explain the complexities of the conflict. Commit to seeing a Darfur-related movie like Darfur Now or The Devil Came on Horseback with a friend this year.
Care for the elderly. Those who came before us, who helped build what we have today, deserve compassion in their old age. The Jewish population in the United States is rapidly aging. Already, 20% of the Jewish population is 65 or older, as opposed to just 13% of the general population. Spend some time at a local nursing home—with your parent, grandparent or somebody else’s.
Restore protection against discrimination in the workplace. The Supreme Court recently told Lilly Ledbetter she couldn’t get reimbursed by Goodyear Co. for the years she spent working for pay below that of her male peers. The clock ran out, the Court said. Tell Congress to end this injustice. Fighting discrimination should have no expiration date.
Enact comprehensive immigration reform. Immigration is a controversial issue, but ignoring the problem won’t solve anything. The Union for Reform Judaism recently adopted a resolution in support of comprehensive reform. Talk to your friends and neighbors about why this matters—as Americans and as Jews.
End global poverty. Measure up with the Jubilee USA campaign and help provide debt relief to the poorest countries in the world through support of the Jubilee Act of 2007. Weighted down with debt (often accrued by former dictators), countries can’t spend on healthcare and education for their citizens. It’s time for a shift in priorities.
End United States’ sponsored torture. Join 20,000 other people of faith and sign the National Religious Campaign Against Torture’s Statement “Torture is a Moral Issue.”
Divest from Iranian terror. Send a letter to your investment manager asking that your funds be removed from companies doing significant business in the Iranian oil sector. Consider also writing your state treasurer to encourage him/her to do the same for your state.
Support our troops and bring them home. The Union for Reform Judaism took a strong stand in 2005 and again in 2007 to take A New Course in Iraq! Write your Members of Congress to encourage them to begin withdrawing our troops. While our troops are abroad we should also support them. Consider having your synagogue Adopt a US Soldier.
Re-commit to ending the death penalty. The United States Supreme Court took a bold step this year by staying several executions while its members re-examine the question of whether or not capital punishment ought to be considered “cruel and unusual.” New Jersey also passed a legislative moratorium on the death penalty. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper calling attention to these successes and asking local legislatures to pass a moratorium bill.
Avoid the “paper or plastic?” debate by carrying your own canvas bags or backpacks to the grocery store, farmers market, and mall.
Promote effective global AIDS policy. Five years ago, President Bush took a bold step in his State of the Union speech by announcing the creation of PEPFAR (The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) which committed $15 billion to Global AIDS funding over five years. This year PEPFAR is being re-authorized and it is important that we remove the 1/3 abstinence-only education earmark. Send this e-postcard to let Congress know that we need the most effective programs, not just those which conform to a political ideology.
Calculate your carbon footprint. Look for ways to reduce your footprint, and engage in eco-justice by holding an energy-conservation drive to supply low-income communities with the tools needed to save money and CO2.
Work to end sexual assault. A February 2007 study found that nearly 20% of all women in America have been raped in their lifetime. Take a self-defense class, learn how to protect yourself from attack, and encourage Congress to support efforts to end violence against women and girls.
Eliminate nuclear weapons in America and around the world. 2007 saw bipartisan push in Congress to promote nuclear non-proliferation in a serious way. In addition to the de-funding of the Reliable Replacement Warhead, four former Cold War officials issued two important editorials in the Wall Street Journal outlining ways to free the world from nuclear weapons. Read the most recent editorial and forward it to a friend.
Take improving race relations into your own hands by getting involved with your local branch of the NAACP, helping African-Americans in their continued fight for equality on issues such as criminal justice and education. Learn more about today’s civil rights struggles.
Oppose efforts to institute state-level constitutional amendments that would ban marriage equality for gay, lesbian and transgender couples. Find out what your state’s marriage laws are; if your state is one is one of the 10 whose legislators are currently considering hostile amendments regarding marriage equality, urge them to vote in favor of civil rights. You can also encourage your federal government representatives to do the same!
Smoking kills more than 400,000 Americans every year. Twenty-two states have passed laws making their bars and restaurants smoke-free and safer for patrons. Has yours? If not, take part in initiatives that encourage your city or state to kick the habit.
In 2004, gun violence took the lives of 56 people in Australia, 184 people in Canada and 73 people in England and Wales. The same year, firearms were used to murder 11,344 Americans. If these statistics outrage you, participate in your local Million Mom March to join thousands of Americans nationwide in making a powerful statement about our country’s gun laws.
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) was designed to ensure equal workplace protection for individuals with disabilities. Over the course of time, though, the courts’ narrow interpretations of the law have led to a rollback of rights for the community the law was designed to protect. Urge your Member of Congress to support the ADA Restoration Act of 2007, which would restore the law’s original intent.
At the Union for Reform Judaism’s 2007 Biennial, Rabbi Eric Yoffie encouraged Reform Jews to “educate ourselves and each other” about religions different from our own, “thus taking a necessary first step toward global understanding and religious harmony.” Encourage your synagogue to take part in the URJ Children of Abraham initiative and pair up with a local mosque to engage in interfaith dialogue.
94% of Fortune 500 companies protect workers on the basis of sexual orientation – still, 30 such companies do not. Ask these influential businesses to take a stand for equality by adopting workplace policies that protect their workers’ civil rights.
Make advocacy easy! Sign up for the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism’s email alerts and take action now! You can stay informed with our Chai IMPACT Action Alerts, the RAC's Weekly Legislative Update, RAC press statements, program announcements, web updates, and more.
Help end domestic violence. Nearly 1 million women are victims of intimate partner violence each year. Make combating domestic violence in your community a top priority and teach young people about healthy relationships.
Make strides toward de-stigmatizing mental illness. Encourage the House to pass the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 (H.R.1424), and require parity between physical and mental health coverage by health insurance carriers. Companion legislation passed the Senate unanimously, so passing this legislation is the next major hurdle for treating individuals with mental illness with dignity.
Continue to make educational reform a national priority. Learn about various reauthorization proposals for No Child Left Behind and support changes that will improve the program’s efficacy and impact.
Help develop life-saving medical breakthroughs and technologies. Be a part of the Reform Movement’s support for embryonic and other forms of stem-cell research by encouraging state and federal legislatures to increase funding.
Maintain the separation of church and state in our public schools. Oppose voucher programs and learn more about legal parameters related to prayer, the teaching of religion, and creationism vs. evolution in public schools.
Encourage the de-politicization of science. Get involved with movements like “Evolution Weekend,” which promote opportunities for serious discussion and reflection on the relationship between religion and science.
Preserve religious freedom in the workplace. Encourage your Member of Congress to support the Workplace Religious Freedom Act (H.R. 1431).
Increase school readiness in low-income children. Volunteer with early education programs such as Head Start or Jump Start, which use educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to increase school readiness and educational, literacy, and employment success later in life.
Protect reproductive rights. It’s been 35 years since the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Roe v. Wade and reproductive rights are still under attack. The Freedom of Choice Act (H.R. 1964 / S. 1173) will affirm and restore the reproductive rights established by the Roe decision and would also nullify any state or federal law that seeks to interfere with a woman’s right to bear a child or terminate a pregnancy. Tell your Members of Congress to pass the bill now!
Be an engaged citizen - Register to vote and be sure to get to the polls for the primaries, caucuses, and the November 4, 2008 general election. Already registered? Run a voter registration drive at your temple to help others engage in democracy (and don’t forget about local college students!)
Support DC voting rights. Taxation without representation isn’t just a slogan: residents of the District of Columbia lack full voting representation in Congress. Remind your Senators that all Americans deserve the right to vote!
The U.S. contributes more to global warming than any nation on earth. Help lower nationwide carbon dioxide emissions 65% by 2050 by contacting your Senators in support of America’s Climate Security Act (S.2191).
In November 2007, the House passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would provide equal workplace protection to gay, lesbian and bisexual workers. Encourage the Senate to pass the bill and help make “justice for all” a reality.
The Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 expired in 2004, despite President George W. Bush’s promise to renew it. Let the government know how important it is to reinstate the ban that decreased assault weapon-related crime by 66%. Urge your Member of Congress to support the Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act (H.R. 1022).
